NCAA’s Charlie Baker concerned about ‘enormously problematic’ prop betting in college sports

GLENDALE, Ariz. — NCAA president Charlie Baker said before Monday’s men’s basketball championship game that the organization remains concerned about gambling in college sports but added that “we’re kind of in the top of the first inning on this one,” particularly when it comes to prop betting.

“Did any of you notice how much time was spent on cable TV about Caitlin Clark’s prop performance (after the) first (national semifinals) game leading into the second game?” Baker said. “Was that really what we should be talking about in the middle of a women’s Final Four? I think the answer for that for most people is no.”

Baker, who in March completed his first year as NCAA president, talked to reporters for about 15 minutes before Purdue and Connecticut squared off. He was excited and encouraged about the women’s Final Four. He also discussed measures the NCAA is taking to help college athletes and their families better understand the name, image and likeness landscape.

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In a statement released in March, Baker announced that the NCAA is “drawing the line” to better protect athletes and the integrity of sports. Prop bets allow fans to bet on a player’s performance, such as how many rushing yards a football player gains or how many rebounds a basketball player grabs. They’re also a reason fans lash out at players for not reaching those numbers.

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“The prop-betting piece is enormously problematic for student-athletes and I’ve had a lot of them say that to me,’’ Baker said, adding that the NCAA has helped persuade four states to eliminate prop betting and others to pass harassment legislation.

“It’s really important for us to recognize that this is going to be a challenging issue and we really need to take seriously the fact that student-athletes generally are surrounded by a huge percentage of their classmates and their schoolmates who bet on sports.”

With NIL, Baker said the NCAA is working on a consumer protection package that will help athletes and their families better understand the NIL market. It also is creating a platform that Baker said is similar to Yelp or Tripadvisor that will give families a way to discuss NIL third parties and their trustworthiness.

“I think this is the first step on our part to try and make sure that all the players in this space get held accountable and we do more to provide more transparency,’’ he said.

Baker said he was thrilled with the women’s basketball tournament, and the attention and television ratings it produced. He loved the storylines and competition.

Sunday’s national title contest between Iowa and South Carolina brought in a record 18.7 million viewers across ABC and ESPN.

“Pretty, pretty, pretty good,” Baker said with a smile.

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(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)