Player Prop Bets in College Sports: Big Ten Wants Them Gone
Big Ten prop betting just became a front-and-center issue again, and this time it is coming straight from the athletes. The Big Ten Student-Athlete Issues Commission sent a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker pushing for limits or an outright ban on college player props, pointing to integrity concerns and what they describe as nonstop harassment.
Big Ten Student-Athlete Commission Issues Letter to Charlie Baker
In the letter, the athletes describe prop betting as fundamentally different in college sports, writing that it “presents unique risks at the college level.” The concern centers on how wagers tied to individual stat lines put student-athletes “directly at the center of gambling outcomes and exposed to potential backlash.”
Sportsbooks have expanded their offerings of player props in recent years as they become more popular with bettors.
They make clear they are speaking broadly, not for one locker room or one sport, saying they are advocating “on behalf of our teammates, competitors, and student-athlete peers across the Big Ten and NCAA.”
The thrust of the message is simple. When a bet depends on one player’s rebounds, passing yards, or free throws, that player becomes the focal point of frustration if the wager fails.
NCAA Prop Bets And Integrity Questions In College Sports
Integrity is the second pillar of the argument. The commission warns that individual props can create suspicion even when nothing improper occurs. It calls out “the threat prop betting poses to the integrity of college sports” and notes that such markets can “raise doubts about effort, decision-making, and fairness.”
That perception problem matters in a college setting where athletes are younger and still navigating school, public attention, and in many cases new NIL pressures. The letter argues that, because of that dynamic, outside influence tied to prop wagers can be “magnified.”
The athletes also point out that individual props are inherently easier to sway than full-game outcomes, stating that “prop bets are relatively easy to influence on the part of the player, should they be involved or influenced by the wrong people.” The subtext is clear. Even if manipulation is rare, the possibility alone chips away at trust.
Student Athlete Harassment Linked To Sports Betting Props
Where the letter becomes most direct is on harassment. The commission states that prop betting “exposes student-athletes to increased and aggravated social media pressure and harassment.” It describes players receiving “angry messages, threats, or public criticism from bettors when wagers do not hit,” calling that treatment harmful and relentless.
One line in particular captures the emotional core of the complaint. The athletes write that “prop bets are a direct avenue to the overwhelming number of death threats that student-athletes receive if they ‘ruin a parlay.’” That phrasing leaves little room for interpretation.
The commission closes that section with a reminder aimed squarely at the betting public: “Sports betting does not give anyone the right to dehumanize athletes.”
Will The NCAA Move To Ban College Player Prop Bets
The requested solution is straightforward. The letter argues that “limiting or eliminating prop betting on college athletes would be a meaningful step toward reducing harassment, protecting mental well-being, and preserving the integrity of college competition.”
That puts the decision back on Charlie Baker and, by extension, on state regulators and sportsbooks that continue to offer those markets. Baker has previously signaled concern about college player props. This letter strengthens that position by adding athlete voices to the debate.
The Big Ten prop betting conversation is no longer theoretical. It is framed around mental health, public trust, and whether college athletes should carry the weight of someone else’s parlay. The NCAA now has to decide whether that argument is strong enough to change the market.
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