About one percent of college football players are taking money to play poorly in games, the NCAA announced Wednesday.
This is according to a national study commissioned by the college sports governing body to study sports wagering among student-athletes.
The survey also found that 2.3 percent of football players said due to gambling debts owed, they had been asked to alter a game outcome. A shocking 1.4 percent admitted having affected the outcome of a game to repay gambling debts.
"The scope of sports wagering among intercollegiate student-athletes is startling and disturbing," said NCAA President Myles Brand in an NCAA new release. "Sports wagering is a double-threat because it harms the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of college sports."
The NCAA forbids sports wagering among its student-athletes and has in recent years aggressively attempted to dissuade the behavior, using educational campaigns that included classes and televisions commercials. Going back at least 50 years, collegiate athletics has been marred by several gambling scandals, involving athletes participating in both college football and basketball.
The student-athletes, according to the release, answered an assortment of questions regarding sports wagering behavior and associated health risks like alcohol and drug use. Participation in the study was voluntary and respondents were guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality.
The football-related gambling information was culled from 21,000 responses given by both male and female athletes in Divisions I, II and III.
Almost 35 percent of male student-athletes admitted to engaging in sports wagering in the past year. This compared to only 10 percent of female student-athletes. Division III student-athletes, the study found, are the most likely to gamble or wager on sports. Division I student-athletes, like those at the University of Colorado, are the least likely to engage in the behaviors, the release said.
Instances of football gambling were not delineated between divisions in the NCAA report.
Posted by Ron at May 13, 2004 02:45 PM