The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has urged the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to suspend college sports offerings on prediction markets until a comprehensive regulatory framework is established.
The request was made by NCAA president Charlie Baker in a letter sent to the federal agency on 14 January 2026.
Prediction markets, which allow users to trade on the outcomes of future events, fall under the CFTC’s oversight.
In his letter, Baker argued that current collegiate sports prediction markets operate in a manner similar to sports wagering, offering markets such as moneylines, totals and point spreads that closely mirror traditional betting products.
He said the rapid growth of these markets, coupled with limited safeguards, poses risks to competition integrity and student-athlete welfare.
The NCAA has thus asked the CFTC to pause college-related offerings while appropriate protections are developed.
Among the safeguards outlined are stricter age limits, advertising restrictions on college campuses, enhanced integrity monitoring and the prevention of proposition-style markets involving individual athletes.
The association also called for formal involvement of national governing bodies in approving markets and reporting suspicious activity.
Additional concerns raised include the lack of anti-harassment measures and harm-reduction resources.
Baker noted that sports betting has contributed to increased online abuse of college athletes, and argued that prediction market participants who harass athletes should face platform-wide bans. He also suggested that, as with regulated sports betting in many states, a portion of revenues should support education, screening and treatment for problem gambling.
The NCAA said it is willing to work with the CFTC to develop a future framework that balances innovation with protections for athletes and consumers.
This appeal follows recent enforcement actions, including the permanent ban of Temple player Hysier Miller for betting on his own team's games, and research showing that 36% of Division I men's basketball players experienced betting-related harassment on social media in the past year.
Since the 2018 repeal of the federal sports betting ban, the NCAA has monitored more than 23,000 contests annually for integrity issues
