A new NCAA study has found that more than one-third of Division I men's basketball student-athletes experienced sports betting-related abuse on social media over the past year.
According to the data, 36% reported receiving negative or threatening messages from bettors, while 29% had encountered a fellow student on campus who had placed a wager on their team.
The survey results also show similar trends among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletes, though at lower levels. Indeed, 16% of FBS football players reported receiving abusive or threatening messages linked to betting outcomes, and 26% said they had interacted with a student who had bet on their team.
Former Butler player Pierre Brooks II described the harassment as 'routine,' noting that bettors frequently contact him when their wagers do not pay off.
Across all Division I men's sports, 7% of athletes reported receiving threatening messages from bettors, and 9% said a student had explicitly told them they won or lost money based on the athlete's performance.
Rates among women's sports athletes were significantly lower at 1% for both indicators.
The study follows growing concern about the impact of widespread sports wagering on college athletes, including online harassment and inappropriate contact.
Off the back of the findings, NCAA President Charlie Baker reiterated calls for state regulators and operators to remove proposition bets involving college athletes, stating: "States and gaming operators that continue to offer these bets are putting student-athletes and competition integrity at risk.
"The NCAA runs the largest integrity monitoring program in the country, and we educate hundreds of thousands of student-athletes about the damages of sports betting, but regulators, lawmakers and gaming operators can and should do more."
The latest findings come from the NCAA's new Student-Athlete Needs, Aspirations and Perspectives (SNAP) survey, completed by nearly 6,800 Division I athletes between 30 September and 5 October. Additional data from the 2025 GOALS Study, which also examined social media abuse, is expected early next year.
The NCAA also confirmed it is currently investigating potential sports-betting violations involving around 30 current or former men's basketball players, with 12 athletes already permanently banned from NCAA competition.
The NCAA launched an initiative in 2023 urging the removal of prop bets on college sports and has since petitioned four states successfully.
