Legalized sports betting in many states made it a smooth and often lucrative part-time activity. It was only a matter of time until someone burned their fingers and now it is evident that two people did get burned and the NCAA burned them badly. In July it was announced that two of the athletic staffers at UNC Greensboro were found to be violating the rules of the NCAA. The games which were involved in the matter were played by the men’s basketball team of Spartans.
According to the release that was given on the matter, the university staff was accused of failing to monitor and to ensure that the NCAA rules are complied with at all times. In this case, there were seven members of staff aware of the sports betting going on in their midst, but it was only two members who were guilty of actually placing the bets. One of these two is an assistant coach to the women’s basketball team. This particular member further violated the ethical code of the NCAA by not cooperating with the investigation. The result of the matter is that the athletic department of the school was fined $15 000 as well as receiving three-year probation.
The NCAA also confirmed that this was done through negotiated resolution and negotiated resolutions can’t be appealed. They also further stated that the actions taken against the school’s sports department aren’t setting a precedent for future violations of the rules.
The Guilty Parties
The former assistant coach told investigators that he did place quite a large number of wagers online. This was done on both colleges as well as professional sports teams and also that it included the men’s basketball team of the university. On request to present his betting records, his cooperation however stopped, and there remains uncertainty regarding how many wagers he did place. The second member found guilty of violating the rules is a former assistant director to the fundraising organization of UNC Greensboro. It was admitted that this member did place small wagers online, both on college and professional sports and the Spartan’s team was at least once one of the organizations which were wagered on.
It became evident that six staff members were aware of these activities, and a seventh member came forward after waiting for four months. Once the university’s assistant director of compliance became mindful of the matter, the necessary steps were still not taken to investigate the matter and report it to the NCAA. Guidelines approved by the Division I membership was used in reprimanding the university. The added Level I Penalties handed down, above the fine and probation, includes a show-cause order of 15 years towards the former assistant coach and one of four years towards the former associate director. It was bound that someone would be first in line in the NCAA cracking down on these kinds of activities and now that position is filled by UNC Greensboro.
