NCAA to Introduce Player Availability Reports for 2026 Basketball Championships
The NCAA will introduce player availability reports for the 2026 Division I NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, a new measure aimed at safeguarding student-athletes and competition integrity from the influence of sports betting. The initiative, directed by both basketball committees, seeks to reduce betting-related harassment and pressure tied to players' participation status.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said the decision followed months of discussion and represents a major advancement in protecting student-athletes. The system will be managed by HD Intelligence, a company that already provides availability reporting services for several NCAA conferences.
Under the policy, reports will apply to all March Madness games and be made publicly available. Teams are required to submit their reports the night before each game and update them two hours prior to tipoff.
Players will be listed as either "questionable" or "out," with all others assumed available. Schools that fail to submit accurate reports could face penalties, but that decision will be left up to the Men's and Women's Basketball Committees.
Following the pilot phase, the Association will evaluate whether to expand the reporting model to future championships. This move is in line with the NCAA's larger efforts to combat the growing popularity of the best sports betting sites.
These include better monitoring of integrity, stricter enforcement of betting rules, and continued calls to limit prop bets that could put athletes at greater risk.
NCAA puts off change to gambling rules
The NCAA also voted to put off the start of a new law about sports betting while they were deciding on new integrity measures. The new law will now go into effect on Nov. 22 instead of Nov. 1.
The postponement came amid significant resistance from college athletics leaders, most notably SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who expressed concerns about overturning the Association's long-standing prohibition on gambling.
The new date falls just after the end of a membership rescission period that allows Division I schools to vote on repealing newly adopted legislation if less than 75% of the Division I cabinet initially supported it. Given the mounting opposition, there remains a realistic chance that the rule could be overturned before it takes effect.
In a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker, Sankey urged the Division I Board of Directors to maintain firm national standards separating collegiate participants from wagering activity, emphasizing risks to competition integrity and athlete welfare. Similar objections have emerged within the ACC, where Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi criticized the proposal as ill-conceived.
The change doesn't alter the rules for athletes, who will still be unable to bet on college sports or share insider information. The NCAA's proposal also includes more education programs to stop problem gambling.
