Like most college student athletes, I love sports. There’s just something about packed arenas, buzzer-beaters and underdog wins. So, it’s no surprise that sports betting has caught fire on college campuses.

Everywhere I look someone’s talking odds, parlays, or how if some outrageous baseball player hit a homerun they would have made a grand because the last leg of their parlay.

I’ll be honest: I get the appeal because I know exactly what they are talking about. The adrenaline rush in throwing $5 on your favorite team and watching the game with a little extra on the line, there’s nothing like it. Betting adds excitement. 

It gives people a reason to care about a random Tuesday night NBA matchup or a mid-major football game they’d otherwise ignore. And for students who know their sports, it can feel like an easy way to turn a quick profit, even if only in small amounts.

There’s also a sense of community. Friends bond over wins and losses, fantasy leagues evolve into betting pools, and apps make it all so accessible. Some students genuinely manage their bets responsibly, setting limits and treating it like entertainment but most treat it like income. 

With legal betting now widespread, it’s a part of the sports world whether we like it or not. I couldn’t tell you how many referral links I got when FanDuel became legal in Vermont.

But here’s where it gets tricky, especially as a college athlete.

College athletes don’t get to participate at all. Well, aren’t supposed to. The NCAA has firm rules: no betting, on any sport that has an NCAA championship event. Even professional sports are off-limits.

And while I understand the reasons, the reality is that athletes live in the same world we do and I don’t understand why betting on professional sports is banned by the NCAA. They see the ads, they hear the chatter, and they should be allowed to indulge in it as long as it’s not on their sport at the college level.

Sports betting isn’t always fun and games. I’ve seen classmates or teammates get way too deep, fast—chasing losses, hiding how much they’ve spent, or letting gambling take priority over classes and sleep. 

The dopamine hit of a big win is addictive, and when the losses pile up, it can feel like you’re stuck in a hole you can’t dig out of. Been there before. And let’s be real, most of us don’t have money to burn in college.

That said, sports betting is addictive as hell and hell, I might put a three-leg homerun parlay in now. But like most things, it comes down to balance with sports betting. With the surge of popularity in sports betting, if schools provide proper resources, support, and honest discussions about the risks and rewards, students are much more likely to make informed decisions.

Athletes I also feel like deserve targeted to bet on the professional level, it’s not like they are directly involved with those games so why does the NCAA not allow it. 

At the end of the day, sports betting isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s a tool, and if someone can use it to their advantage, I’m all for it because I know I’ve tried to hit my fair share of parlays during my time as college athlete. 

Horse racing parlays obviously, wink wink, cause that’s one sport NCAA athletes can bet, totally not a four-leg first basket parlay on the NBA playoffs.