Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Friday 18 May 2018
NCAA opens door to championships in states with sports bets

By RALPH D. RUSSO wrestling meet during the
Associated Press last round of bidding that
The NCAA is opening a covered 2019-22, but legal-
door for states with legal- ized gambling in the state
ized sports gambling to meant they never really
host NCAA championship had a shot.
events and officials in Ne- Expect Las Vegas, with
vada are already set to UNLV as the host school,
get in the game as soon as to try again for all those
they can. events.
The governing body for "We have a few things in
college sports on Thursday the pipeline," said Reed-
announced a "temporary" Francois, who declined to
lifting of a ban that pre- give specifics on events
vented events like college and dates being targeted.
basketball's NCAA Tourna- Lifting the ban also means
ment from being hosted in UNLV and Mountain West
states that accept wagers rival Nevada would now
on single games. The move be eligible to host NCAA
comes three days after the events such as softball and
Supreme Court overturned baseball regionals at their
a federal law that barred home facilities.
most states from allow- "This is an opportunity for
ing gambling on profes- our student-athletes to be
sional and college sporting able to have a champi-
events. In this March 18, 2015, file photo, the NCAA logo is displayed at center court as work continues at onship experience in their
"On Monday we con- The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, for the NCAA college basketball tournament. own backyard," Reed-Fran-
tacted the Mountain West Associated Press cois said. "And I'm pretty
Conference, our NCAA enthused about that."
colleagues, we also spoke cois said. "We know that manently revising its policy cated that they oppose Las Vegas does host col-
with our local and regional Las Vegas as a community, at future meetings. But college sports betting," said lege sports events such as
leaders. It's our intent to we have a proven track re- the NCAA said it will not former U.S. Rep. Tom Mc- the conference basketball
present competitive bids cord of success in hosting change its rules that pro- Millen, who is the president tournaments for the Pac-12
for national events, and we large scale events." hibit gambling on sports of Lead1. "Our athletic di- and Mountain West and a
want to be aggressive in NCAA President Mark Em- by athletes and all athletic rectors are concerned not football bowl game, but
that space," UNLV athletic mert said the board of department employees, in- only about the vulnerability those are not NCAA-run.
director Desiree Reed-Fran- governors will consider per- cluding coaches. of young student-athletes The College Football Play-
Emmert also is calling for to inducements of point off is also not an NCAA-run
federal regulations of sports shaving, but the increased event, but the administra-
gambling, joining the NFL, compliance costs to keep tors are conference com-
NBA and other leagues. their programs clean." missioners who tend to
"Our highest priorities in any As for host sites, most of the respect NCAA rules. Sites
conversation about sports NCAA's major champion- for the CFP championship
wagering are maintaining ship events are already game have been deter-
the integrity of competition booked through 2022, in- mined through 2024, leav-
and student-athlete well- cluding all rounds of the ing two more champion-
being," Emmert said in a men's basketball tourna- ship sites to be determined
statement. ment. Women's basket- in the 12-year contract that
Emmert has said in the past ball tournament sites are runs through the 2025 sea-
that he hoped lawmakers booked through 2020. son.
would make exceptions for By suspending its policy A new stadium is being built
college sports if sports gam- prohibiting states with le- in Las Vegas for the Oak-
bling is allowed. galized gambling from land Raiders and is expect-
"There might be a carve- hosting championships, the ed to ready for the 2020
out to eliminate college NCAA can go forward with season.q
athletics from sports gam- already determined sites
bling similar to what we did regardless of what states
with daily fantasy sports," do with gambling laws in
Emmert said during a col- the near future.
lege sports forum in De- If the NCAA permanently
cember in New York. That lifts the ban on states with
would require state-by- legalize sports betting host-
state lobbying unless the ing NCAA-run events, the
federal government steps first and biggest beneficia-
in to regulate. ry could be Nevada and
Lead1, an association of more specifically Las Ve-
athletic directors for the gas.
130 schools that play major Las Vegas officials did sub-
In this Jan. 8, 2018, file photo, Alabama, right, players right, line college football, has been mit bids to host men's bas-
up to riin a play against Georgia during the first half of the NCAA making that push. ketball regionals, the men's
college football playoff championship game in Atlanta. "Eighty percent of our ath- hockey Frozen Four and
Associated Press letic directors have indi- the NCAA championship