NCAA Announces Harsh New Punishments for Players Caught Betting Sports

The NCAA this week released new sports betting guidelines that have many shaking their heads.

Effective immediately, any student athlete who placed bets on teams other than their own school will be ineligible for one season.  This includes a football player betting on his or her school's baseball team as an example.

The new policy means Hawkeyes football player Noah Shannon won't be returning.  He was suspended in August after getting caught wagering on Iowa women’s basketball last season.

The NCAA is essentially doubling down on its current policy.

The NCAA statement read as follows:

"Effective immediately, reinstatement guidelines for student-athletes who wager on teams at their school — excluding their own team — will start at requiring one season of ineligibility and a loss of one year of eligibility. Student-athletes will also be required to participate in sports wagering rules and prevention."

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz expressed disgust over the move while questioning why his player is being singled out.

“I am heartbroken for Noah (Shannon) and his family that the NCAA has come to this conclusion. Noah did not break any laws. He did not commit any crimes. And yet he is being severely over-punished by a membership committee that refuses to see perspective or use common sense. I have said many times that I think it is peculiar that the state of Iowa is uniquely the focus of this investigation. Noah is being sidelined because the NCAA is ruling on an investigation that they did not instigate, using an uneven system of justice to severely punish an excellent young man. It is just wrong.”

- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com