Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission Calls for Limitations or Ban of Individual Prop Betting on College Athletics

ROSEMONT, Ill. — [February, 10, 2026] — The Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission (SAIC) today sent a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker urging the NCAA to continue pushing for limitations or the outright elimination of proposition (“prop”) betting involving individual student-athletes competing in college athletics. The letter reinforces the Big Ten Conference’s unwavering commitment to protecting the well-being and safety of student-athletes across all 18 Big Ten campuses, and the integrity of intercollegiate athletics.

“The Big Ten Conference is proud to support our student-athletes in calling for the restriction or elimination of individual proposition wagers on college athletics,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti. "The Big Ten Conference appreciates the NCAA’s effort to eliminate these wagers and will continue to assist student-athletes as they deal with the challenges that result from proposition bets in college sports.”

President Baker recently sent letters to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and to State Gambling Commissions calling for amended state laws and regulations to better-protect student-athletes.

The letter from the Big Ten Conference SAIC outlines the growing concerns around the rise of individual performance prop wagering in college sports, including:

• Increased harassment student-athletes experience because of wagers on individual-performance proposition wagers
• Negative impact individual-performance proposition betting has on student-athletes’ mental health
• Accusations of impropriety, even when unfounded, damage the student-athlete experience
• Potentially jeopardizing the integrity of athletic competition

“While we understand that sports betting is becoming increasingly more common across the country and allows for states to generate increased tax revenue, prop betting represents unique risks at the college level,” the Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission wrote. “We believe protecting student-athletes must be a priority. Limiting or eliminating prop betting on college athletics would be a meaningful step toward reducing harassment, protecting mental well-being, and preserving the integrity of college competition.”

The Big Ten Conference SAIC was founded in 1994. SAIC members take an active role in monthly meetings discussing the issues most important to Big Ten Conference student-athletes and highlighting ongoing initiatives on their respective campuses. SAIC executive leadership members also represent Big Ten student-athletes in front of the Conference’s Joint Group council and represent the Big Ten Conference on the NCAA’s Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where they review NCAA activities, proposed legislation and offer feedback on behalf of the Big Ten’s student-athletes.  Student-athletes are nominated by their institution and appointed by the Conference’s Joint Group Executive Committee to serve on the commission for one academic year. 

The Big Ten Conference SAIC members signing the letter include:

• Callin Hake, SAIC Chair, University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball
• Mia Rogan, SAIC Internal Vice Chair, Women’s Cross Country & Track, Michigan State University
• Michael Long, SAIC External Vice Chair, Men’s Swim & Dive, University of Wisconsin
• Nya Robinson, SAIC Secretary, Women’s Swim & Dive, Penn State University
• Samuel Edwards, NCAA Board of Directors, Men’s Football, Michigan State University
• Abigail Lynch, NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Women’s Soccer & Track, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Demetrious Allen, Men’s Football, Rutgers University
• Javiera Baeza, Women’s Field Hockey, Indiana University
• Ava Bayless, Women’s Wrestling, University of Iowa
• Josh Eernisse, Men’s Ice Hockey, University of Michigan
• Taji Flynn, Men’s Lacrosse, The Ohio State University
• Jordan Hall, Men’s Football, Michigan State University
• Tali Joelson, Women’s Gymnastics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Franck Kepnang, Men’s Basketball, University of Washington
• Nuala Macfarlane, Women’s Rowing, University of Minnesota
• Ava Morales, Women’s Soccer, University of Maryland
• Myranda Quinton, Women’s Golf, Penn State University
• Kansas Robinson, Women’s Softball, Northwestern University
• James Rowley, Men’s Wrestling, Purdue University
• Jaidin Russell, Men’s Volleyball, University of California, Los Angeles
• Russell Soohoo, Men’s Tennis, University of Oregon
• Madison Whyte, Women’s Track & Field, University of Southern Californi