The US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has formally withdrawn a ban on its events being hosted in states that offer legal sports betting.
The umbrella organisation for all college athletes in the US last year suspended its NCAA Championships Policy Related to Sports Wagering.
The measure barred NCAA events from taking place in states where single-event sports betting was permitted.
The NCAA took the initial decision following the US Supreme Court’s decision to revoke PASPA and allow states to begin individually legalizing sports wagering.
Now, almost one year on, the NCAA Board of Governors has made the move permanent by rescinding the ban.
The board has also reinforced its support for federal legislative sports wagering standards and called for states moving to legalize sports betting to consider the impact their laws will have on student athletes
“While the board stressed that an exemption of college sports in any federal or state legislation is desired, it emphasised that any proposed legislation should protect student-athlete well-being and the integrity of games,” the board said.
The NCAA was originally against plans to extend legal sports betting in the US due to concerns over the association gambling with minors.
The association organises a range of national college sports competitions, including the annual basketball tournament known as March Madness, which drove significant growth in sports betting in states such as Mississippi and Nevada.