NCAA agrees Montana not in violation
By Paul Vang
Montana Tavern Times
The National Collegiate Athletic Association clarified its rules concerning college playoff championship games in states that allow some sports related betting in a move that continues to allow Montana universities to host playoff games.
In a policy statement issued on Aug 6, the NCAA approved a policy that bans states, such as Delaware, from hosting championship games if they allow fans to bet on single game outcomes. On the other hand, the policy does not apply to states that allow parlay betting, lottery tickets, pull tabs and sports pools and boards, where wagers are essentially random.
Specifically, the new policy means that Montana colleges can continue to host NCAA playoff games, as they have over 30 times in the last 20 years.
The University of Montana has hosted Football Championship Subdivision playoff games for 10 consecutive seasons. Montana State hosted a first-round game in 2008. The University of Montana has also hosted NCAA women's basketball playoff games and Montana State has hosted NCAA skiing championships.
The policy reads, “No predetermined or non-predetermined session of an NCAA championship may be conducted in a state with legal wagering that is based upon single-game betting (high school, college or professional) in a sport in which the NCAA conducts a championship.”
According to an NCAA press release, single-game betting is defined as wagering that involves either a money line or point-spread wager.
Doug Fullerton, Commissioner of the Big Sky Conference, of which both the University of Montana and Montana State University are members, said, “We are happy with the policy adopted Thursday by the NCAA Executive Committee. Not only does the ruling allow the state of Montana to continue to host football playoff games, but allows Montana institutions to host predetermined NCAA Championship events.”
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock, who in June entered the dispute with a letter to the NCAA explaining Montana's sports gaming laws, praised the new NCAA policy saying, “I applaud the NCAA for coming to a commonsense conclusion that preserves Montana's right to host playoff and tournament games. As a state, Montana wholeheartedly supports its student athletes. Along with the NCAA, we remain committed to protecting the integrity of collegiate sports.”
University of Montana President George Dennison applauded the new policy. “We appreciate the deliberate thoughtfulness of the NCAA Executive Committee in developing and adopting a policy that maintains the integrity of sporting events while at the same time recognizing the gaming situation in Montana.
“We're certainly very pleased to have this issue removed so we can concentrate on what's really important–and that's to win games.”
While Montana sports fans, not to mention Missoula and Bozeman area bar, restaurant and hotel operators, who have frequently reaped profits from university football playoff games, were relieved, government officials in Delaware were not, as the NCAA policy does run contrary to Delaware's new sports betting laws, according to the NCAA.
In a statement issued by Tom McGonigle, chief of staff for Governor Jack Markell, McGonigle said, “It is disappointing that the NCAA would take this retaliatory action. Importantly, Delaware law prohibits any type of sports betting on any Delaware college game. So as applied to Delaware, this new policy only serves to punish the very students the NCAA claims to be trying to protect.”
An Associated Press story notes that this is not the first time the NCAA has used its championships to send a message. In 2001, the NCAA prohibited South Carolina and Mississippi from hosting postseason games because those states had Confederate images on statehouse grounds.