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Michigan men’s basketball head coach Dusty May is aware of the sports wagering scandals that have swept the nation over the last month, which have included professional athletes, coaches, and even student-athletes.
Michigan is ranked No. 7 in the nation and draws a lot of eyeballs on a local and national scale. That’s all the more reason May is being extra cautious with Michigan sports betting.
Keeping his guard up
The most recent investigations included six NCAA athletes being banned for life, along with another involving former Detroit Pistons star and NBA champion Chauncey Billups.
That has May on high alert, feeling like he can’t have conversations freely. May told the Detroit Free Press:
“If you give anyone information and they bet on a line that makes no sense, you could be in trouble. If someone ever asks me any question related to our team, they get muted … because if I gave them any answer, you could possibly incriminate yourself.
“It might be just a buddy asking a question because he likes watching the team play and coming to games, but I don’t answer any questions just because I’m terrified of that stuff.”
May also told the Detroit Free Press that he is not a fan of prop betting. Michigan is one of five states that allows prop bets in college sports.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board told PlayMichigan in March 2024 that it was looking into banning prop betting. However, the market remains.
College athletes can bet on professional sports
In a vote from all three NCAA divisions (I, II, III), student-athletes will be allowed to wager on pro sports starting Nov. 22.
The NCAA has come under heavy scrutiny for the decision, and it pushed the date back from Nov. 1. It appears that the new launch date is a go.
When the rule change was still under debate, Michigan was already preparing. David Ablauf, senior associate athletic director for football external operations, told PlayMichigan last month that the program would be ready by the original Nov. 1 date
“Our student-athletes have been made aware of the proposed change. Our compliance office will be further educating them as it draws closer to the Nov. 1 start date.”
There’s going to be a new landscape for college programs, including for coaches like Dusty May, to deal with on Saturday.
