Berkley opens debate on NCAA bill

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., fired an opening salvo today as lawmakers in Congress renewed their debate over whether to ban bets placed on college sports.

Berkley slammed the proposal's staunchest advocate, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, taking the organization to task for doing little to combat illegal gambling by college students.

"Today the NCAA pays lip service to campus gambling by sending out posters, posting warnings on their website and airing a few commercials during the Final Four, and blaming the state of Nevada for failing to get a handle on their problem."

Berkley's opening statement to the House subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection came during a hearing on amateur athletics that included the NCAA-backed bill.

At issue is a proposal advocated by lawmakers including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would outlaw wagers on college games in sports books. Nevada is the only state that offers such bets. Advocates argue the legislation will send a message that gambling on student athletes is wrong and ultimately lead to a decrease in illegal college sports betting.

The legislation did not advance to a floor vote in the House or Senate last year, due in part to the opposition of Nevada lawmakers. Advocates vowed to push it again this year.

"Both legal and illegal sports wagering have been at the heart of nearly every major collegiate sports wagering scandal," William Saum, NCAA director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities, said in a prepared written statement.

"However, the presence of any type of sports wagering, whether it be legal or illegal, is a potential threat to the integrity of our contests."

Former Nebraska football coach Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., another ban supporter, said the legislation would send a message to athletes who are under pressure from illegal bookies: all betting, illegal or legal, is bad.

But he acknowledged that the bill would not do much to curb illegal betting on campus.

"We're not going to put it out," Osborne said.

Nevada lawmakers have stressed that $2 billion is bet legally in Nevada on college sports. An estimated $80 billion to $380 billion is wagered illegally on sports nationwide, much of it by college students betting on NCAA games.

Nevada lawmakers are gaining support for alternative legislation that would require the NCAA to more aggressively combat campus betting.

Berkley delivered a blistering critique of what she believes are NCAA failures. Among them: unfairly targeting former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian and making millions from student athletics while the players live near poverty.

The NCAA should spend more of its $6 billion television contract with CBS combating gambling by college students, Berkley added. The NCAA spends $263,000 dealing with campus gambling and sports agent issues, Berkley said, citing an NCAA figure.

"If the NCAA is really serious about fighting illegal amateur sports gambling, then let's get serious," Berkley said.