Are College Sports Scandals Really Taken Seriously?
The negative effects of gambling in college sports appear to be of great concern to the National Collegiate Athlete Association, Congress, the Senate, and several other bodies who state that gambling undermines the integrity of the game. When it comes to actual incidents wherein people are caught in the act of points-shaving scandals, however, does the evidence back up the strict statements? Gambling on college sports is on the rise, yet many schemes to affect the outcome of games never make it into the public eye. When they do, it seems as though the people involved (or at the very least the athletes) get away with a very light punishment, if any punishment at all. What are some of the ways in which college athletes in particular are let off the hook when caught in illegal gambling scams that really do undermine the integrity of the game?
Lack of media attention. As with other scandals involving college athletes, those that involve gambling seem to have a blanket of secrecy placed over them. College athletes are lords of their schools, and too often this means that the crimes they commit are quickly covered up in the name of a championship. It is common knowledge that with the rampant betting on campuses today, a great portion of athletes must be involved in scams. However, evidence of these scandals rarely sees the light of day. Even when the evidence is presented, the athletes involved usually have their identity protected. A quick search on any of the recent gambling incidents in which the participation of football or basketball college stars was critical will also reveal that their names are incredibly difficult to come by.
Lack of meaningful punishment. Even in relatively high profile gambling cases, athletes are let off easy when they have been caught cheating. While some are suspended, many are only suspended for a short time and are reinstated after only a couple of games. In contrast, the student bookmakers involved in the scandal feel the wrath of law enforcement who are supposedly trying to mitigate the negative effects of gambling in college sports. Take the case of the Arizona Sun Devils. The bookmaker involved was sentenced to four years in prison, his outside contact to ten. The athletes who actually shaved the points, however, were not given any prison time, and all completed their college careers on the team.
If regulating bodies expect the public to take their stand against the negative effects of gambling in college sports seriously, then it is time that the athletes involved in scams began receiving more sever punishment. Unfortunately, the fact that schools are reluctant to suspend these athletes permanently from their teams demonstrates that there is more of a commitment to winning than there is to the integrity of the game. While these players are young, and their lives need not be totally ruined by the scandal (the ten year sentence handed to Rick Kuhn, for example, was far too harsh and rightly reduced to two years) athletes who are tempted to engage in illicit gambling schemes should be prepared to have their athletic prospects stripped if they give in. Jail time might be stretching it, but guilty parties should no longer be allowed to play sports at the amateur level. Review the measures taken to halt gambling on college sports.
