NCAA Sees Delaware Gambling, Raises Playoff Ban

The slapfight between the NCAA and Delaware over legalized gambling has reached a new… high? low? something? Who knows.



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After a judge smacked the NCAA’s lawsuit to stop Delaware from allowing sports betting down, the NCAA responded with a clear message: “We think the federal courts are wrong, we just aren’t allowed to oppose them.” So they did the next “best” thing and banned postseason play in Delaware.

Per the WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL:

Don’t make those plans to attend NCAA Division I-AA or Division III football playoffs at the University of Delaware, Delaware State or Wesley College this fall.

The schools won’t be permitted to host NCAA playoffs because of the advent of sports gambling, the NCAA ruled today.

The NCAA Executive Committee determined that “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,” the NCAA announced.

First of all, this is terribly crushing news for the Dover Bowl, which is a fictional stadium and bowl game I made in NCAA 2003 on the PlayStation 2 back when I was in college because I was bored and probably high (just kidding, kids! Don’t do drugs!).

But really, aside from schools in Delaware hosting home games in the playoffs, there’s no postseason in the state to begin with. We don’t think there are any arenas in the state suitable for March Madness, and there are certainly no bowl games. That’s where all the action is in betting.

Meanwhile, there’s these two schools in Nevada, including the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV, we’re told it’s called); maybe you’ve heard of that city and the things that happen there.

And more importantly to the NCAA’s case, there’s also the Las Vegas Bowl, and you’ll just never guess when in the football season that comes about.

In other words:

Delaware: opening up gambling, no FBS schools, no postseason ever.
Nevada: massive gambling, two FBS schools, knock yourselves out in the postseason.

Got it, guys. So this isn’t really about gambling. It’s about the NCAA operating under the decision that they’re retaliating against Delaware - common sense, federal rulings, and its constituents be damned.