Wednesday, March 05, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLLEGE SPORTS WAGERING: NCAA won't lead bet ban push

Athletic group shifts tack, will still support antiwagering effort

Myles Brand Says Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., 'needs to take lead' on sports betting ban

WASHINGTON -- While still supportive of a bill to prohibit Nevada sports books from taking bets on college games, the NCAA is not going to spearhead efforts this year to persuade Congress to approve the ban, NCAA President Myles Brand said Tuesday.

Brand said longtime ally Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., "needs to take the lead" on the college sports betting ban.

"We worked with him last year, as you know, and our expectation for that bill is strong. As it moves forward and it looks like it has a chance to succeed, we will be very much behind it," Brand said.

But Brand, who took office in January, said he hasn't talked to McCain yet and does not know if he will work with the senator in promoting the sports betting ban this year.

Brand's comments marked a departure from the vigorous advocacy for the college sports betting ban by his predecessor, Cedric Dempsey.

Since Dempsey and National Collegiate Athletic Association lobbyists in Washington first floated a betting ban in 1999, McCain and lawmakers in both parties have sought unsuccessfully to get the bill passed against the stiff opposition of the Nevada congressional delegation.

After regaining the chairmanship of the Senate Commerce Committee after last November's elections, McCain vowed to reintroduce the college sports betting ban. But he has yet to do so, and McCain spokeswoman Pia Pialorsi said she doesn't know when he will.

Brand didn't mention the college sports betting ban during a 25-minute address Tuesday at the National Press Club. The issue did not come up until the next to last question he fielded after his prepared remarks.

"Sports wagering and anything that affects that and promotes it, such as bracketing and setting out odds in advance, is something that we're strongly opposed to," said Brand, who was president of Indiana University when he fired controversial basketball coach Bobby Knight.

Brand noted the NCAA recently negotiated an agreement with SportsLine.com Inc. that requires the company to sell two gambling concerns, VegasInsider.com, a Web site, and oddsmaker Las Vegas Sports Consultants in order to run the new NCAA championship Web site.

In addition to supporting a ban on college sports betting, the NCAA supports federal legislation to prohibit Internet gambling, Brand said.

Pialorsi said McCain is not worried that Brand may be less enthusiastic than Dempsey about the college sports betting ban.

"We have received nothing but full support from the NCAA, and (Senator) McCain will continue to fight to ban gambling on amateur sports," Pialorsi said.

Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, said the NCAA seems to have different priorities under Brand but that will not make it easier for the casino industry to stop McCain's bill.

"Brand seems lukewarm (on the college sports betting ban), but when McCain schedules a hearing, I'm sure Brand will come up and give testimony (in support of the ban)," Fahrenkopf said.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Brand's comments are a sign the NCAA is reassessing what it thinks is important.

"The NCAA can't win this," Reid said. "All they are doing is wasting (political) capital. They are in the wrong court at the wrong time."

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., a member of the Commerce Committee, led efforts to stall the bill two years ago. Although the committee approved the bill, the 10-10 vote virtually killed any chance of advancing the legislation through Congress.

"Senator Ensign will not alter his strategy on the betting ban legislation due to any perceived changes in the NCAA's aggressiveness on the issue," Ensign spokesman Jack Finn said.