SEC Mandates Sports Betting Classes for All Student-Athletes
Posted on: May 28, 2026, 07:59h.
Last updated on: May 28, 2026, 09:12h.
- The SEC is requiring its student-athletes to watch an educational video on sports betting
- The video educated college athletes on how to avoid being targeted by rogue bettors
- The curriculum also educates on how and where to report concerns
Class is officially in session for SEC student-athletes—and the mandatory subject is sports betting.
On Wednesday (May 27), the Southeastern Conference announced the launch of a custom-designed, mandatory sports betting educational video that all student-athletes must complete. The student-athlete must finish the sports gambling educational course before they can participate in a regular season game during the upcoming 2026-27 athletic year.
The rise in sports gambling, including some recent well-documented incidents among college and professional athletics, as well as developments around prediction markets, makes this a high-priority initiative for the Southeastern Conference,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
The SEC is following the NFL and PGA Tour’s lead in requiring players to watch educational videos on sports betting. The tutorials primarily deal with how to avoid being targeted by rogue sports betting influences to protect the integrity of sports.
SEC Sports Betting States
The SEC spans 12 states. Seven are home to some form of legal, regulated sports betting: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
In the other states, federally regulated prediction markets offer trading on sports events, meaning the public can have a financial incentive on the outcome of SEC sports in all 12 member jurisdictions.
Sports gambling and trading, once reserved to local bookies, is now rampant on college campuses. Prediction markets are accessible to 18+, and many offshore online sportsbooks take action from customers aged 18 and older.
The SEC is trying to ensure that its student-athletes aren’t compromised by a college friend or other outside influence to throw a game or share confidential information regarding the status of a teammate. Such schemers seek conspirators on the promise of sharing the financial windfall.
The sports betting mandatory video, the SEC says, will provide student-athletes with “clear, practical guidance” on recognizing risks, understanding SEC and NCAA policies, and knowing how to report concerns. Each SEC athletic department must incorporate the video into its compliance programming.
“The Southeastern Conference remains committed to supporting its member institutions and student-athletes through proactive education, monitoring, and resources that promote integrity and protect the student-athlete experience,” Sankey added.
Alabama Baseball Scandal
Among the most notable sports betting scandals in the SEC is the 2023 case against then-Alabama baseball head coach Brad Bohannon. The NCAA charged that Bohannon tipped off a gambler, Bert Eugene Neff Jr., about losing his starting pitcher for an April 2023 game against LSU.
“(Student-athlete) is out for sure… Hurry,” Bohannon reportedly texted Neff through an encrypted messaging app.
Neff attempted a $100,000 bet on LSU at a Cincinnati sportsbook but was limited to $15,000. LSU won the game 8-6.
Bohannon, who never admitted to the scheme and refused to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation, was handed a 15-year show-cause order that runs until 2039. During the show-cause period, if Bohannon becomes employed by an NCAA school, he must be suspended for 100% of the baseball regular season for the first five years of his employment.
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