Here’s Why Purdue Is Prohibiting Faculty, Staff, Students From Betting On Boilermakers

 Here's why Purdue is banning faculty, staff, and students from betting on boilermakers

What if a professor questions a football player about his limping? Or what if a player in basketball misses class due to concussion? But doesn't want anybody to know. What about if an athlete has a temporary boot on and a friend is able to see him?

These are the same questions Purdue faculty members and staff asked when Indiana was considering legalizing sports betting. Their answer was the same to all questions: then the athlete can't be a student.

Purdue was the first public university to ban all employees, students, contractors, and faculty from betting on sporting events that involved Purdue's athletic teams. This decision is likely to be viewed negatively by the sports betting community. It's seen as an opportunity for illegal black market bookmakers in order to keep their foothold in betting on sports, which is not under the control of regulators.

This position does not resonate within the walls of academic institutions.

Student-athletes are important

Purdue officials believe they made this decision to protect students as well as to give the Boilermakers big-time college athletes some kind of college experience.

Sports Handle has learned that the University Senate Chairperson Cheryl Cooky said, "We really value and emphasize student-athlete experience." "It's a completely different culture, an entirely different philosophy from what you might find at a Big 10 member.

"A faculty member... raised some concerns regarding our ability as faculty to really educate, mentor, advise our students (in the new environment), and vice versa, for student-athletes to feel like they have complete trust in the academic spaces that they move into."

Indiana legalized betting on sports in May. On Labor Day weekend, state-licensed operators began opening physical gambling establishments. This was before the NFL season. Three mobile books and a dozen bricksand-mortar betting shops were open since September. Students and faculty may still place legal bets on competitions that do not involve Purdue, provided they are at least 21.

Purdue's struggle to insulate student-athletes in the new betting environment is not unique. Similar policies have been put in place by both Villanova University and St. Joseph's of Pennsylvania, which has legal sports betting. Villanova's men's basketball team is well-known, and has won the NCAA tournament twice in the last four years. Purdue has the first Power 5 school to boast a top-notch football program.

The Boilermakers are, along with many other athletic departments throughout the country, sensitive to the distinction between professional and college athletes. Tom Mitchell, Purdue compliance officer, gave this example.

Mitchell stated that Mitchell thought it was possible that the quarterback had a foot injury. He also has a boot. But he will likely play. His roommates notice that he is taking the bus. He goes to class, then takes off the boot and goes into the athletic facility. He practiced, got more treatment, and then he boarded the bus to go home. His appearance was witnessed by approximately 1,000 to 3,000 people.

It is a far greater exposure than the pro athletes get. Tom Brady's around the world can hop in their cars and drive to a practice area, park behind a fence, and then walk into the team facility. Although it is possible for staff or media to view the pro athlete, they could also go through the whole thing without being seen.

Pro athletes are more well-insulated than college athletes. You can be surrounded only with your family, friends, teammates, and people you trust as a pro. College athletes may spend their days out in the community.

Cooky explained that the university does not want students to worry about whether they should tell a professor about their feelings or if they should talk to their peers about it. "We don’t want them to worry about telling a friend that my girlfriend broke up with me. Will this be used against us?" Cooky explained. It is about allowing our athletes be who they are without being censored or worrying about their actions becoming an advantage in the gaming system. The Sports Betting Professor: Is it just another betting system that doesn't work?