The Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced Thursday it will mandate availability reports involving conference games across football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. Those sports are listed for wagering at many U.S. sportsbooks.
“This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release.
The SEC, one of the most popular conferences in collegiate athletics, had been discussing a new policy for months and expected to implement it in time for the new season, which begins Thursday.
The conference also joins the Big Ten, which opted for mandatory availability reports before last season. The Mid-American Conference added a similar stipulation last week.
Extensive policy
Football teams in the SEC will be required to submit availability reports three days before kickoffs (typically on Wednesday for Saturday contests) and must provide daily updates, leading to a final report 90 minutes before the game begins.
Basketball and baseball schools will release their availability reports the night before an SEC game with an update the day of the contest.
SEC players will be designated available, probable, questionable, doubtful, or out in initial reports and available, game-time decision, or out in gameday reports.
Penalties for not adhering to the availability policy range from a $25,000 fine for the first offense to $100,000 for a third and further offense in football. Basketball and baseball are subjected to a maximum penalty of $15,000 to $25,000.
Falling in line
The SEC’s addition is more extensive than the Big Ten’s football policy, which states teams must release an availability report at least two hours before kickoff. The report is then listed on the conference’s website.
More college conferences are likely to fall in line with availability reports that are beginning to mirror the NFL’s injury reports, which have been available for decades.
College football has practiced a more secretive approach to injuries and availability for years, as coaches have been publicly unwilling to share player statuses. However, with sports betting now widespread across many conferences, college sports have had to adapt to a different landscape.
Sports betting has also been a hot-button issue this year with the NCAA, which has called for a ban on college player props. However, since four states adhered to the request in the spring, momentum has slowed during the offseason.
