NCAA Joins The Bad Actor Program to Help Protect Athletes

The NCAA is stepping up its fight to protect its people from harassment.

Officials announced that the college sports league has joined the Bad Actor Program as part of a new collaboration with Integrity Compliance 360, Signify, and their partners. The program is designed to address the growing harassment of NCAA athletes, coaches, and officials from angry bettors. It will strengthen the league’s current resources, which have struggled to address this emerging threat.

Signify and IC360 began planning the Bad Actor Program in 2023, but the NCAA is the first major sports league to join.

What the Program Offers

The Bad Actor Program will provide NCAA athletes, coaches, and officials with an ally when they face harassment. It will provide a hub for them to contact, offering support and the ability to conduct its own investigations. The program will turn over any evidence to law enforcement, helping streamline the process for those affected by harassment.

The program doesn’t stop at addressing complaints, but also monitors social media and websites for anything that could qualify as harassment. A deal with Venmo allows them to monitor the e-wallet when investigating harassment claims.

NCAA President Praises Deal

NCAA President Charlie Baker has been sounding the alarm about harassment resulting from legal sports betting. He has called on federal lawmakers, state regulators, and even sportsbook operators to help fight it, but it hasn’t led to much change.

In a press release, Baker shared why he views the deal as a massive win. 

“Athlete harassment has no place in college sports. The NCAA is committed to working with stakeholders across the sports betting ecosystem to eradicate this horrific behavior that plagues sports far too often, and that is why the NCAA is the first sport governing body to participate in the Bad Actor Program. The NCAA has led efforts to better understand and address online harassment, and we are proud to support new tools that increase accountability for those who target student-athletes, coaches, and officials.”

Ohio Sends Strong Message

Last month, the Ohio Casino Control Commission issued a lifetime ban for a bettor accused of harassing MLB manager John Schneider. The no-banned bettor had called MLB’s customer service line to complain about the manager, arguing the manager’s strategy during the 2025 World Series showed he was trying to manipulate bets.

While no specific threat was made, the bettor said he would “take care” of the situation if MLB didn’t. He has argued that this doesn’t constitute a serious threat, but the OCCC ruling shows that intent doesn’t truly matter. This sets the bar for a lifetime ban very low and sends a clear message to other bettors in the state.

The ban represents a win for the industry, but the guilty party made detection and conviction an easy process for the OCCC. By calling the MLB’s official office, the threats and harassment were recorded on an official line, making it easy to prove he issued the threats and what he said. 

Most harassment comes online, making it far harder to identify the guilty parties. The NCAA hopes the Bad Actor Program can help change that and bring some peace of mind for its athletes.