‘Bad Actor Program’ Partnership: NCAA Cracks Down on Sports Bettor Harassment of Student-Athletes

The NCAA has officially joined the Bad Actor Program, a collaborative initiative by IC360 and Signify Group aimed at combating online harassment targeting college athletes, coaches, and referees. NCAA President Charlie Baker emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, stating that online abuse from sports bettors remains a pervasive problem in college athletics.

The Bad Actor Program monitors social media for abusive behavior directed at individuals involved in college sports. It provides participating organizations with actionable intelligence to support accountability measures, including banning individuals from sportsbooks and live events. ‘Athlete harassment has no place in college sports,’ said Baker. ‘The NCAA is committed to working with stakeholders across the sports betting ecosystem to eradicate this horrific behavior that plagues sports far too often.’

This partnership marks the first time a major sports governing body has engaged with the Bad Actor Program. Notably, only Fanatics and DraftKings have aligned with this harassment detection and response system to date.

Recent data underscores the severity of the issue. According to the American Gaming Association, U.S. sports bettors risked nearly $167 billion through legal sportsbooks in 2025, with oddsmakers retaining a record $17 billion. The financial stakes have led to increased frustration among bettors, often directed at college athletes. An NCAA survey from November 2025 revealed alarming statistics: 36% of Division I men’s basketball student-athletes experienced social media abuse related to sports betting in the past year, while 29% interacted with peers who bet on their performance. Overall, 7% of male athletes reported receiving negative or threatening messages from bettors, with female athletes experiencing similar but less frequent abuse.

The Bad Actor Program aims to identify and penalize harassers through bans, exclusion from events, or law enforcement referrals. The initiative combines Signify’s Threat Matrix, which detects threats across social media, with IC360’s compliance infrastructure to ensure accountability.

This collaboration follows the NCAA’s 2025 partnership with Venmo to combat betting-related extortion. The payment platform offers a dedicated hotline for student-athletes to report abuse, with offending accounts risking closure. Additionally, the NCAA has launched the Draw the Line campaign, featuring a public service announcement titled ‘Don’t Be a Loser’, to raise awareness about player harassment from frustrated bettors.