CHICAGO, May 12 (UPI) -- A study showing that 35 percent of male student athletes engage in sports betting is "startling and disturbing," the president of the NCAA said Wednesday.
The NCAA commissioned the study, which encompassed responses from approximately 21,000 male and female student athletes at institutions across all three NCAA divisions in most championship sports.
The study showed that 10 percent of female student athletes participated in sports betting. It also says that Division III student athletes are the most likely to engage in the practice.
"The scope of sports wagering among intercollegiate student athletes is startling and disturbing," said NCAA President Myles Brand. "Sports wagering is a double threat because it harms the well-being of student athletes and the integrity of college sports."
Brand announced the formation of a national task force to further analyze the study's results and recommend strategies to counteract sports betting among student athletes.
