NCAA Joins Bad Actor Program to Combat Online Abuse

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Fri Oct 30, 2026, 11:00 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

NCAA Joins Bad Actor Program to Combat Online Abuse

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The NCAA has joined the Bad Actor Program to strengthen protections for student-athletes, coaches, and sports officials facing online harassment. The initiative brings together sports organizations and betting industry stakeholders to identify abusive individuals and increase accountability.

Announced on October 29, 2026, the partnership makes the NCAA the first sports governing body to publicly participate in the program. The association will work with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and Signify Group to address threats and harassment across college sports.

"Athlete harassment has no place in college sports," NCAA President Charlie Baker said. "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."

NCAA Partners With IC360 and Signify Group

The Bad Actor Program combines social media monitoring with investigative capabilities to identify people responsible for online abuse. Signify Group monitors social platforms for threatening, discriminatory, and harassing content targeting sports participants.

Meanwhile, IC360 provides investigative and integrity-monitoring support to help establish the identities of suspected offenders. Participating organizations can then use the findings to pursue appropriate enforcement measures.

Fanatics Sportsbook became the initiative's first sportsbook partner. Its participation allows the operator to restrict customers identified as engaging in abusive or threatening behavior.

Depending on the circumstances, offenders could face account suspensions or permanent bans. However, the program does not automatically impose universal restrictions across every betting platform.

The NCAA will contribute by continuing its monitoring efforts across NCAA Championships. It will also leverage the program's investigative resources to strengthen reporting and accountability.

"Online harassment monitoring and student-athlete surveys have provided crucial data on the volume, nature and sources of online abuse – particularly harassment tied to sports betting activity – and have supported reporting and enforcement actions when threatening conduct has been identified," said Clint Hangebrauck, NCAA managing director of enterprise risk management.

"The Association will continue its work with Signify and other stakeholders to monitor online harassment across NCAA Championships, and we look forward to leveraging the Bad Actor Program to strengthen accountability and further protect college sports from threats and abuse."

NCAA Research Highlights Widespread Athlete Harassment

The partnership builds on several years of NCAA research into online abuse. The association began working with Signify Group in 2023 to monitor harassment during its championships.

Its 2024 research identified more than 5,000 verified abusive, discriminatory, or threatening social media posts. Sports betting accounted for 12% of those incidents, rising to 19% in men's basketball.

One athlete also received more than 1,400 abusive messages in less than two weeks. These findings highlighted the growing risks athletes face from frustrated bettors.

The NCAA's 2025 GOALS study revealed further concerns among Division I men's basketball players. Some 51% reported social media abuse related to their athletic performances. Additionally, 46% received negative or threatening messages from someone who had wagered on their games.

These findings demonstrate why stronger protections matter across college sports. They also highlight the importance of addressing harassment beyond traditional betting platforms.

Bad Actor Program Expands Sports Betting Industry Accountability

The NCAA's participation could encourage more US online sportsbooks to cooperate in identifying abusive customers. Greater information sharing could help operators recognize individuals who harass athletes outside their betting platforms.

This issue also affects the wider college sports betting environment. Bettors researching NCAAF odds and NCAAB odds frequently follow individual performances and game outcomes. However, frustration over losing wagers should never justify threatening players or officials.

Similarly, people searching for NCAAF picks and NCAAB picks should understand that athletes cannot guarantee betting outcomes. The NCAA's latest partnership reinforces the distinction between sports wagering and unacceptable personal attacks.

The program could also expand as additional sportsbooks and sports organizations join. Nevertheless, its effectiveness will depend on cooperation and consistent enforcement across participating companies.

NCAA Continues Efforts to Protect College Sports

The Bad Actor Program adds another layer to the NCAA's existing athlete-protection initiatives. The association already works with Venmo to identify and disrupt betting-related harassment.

It also operates the Draw the Line awareness campaign, which highlights the consequences of abusive behavior toward student-athletes. Furthermore, the NCAA continues advocating for restrictions on college player proposition bets.

These efforts reflect growing concerns about the relationship between sports betting and athlete safety. As legal wagering expands, the association wants stronger safeguards against harassment and threats.

The NCAA's participation in the Bad Actor Program represents another step toward that goal. However, protecting college sports participants will require sustained cooperation between governing bodies, sportsbooks, and social media monitoring organizations.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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