As March Madness begins today, scores of Brown students will be poring over their tournament brackets on Facebook, hoping that their chances of winning the site's $25,000 grand prize aren't dashed by an unexpected first-day upset.
But a large segment of the Brown population is precluded from participating in Facebook's bracket or other contests involving monetary bets on the tournament. Due to NCAA regulations regarding gambling on intercollegiate athletics, Brown student-athletes cannot enter Facebook's pool without risking suspension from their team or a permanent ban on playing.
Sarah Fraser, Brown's assistant athletic director for compliance, said the University has been stepping up its efforts to educate athletes about the rules for gambling on college sports in conjunction with the beginning of March Madness.
On March 7, Fraser sent a memo to all student-athletes and Department of Athletics staff - who are bound by many of the same rules as student-athletes - warning them about the risks of participating in gambling.
In 2003, then University of Washington head football coach Rick Neuheisel was fired after it was revealed that he participated in two high-stakes NCAA basketball pools. Neuheisel admitted to spending over $11,000 in NCAA pools in 2002 and 2003.
Fraser's memo explained that the NCAA considers "any contest related to NCAA basketball tournaments that costs anything to enter or offers a prize" an impermissible form of gambling. The memo stated NCAA bylaw 10.3 as well as Brown Department of Athletics policies that prohibit student-athletes and athletics department staff - including volunteer staff and student workers - from "placing, soliciting or accepting bets, or otherwise participating in any gambling activity related to intercollegiate athletics and its professional counterparts."
Fraser said the Facebook contest posed additional problems because it requires participants to give Facebook their permission to use their name or likeness in advertising and promotional materials.
Fraser said her memo about the Facebook pool and student-athletes was prompted in part by a routine conference call between compliance officers at Ivy League schools.
She told The Herald in an e-mail that there are differing interpretations of the permissibility of bracket pools, but that Brown "chooses to err on the side of caution." She added that, in general, the Department of Athletics has some policies that are stricter than the NCAA regulations.
A few athletes have sent e-mails to Fraser with questions about policies relating to bracket pools, she said, but there have been no issues reported regarding violation of NCAA regulations as a result of the Facebook pools. She said she has no knowledge of any compliance-related violations that may have occurred during her one-year tenure at Brown.
Fraser said the University is primarily trying to prevent violations by educating student-athletes and staff.
"If we found out it was happening we would report it as a violation, but I'm certainly not surfing Facebook to see if people are joining pools," she said. "We can't be there every time an athlete makes a decision, so we rely on education as a preventive tool."
Brown's interpretation of the NCAA bylaws in regard to athlete participation in the Facebook pool is fair, Fraser said.
"The rules are there to protect student-athletes. We know that this is not the most popular thing, but the rule needs to be in place," she said. "It's necessary to uphold the integrity of the game."
As evidence of the dangers associated with gambling on college sports, Fraser cited an incident at another Ivy League school in which a student-athlete became involved in an organized crime ring as a result of a bet.
Men's basketball Head Coach Craig Robinson said he has addressed his team about Fraser's memo.
"We have an ongoing discussion about gambling, just as we have an ongoing discussion about other behavior rules," he said. "Our guys are well aware where the team, the University and the NCAA stand on this issue."
Damon Huffman '08, a shooting guard on the basketball team, said he doesn't think being prohibited from participating in the Facebook pool is a big issue. He said he understands why Brown has been proactive in warning players about participating in monetary gambling pools.
"We understand that the rule is there to prevent us from gambling and risking our eligibility," he said.
He agreed with Robinson that the players on the team are well-informed about the regulations.
"Coach Robinson has reiterated that gambling is against NCAA rules," he said. Huffman said he still filled out his own personal bracket just for fun.
Though he won't be participating in any bracket pools, Robinson offered a few thoughts on the tournament - he said he's rooting for the University of Pennsylvania in its opening round game against Texas A&M.
"It's one of the few times that I get to root for Penn, but I'd like to see an Ivy League team do as well as possible in the tournament," he said. "Penn has a group of three solid seniors, and I think they have a great chance to pull off the upset and advance."
