The NCAA has commissioned a first-of-its-kind sports-wagering task force to examine the recently released National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks and to devise recommendations for addressing the problem of wagering by student-athletes.

The report, released May 12, found that almost 35 percent of male student-athletes have engaged in some type of sports wagering in the past year. The report also states that about 10 percent of female student-athletes have engaged in similar behavior.

Other findings show that about 1.1 percent of football players reported taking money for playing poorly in a game, and 2.3 percent of football players admitted they had been asked to affect the outcome of a game because of gambling debts. Additionally, 1.4 percent of football players admitted having affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts.

The 26-member task force, which will be chaired by the Rev. Edward A. Malloy, president of the University of Notre Dame, will meet in the near future.

NCAA President Myles Brand said the task force's charge is to develop recommendations with a dual focus of ensuring the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of intercollegiate athletics. The recommendations could include expanding education efforts, new NCAA legislation and suggestions for legislation at the state and federal levels, he said.

"By commissioning this study -- the largest examination of sports wagering by student-athletes -- and by establishing the task force, the NCAA is taking a leadership role at the national level to address this problem among student-athletes before it reaches crisis proportions," Brand said.

"I do not now see evidence that the integrity of the game has been irrevocably compromised, but the risk is real. We're identifying the depth and nature of a problem and we're setting up a mechanism to deal with it right now."

The task force also will examine the study's findings on associated health-risk behaviors that might be predictors of wagering. Those results still are being analyzed by the NCAA. The study likely will be replicated in future years to better understand trends and assess the effectiveness of enforcement and educational programs.

"It's very important to get ahead of the curve," said Malloy. "We have an open-ended agenda; there is no preset formula or answer to the final report. We intend to work hard, have an open mind, be interested in questions related to education, regulation, the embracing of steps on individual campuses, and the role conferences and the NCAA might play.

"This will not be a commentary, but action steps that will help all of us in preventing the harm that can take place."

The study

The 2003 National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks is the most comprehensive of its kind to look at the issue of gambling among student-athletes. It encompasses responses from almost 21,000 male and female student-athletes across all three divisions in all sports.

Students were asked a number of questions about sports-wagering behaviors and associated health risks, such as alcohol and drug use. The questionnaire was designed with the help of Dr. Durand Jacobs, a noted national researcher in the field of youth gambling.

Of the survey respondents, the most who said they had engaged in gambling or sports wagering were from Division III, followed by Division II. The fact that Division I student-athletes composed the smallest percentage of respondents who had engaged in sports wagering could be attributed to the NCAA's education efforts in Division I over the years.

While the data show that about 35 percent of male student-athletes across all three divisions have wagered on a sporting event, that figure drops to 22 percent when asked if they had wagered specifically on college sports. For female student-athletes across all three divisions that figure drops from 10 percent to 6 percent.

Other key findings include:

More than 5 percent of the male student-athletes across all divisions who wagered on sporting events did so over the Internet. That compares with slightly more than 1 percent of female student-athletes across all three divisions.

Of those male student-athletes who responded that they had engaged in gambling activities in the past year, most of the wagering had been through playing cards or board games for money. The highest category for female student-athletes was lottery tickets. In nearly all cases, however, students at Division III institutions reported the highest proportions of gambling activities, while those at Division I schools reported the lowest.

The vast majority of male and female student-athletes, across all divisions, said they knew the NCAA's rules on sports wagering and most said the Association's penalties did in fact discourage sports wagering.

Less than 5 percent of males at any division were categorized as a problem or pathological gambler using the DSM-IV Gambling Screen methodology. Less than 1 percent of females fell into this category.

For males, the sports that reported the highest proportion of respondents wagering on any sports were golf, ice hockey and lacrosse. For females, the highest proportions were in golf, lacrosse and basketball.

"If you extend the percentages from the survey out to the total student-athlete population, we estimate that more than 49,000 student-athletes wagered on college or professional sports using parlay cards, football pools or bookies within the last year," said Brand. "Almost 10,000 wagered once a month; 7,300 bet once a week and 1,500 are placing bets on a daily basis.

"With percentages like these there is no college or university in the NCAA that can safely claim that they do not have a gambling problem on campus."

In conducting the study, information was requested from 2,003 teams at 1,032 NCAA institutions. The response rate is estimated at 65 to 75 percent, with 20,739 valid surveys entered.

Males made up 60.8 percent of respondents and females 37.3 percent. Some respondents did not identify their gender.

Most of the respondents, 43.7 percent, were from Division I institutions. Twenty-three percent were from Division II and 31.8 percent were from Division III. Some did not identity their division.

The study will be repeated in future years in order to understand the trends in gambling behavior and assess the effectiveness of enforcement and education programs.

Task force members

Members of the newly created NCAA sports-wagering task force:

Greg Abbott, Texas attorney general

Ricky Adams, major, Louisiana State University police department

* Brady Barke, student-athlete, Webster University

Beth Bass, chief executive officer, Women's Basketball Coaches Association

Dutch Baughman, executive director, Division I-A Athletics Directors' Association

Albert D. Bean Jr., director of athletics, University of Southern Maine

Dan Curran, president, University of Dayton

Jeffrey L. Derevensky, co-director, McGill University International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors

Damon Evans, director of athletics designee, University of Georgia

Bob Gardner, chief operating officer, National Federation of State High School Associations

Woody Gibson, director of athletics, High Point University

Jim Haney, executive director, National Association of Basketball Coaches

Douglas N. Hastad, chancellor, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse

Jerald L. Henderson, faculty athletics representative, Chicago State University

Craig Littlepage, director of athletics, University of Virginia

Jeff Long, director of athletics, University of Pittsburgh

Valerie Lorenz, executive director, Compulsive Gambling Center, Inc.

Rev. Edward A. Malloy, president, University of Notre Dame (chair)

Jerry McGee, president, Wingate University

Michael Anthony Munoz, student-athlete, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

M. Dianne Murphy, director of athletics, University of Denver

Charlie Nelms, vice-president for institutional development and student affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington

Sheldon Steinbach, vice-president and general counsel, American Council on Education

Grant Teaff, executive director, American Football Coaches Association (vice-chair)

Ken C. Winters, associate professor, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Doug Woolard, director of athletics, Saint Louis University