The legalization of sports gambling back in 2018 has brought a number of changes to the college football landscape, and we're reportedly close to seeing a second Power conference adopt mandatory injury reporting.
After the Supreme Court's decision to legalize sports gambling, Big Ten athletic directors pushed for a national injury reporting system, but the NCAA opted against the practice citing, among other things, a lack of parameters and enforcement for the player availability model.
It would take a few years, but the Big Ten would become the first Power conference to mandate game day availability reporting last fall, with injured players designated as "questionable," or "out" for the game.
Now, the SEC is reportedly moving toward a similar model.
CBS Sports shares that the SEC is moving toward mandatory injury reporting for this fall.
The topic was discussed during spring meetings back in May, but at that time Sankey told reporters that a final decision on the matter wasn't going to be made that week.
The report cites multiple sources indicating that details are close to being finalized on the matter, and a formal decision could come as early as next week, as SEC athletic directors are set to gather and meet.
Far from universally supported among coaches, some feel the practice an unnecessary encroachment of player privacy, while others (like Nick Saban) have famously felt like offering up that information creates a disadvantage.
In the NFL, coaches that don't comply are fined a hefty price, and Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin are among college football head coaches that think that is the model that should be followed.
Regardless of how coaches feel about it, when there is money exchanging hands, and the Big Ten and SEC have hopped on board, it's something you can expect the rest of the Power conferences to adopt sooner or later as well...as long as bookmakers have a say at the table.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.