NCAA Launches Bad Actor Program to Combat Online Harassment of College Athletes Linked to Sports Betting
Guardii Analysis
The NCAA announced active engagement in the Bad Actor Program, a venture established by IC360 and Signify Group that monitors and investigates individuals suspected of abusive online behavior toward college athletes and shares information that betting platforms could use to ban offenders. The initiative responds to mounting online harassment of student-athletes linked to sports betting outcomes, which can constitute a Title IX hostile environment when sex-based. A 2026 study found that 42 percent of college students have experienced cyberbullying during the previous six months, underscoring the prevalence of abuse beyond the athlete population. Colleges play an important role in educating athletes and students about avenues available if they are victimized by online harassment, and proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate would include exceptions to transfer restrictions for athletes who transfer because of sexual harassment.
The athlete-abuse detection module in Guardii, a world-leading AI online-safety platform and Meta Business Partner, could intercept harassment before it reaches the target athlete. By detecting threat patterns rather than reading every message, Guardii surfaces the shape and seriousness of a conversation in real time, enabling rapid escalation to athletic staff, Title IX coordinators or law enforcement when hostility escalates or a threat emerges. For college athletes who face a daily barrage of contact across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and other platforms, proactive detection provides protection at the point of contact rather than relying solely on retrospective reporting programs or sanctions against offenders after damage has already been done.