The Supreme Court ruled recently that individual states can legalize sports betting if they so desire. What that means locally is that college basketball fans — if the states of Kansas and/or Missouri OK it — could legally place bets on the Kansas Jayhawks, Missouri Tigers and other teams, perhaps online or at gambling parlors, before games.
This change could cause concern not only locally but nationwide. Point-shaving scandals involving college basketball players have been around for years.
“I’m hoping it doesn’t affect us at all,” Kansas coach Bill Self said Tuesday on Andy Katz’s March Madness 365 podcast, referring to college basketball as a whole.