The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has retracted a proposal that would have permitted student-athletes to engage in betting on professional sports, following a recent vote by Division I member schools that canceled the rule change just 30 minutes before a Nov. 21 deadline.

Two-thirds of Division I institutions voted against modifying the ban, according to the NCAA, stopping what would have been a considerable alteration to its historical stance on sports gambling. The initial proposal was approved by the Division I Board in October but lacked the 75% support needed to circumvent the reconsideration phase.

“As sports betting regulations are unified legislation, the prohibition on all types of wagering for sports governed by the NCAA will remain enforced across all three NCAA divisions,” the NCAA stated.

The reversal came after significant backlash from key figures within collegiate athletics. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey called on NCAA President Charlie Baker to retract the change, and Pittsburgh’s head football coach Pat Narduzzi also voiced his opposition. Additionally, former NBA star Charles Barkley publicly criticized supporters of the proposal, suggesting they “ought to have their heads examined.”

Advocates for the original proposal contended that the NCAA’s betting regulations were stale, crafted during a time when sports gambling was predominantly illegal across the country, as pointed out earlier this year by Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman.

This decision arises amidst a wave of notable betting scandals within both professional and collegiate sports. NBA figures such as Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones were implicated in a federal betting inquiry last October, with Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz facing indictment in an alleged scheme to manipulate games.

Recently, the NCAA implemented penalties for former Temple guard Hysier Miller, two Temple staff members, and six men’s basketball players across three universities for illegal betting and game-related violations. Several ex-athletes from Fresno State and Eastern Michigan were also handed lifetime bans.

Baker indicated that the NCAA remains committed to upholding the integrity of competition. “We appreciate the efforts of federal law enforcement to combat illegal sports betting, and I am proud that the NCAA maintains the most vigorous competition integrity policies,” he mentioned last month. He urged that regulators and operators should assist by reducing “risky prop bets to limit manipulation opportunities.”

The NCAA’s reaffirmation of its gambling restrictions means that student-athletes, coaches, and team officials are still prohibited from wagering on any event that the NCAA sponsors, as well as betting on professional sports.