Big Ten will have four "availability reports" per week

The Big Ten has announced a change to its player availability reporting requirements in response to the growing prevalence of college football betting. Under the new rule, teams will now be required to submit four reports per week for in-conference games, as opposed to the previous one per week. These reports must be submitted on three days leading up to each game, with a final report due on game day itself.

The midweek reports will require teams to categorize players as probable, questionable, doubtful, out, or out for the first half of the game. On game day, the categories change to game-time decision, out, or out for the first half. The objective behind this expanded reporting is to minimize the potential for inside information regarding player injuries to be used for betting purposes.

The Big Ten's decision to increase the frequency of player availability reports aims to reduce the amount of private information available to those with access, thereby limiting the basis for wagering by those who have inside knowledge. The conference's stance is that all programs should strive to keep inside information to a minimum, as it can lead to betting scandals if mishandled.

While some coaches may sacrifice a strategic edge due to misinformation, the benefits of minimizing the risk of inside information being used for profit outweigh the potential drawbacks.