Hoop Schemes

Michigan lawmakers are also discussing a bill that would exempt NCAA college basketball brackets from the state's definition of gambling. As long as the entry fee doesn't exceed $20 and the pool doesn't exceed 100 people, it will be legal.

Both bills still have a long way to go. And there's a potentially large obstacle blocking the lane: the NCAA, which takes a no-tolerance stance on wagering and discourages the legalization of any betting on college sports. "We believe that sports wagering has become a real problem and it threatens the well-being of student athletes and the integrity of college sports," said NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn, who adds that the association briefs players on the perils of gambling. "We've heard of brackets and office pools that have been in excess of $100,000. But we want to send a clear message that you can have fun and money doesn't have to be involved for that to take place."

On the Madison campus, there isn't a lot of obvious enthusiasm for Plale's cause. Since pool participants rarely get arrested, it doesn't matter much to Wisconsin fans whether placing bets is officially illegal, according to Zack Kukkonen, sports editor for The Daily Cardinal, a UW student newspaper. "Pretty much everyone I know is in some sort of pool, although not necessarily for money, a lot of them are for money. It's just so much fun to do that everyone has gotten wrapped up in it. Even people who don't care about college basketball in the least are doing pools," Kukkonen says.

But Plale says that is exactly the point. If people are committing the "crime" and law enforcement doesn't consider it serious enough to pursue, then the law clearly needs to be amended.

"It's like the old law where every slice of apple pie sold at a Wisconsin restaurant had to be served with a piece of Wisconsin cheddar cheese," Plale said (even though the existence of the said "law" is a well-worn Wisconsin myth). "We have all these silly antiquated laws that are not enforced, so why not have the statute books reflect reality?"

Unfazed by the legal dangers, Badgers fans are laying their wallets on the line for the home team, Kukkonen says. "They have a very good chance of getting into the Elite Eight," Kukkonen said, referring to the quarterfinal round of the tournament. "And most brackets I've seen have them going all the way, but that may be just because people want it to happen."

© 2007