Guide to betting 2025 NCAA College Football smartly, responsibly

Following the wildly successful inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff at the conclusion of the 2024 season, this year’s campaign arrives with the utmost anticipation. With players, coaches, media and the public all knowing what to expect from this format, and no new conference realignment this offseason, there is a new level of comfort heading into this season. 

With that comfort comes more eyes, and with legal sports betting continuing to spread, offshore sportsbooks continuing to be pervasive and other gray-area ways to risk real money on results, more fans are expected to bet on the sport than ever before. Therefore, we’re here to help ensure that if individuals are going to do so, they do so smartly and responsibly.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Birches Health is a specialized provider of gambling addiction treatment nationwide. Care is available virtually from the comfort of home and is covered by insurance. Knowing how to bet responsibly is critical in aiming to reduce the chances of developing a gambling problem. The goal of this article is to help potential bettors do so in a smart, sustainable and healthy manner if they choose to wager on the College Football. 

Introduction to betting on college football smartly

As with any sport, it’s important to understand the basics of the game itself. That means the general scoring, timing and rules. Similarly, it also means understanding the betting markets that are available for wagering on college football.

The most popular and standard of those markets are the money line, point spread and total (over/under). Those betting markets involve the winner, the margin of victory and number of points scored, respectively. However, with such a popular sport like college football, there are a seemingly countless number of other betting markets available, including prop bets. 

Prop bets are far more nuanced, so sticking to the standard markets may be a safer approach. That is especially true when it comes to college player prop markets, which is something we’ll discuss throughout this article, and more in depth when we break down the dangers and risks of betting on college football. 

Who can legally bet on college football in 2025-26? 

Where you are located 

Before we get into those dangers and risks, it’s essential to know where it is legal to bet on college football. Currently, 38 states (plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico) offer legal sports betting in some format. There are 30 states that have online sports betting via either smartphone apps or websites. DC and Puerto Rico also allow online betting. All of these locations offer college football betting markets:

• Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming

Note: Missouri legalized sports betting in May 2025 with an expected launch date of December 2025

And for the states with legal sports betting at retail locations only, those are listed here:

• Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin

Beyond the 38 legal locations, there are still 11 states that don’t offer sports betting at all, whether online or retail.

• California, Texas, Idaho, Utah, Minnesota, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Alaska and Hawaii

How old you are

Ensuring that you are in a legal location is not the only stipulation when it comes to betting on college football. There are also age considerations, and the most common is a 21-year-old or older requirement. However, there are some locations in which the age requirement is just 18 years old:

• Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming

While those locations offer sports betting at a younger age, there are still things to keep in mind. Firstly, the sportsbooks within those locations can still have a 21-year-old requirement if they so choose. Additionally, even if an individual is from one of those locations, if they are in any of the other 32 locations with legal sports betting, they must still abide by the age requirement of the location where they are currently.

>>> Check out which states allow College Football PROP betting (not all states with legal sports betting allow props)

College Football betting on Robinhood? 

For the 2025–26 season, one of the most notable developments in the sports wagering landscape is the arrival of Robinhood’s sports prediction markets, which include college football. Through a partnership with Kalshi, a federally regulated Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) exchange, Robinhood allows users to trade “event contracts” on sporting events. These contracts function much like bets: users “buy” a position based on the outcome of a game and profit if their prediction is correct.

Initially, Robinhood is rolling out prediction markets on NFL matchups and marquee college football games, particularly contests involving Power Four programs and nationally televised showdowns. That means fans can now find markets tied to some of the biggest Saturdays on the calendar, including playoff-impacting games and rivalry weeks.

Robinhood stresses that this product is not traditional sports betting. Instead of wagering against a sportsbook, users trade against each other in a peer-to-peer marketplace, with prices fluctuating just like a stock. The company has promoted this system as a financial product operating under CFTC oversight rather than a gambling product regulated by state gaming commissions.

Still, the line between “prediction markets” and “sports betting” is blurry at best. Users risk real money, profits and losses are dependent on sports outcomes, and winnings can be withdrawn as cash. Regulators in multiple states have already flagged it as indistinguishable from standard sports gambling. Cease-and-desist letters have been issued in several jurisdictions, while other states, like Connecticut and Massachusetts, have opened investigations.

For now, Robinhood has kept its prediction markets live across the country, meaning fans in states without legalized sports betting technically have access to contracts tied to college football outcomes. Whether this remains available throughout the season depends on the ongoing legal battles between Kalshi, Robinhood and state regulators.

It’s also worth noting that Robinhood does not offer that “standard” responsible gaming tools that traditional sportsbooks do, so the ability to set limits, take time-outs or self-exclude are non-existent, which increases risk for users on the platform.

Dangers & risks of betting on the 2025-26 college football season

Speaking of risk, let’s discuss the potential dangers of betting on college football this season. Wagering on anything comes with inherent risks, and that is certainly true of collegiate sports, especially in recent years.

Integrity 

The integrity of sports is of the utmost importance, and with the incorporation of NIL (name, image and likeness) in college football, that is even more at risk. This allows players to be paid, which was a topic of much debate for the decades prior to the NIL implementation. While the NCAA works to nail down rules in place for NIL deals, it is still in its infancy.

When money is being exchanged, there is always concern of foul play. Just like we’ve seen players in professional sports manipulate contests, collegiate players may now be even more motivated to do so with money on the line. In fact, that is why we’ve seen a recent push for states to prohibit player prop bets in college athletics, including football.

There is also reportedly a college-focused investigation involving players from multiple universities, so many are expecting some more integrity-focused headlines soon. 

There are already states that have done so, including ones with some of the largest sports betting markets like New Jersey and New York. Those states also prohibit fans from betting on their in-state colleges (although NJ may change that). As you can see, there is significant concern when it comes to the risks of betting on college football.

It’s also important to keep in mind that we are dealing with student-athletes. That means a younger generation of players that can often be influenced more than professionals. Again, this can lead to manipulation of their events, which undermines the integrity of the game. As if that wasn’t enough, the vast landscape of collegiate sports also presents another danger.

Volume of games and betting markets

With so many colleges and universities, there is significantly more to keep track of, including for oddsmakers. For example, we have prominent programs like Alabama and Georgia, but there are over 100 colleges in the FBS (the highest division of college football) alone. It is nearly impossible to know the ins and outs of every program, which means that the lines and odds available are not always the best for the consumer.

This is especially true given the turnover of players in collegiate sports. Unlike professional sports where we can see players with the same franchise for over a decade, players come and go in collegiate sports at a far more rapid rate, especially with the “transfer portal” that has gained popularity in recent years. In other words, it is even more difficult to predict performances with smaller sample sizes of performances.

The significant number of games on any given Saturday presents nearly nonstop betting opportunities from noon to midnight. This can be incredibly dangerous for problem gamblers, who may use later games as opportunities to “chase” earlier losses with bigger or more bets in hopes of winning back what was lost. 

All this adds up to making college football one of the most difficult and riskiest sports to bet on, which is why it should always be done with extreme caution if you choose to engage.

Responsible Gaming tips for NCAA College Football 

Given that we’ve shared why and how college football is dangerous to bet on, it’s also important that we provide ways to do so responsibly. Many of these tips can be applied to betting on any sport, but they are ultimately helpful as we approach the college football season, which is less than a month away:

• Set limits: This first tip is one that should be implemented in your sportsbook apps when betting on any sporting event. A set bankroll, which can be thought of as a sports betting budget, should be put in place as a total amount that you’d be comfortable losing. From that, a percentage (preferably 1-4%) should be used on a per-wager basis. That’s known as your “unit” size.

• Understand the game: Something that we’ve already mentioned is ensuring the understanding of college football. Between clock management and overtime rules, aspects of college football vary from the NFL and other collegiate sports.

• Sports betting should be seen as entertainment: This relates back to our first tip, as the bankroll you set for yourself should be viewed through the same lens as other funds that you would use for other forms of entertainment in your life. Whether that means movies, meals out or otherwise, sports betting should be seen in the same light, rather than as a potential source of income. 

• Don’t gamble under the influence: While this may seem to go without saying for some, gambling under the influence can lead to dangers and risks of doing so being increased significantly. Judgment is impaired in these circumstances, which can lead to poor decision-making and ultimately, greater losses.

• Don’t chase losses: Speaking of losses, chasing them is another part of sports betting that needs to be avoided. This occurs when additional wagers are placed following losses in hopes of winning back the amounts lost. 

Gambling addiction resources & treatment 

Birches Health has multiple problem gambling treatment options available, all from the comfort of home. Whether you or someone you know is dealing with or at risk of problem gambling, the Birches team of specially trained, licensed therapists can help.

Individuals can receive the help they need at the convenience of their schedule and location. Treatment costs can also be covered by insurance or state funding in certain locations. If you believe that you or a loved one could use help, there are several ways to get in touch:

• Book an Appointment 

• Call 833-483-3838

• Email help@bircheshealth.com

New schools, new conferences in 2025

Conference realignment shook college football to its core before the 2024 season. While more big changes are on the horizon, there are a few small moves to note for the 2025 season.

Here’s a look back at all that changed prior to 2024:

Beginning with the conference that many consider to be the most complete, the SEC, they’ve added two of the most notable programs in the country to make it even more stacked. Fans of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are growing more impatient by the year, but having those two programs in the SEC has increased the excitement on those campuses.

However, simply adding teams to a conference only scratches the surface as to the changes that we’ve seen. The ACC, or Atlantic Coast Conference, is now a far cry from what the name implies. With the Pac-12 being essentially dissolved, the ACC has now added teams from the complete opposite coast of the country: Stanford and California. They also added a school that’s not even on a coast - SMU in Texas.

Many other Pac-12 schools also had to go somewhere. Four of them - Washington, UCLA, USC and Oregon - are joining the new-look Big Ten. Firstly, don’t let the name fool you, the Big Ten now consists of a whopping 18 teams. Furthermore, it’s a new-look conference as they have gotten rid of the two divisions. So, no longer will there be fans stating that the West Division is far superior with the likes of both Ohio State and Michigan within.

In 2025, changes concern UMass moving from an FBS Independent into the Mid-American Conference (MAC), plus Delaware and Missouri State moving from the FCS ranks into Conference USA. 

Top storylines for the 2025 college football season

If the debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024 was supposed to give the top seeds more control, it didn’t play out that way. Last year’s postseason produced chaos, as all four top seeds went one-and-done.

• No. 1 Oregon was blitzed by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
  
  
  

• No. 2 Georgia was stunned by Notre Dame.
  
  
  

• No. 3 Boise State fell to No. 6 Penn State.
  
  
  

• No. 4 Arizona State lost to No. 5 Texas.
  
  

The format itself was part of the problem. The four top seeds, each a conference champion, sat idle for nearly a month while their challengers gained momentum. In fact, Arizona State earned a bye as the Big 12 champion despite being ranked No. 12 in the committee’s final poll. By the time the playoff kicked off, the “best” teams didn’t look like the most prepared.

That wrinkle is gone. Starting this season, the four highest-ranked teams will earn the top playoff spots regardless of conference affiliation. That should reduce the chance of another complete wipeout by the top seeds and create a bracket that better reflects the actual strength of the field. 

Bill Belichick Takes Over at North Carolina

The most fascinating storyline of 2025 isn’t tied to the playoff system at all. It’s the arrival of Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill. The six-time Super Bowl champion makes his college debut at North Carolina, a program chasing its first ACC title since 1980.

After a 6-6 campaign led to Mack Brown’s departure, expectations are high. A winning record is the bare minimum, but with Belichick’s track record, the intrigue goes far beyond the standings. 

The Championship Chase

The road to the 2025/26 national title still runs through the SEC and Big Ten, but parity is building. The preseason AP Top 10 features Texas, Penn State and Ohio State at the top, with Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, LSU and Miami close behind.

The seven true heavyweights most likely to be standing in January: Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Clemson, and LSU:

• Ohio State aims to defend its crown with superstar WR Jeremiah Smith and a new QB in Julian Sayin.
  
  

• Texas finally hands the reins to Arch Manning, the preseason Heisman favorite.
  
  

• Penn State sees a golden window with Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen, Nic Singleton returning, alongside a loaded defense.
  
  

• Notre Dame is fresh off a title runner-up campaign and looks even deeper in 2025.
  
  

• Alabama is steadier in year two under Kalen DeBoer, with maybe the sport’s best offensive line.
  
  

• Clemson has a Heisman hopeful in Cade Klubnik and an elite defense.
  
  

• LSU might be the most dangerous of them all with Garrett Nussmeier and a terrifying WR corps.