The NCAA has asked Kalshi to stop using “March Madness” on its platform, saying it never gave the prediction market permission to use its federally registered trademark. The request comes after Kalshi prominently listed “March Madness” in the titles of event contracts tied to the tournament, which is set to start next month.
“The NCAA has previously addressed issues with Kalshi illegitimately using NCAA marks for their offerings,” the NCAA said in a statement to GamblingHarm.org. “This continues to be a misrepresentation of any NCAA involvement, and we have requested immediate removal of NCAA trademarks.”
Since the NCAA lodged its complaint with the company, Kalshi has removed the “March Madness” branding from its primary contract titles for the tournament and has gone with more generic descriptions. However, the trademark is still visible in the detailed descriptions for many of the markets.
Why the NCAA Cares About Trademark Use
For the NCAA, at its simplest, this clash with Kalshi is a brand-control issue. “March Madness” is indisputably one of the association’s most valuable trademarks. So, unsurprisingly, the organization maintains tight controls over its use in betting, marketing, and commercial contexts.
While in legal terms, it’s a trademark infringement issue, the wording can also be perceived as an endorsement. If a Kalshi user sees “March Madness” attached to a market, it can read like an official relationship, even if none exists.
Despite the NCAA’s objections, as of this writing, Kalshi markets for the tournament, including “Men’s Round of 16 Qualifiers,” “Men’s Championship Game Qualifiers,” and “Men’s 1 Seed?,” all include “March Madness” in the rules summary. Whether simply removing “March Madness” from the contract titles will be enough to satisfy the NCAA’s initial request remains to be seen.
The issue is especially sensitive because prediction markets have argued that their products are trading, not gambling. The NCAA has repeatedly pushed back against that framing and the inclusion of college sports-related contracts on prediction markets, citing player harassment and increased integrity risks.
Kalshi Has Already Drawn NCAA Pushback Over College Sports Markets
The NCAA’s request to Kalshi isn’t the first time the organization has confronted the prediction market over how it presents its NCAA-branded markets. In October of last year, the association sent a letter to the platform expressing its concern over the phrase “Outcome verified from NCAA” being used in connection with event contracts.
At the time, the NCAA’s Chief Legal Officer, Scott Bearby, warned that the language could cause “significant harm to the value and goodwill of the NCAA brand” by implying the organization was approving or verifying data for the exchange.
The relationship between the two reached a breaking point in December 2025 when Kalshi filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to self-certify markets tied to the NCAA transfer portal. These contracts would have allowed users to bet on whether individual student-athletes would enter or withdraw from the portal.
NCAA President Charlie Baker called the proposal “absolutely unacceptable,” arguing it would increase the level of harassment college athletes face and threaten the integrity of the recruiting process. Following widespread backlash from college sports officials and fans alike, Kalshi retreated, saying it had “no immediate plans to list these contracts.”
In January, Baker sent a letter to the Chairman of the CFTC demanding that he halt college sports prediction markets until “a more robust system with appropriate safeguards is in place.”
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The NCAA has asked Kalshi to stop using “March Madness” on its platform, saying it never gave the prediction market permission to use its federally registered trademark. The request comes after Kalshi prominently listed “March Madness” in the titles of event contracts tied to the tournament, which is set to start next month. “The NCAA
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