CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sports wagering is now legal in the Tar Heel state. Gov. Roy Cooper signed the bill into law which not only legalizes betting, it also provides new funding for local sports teams. But they aren't the only ones seeing the benefit, it's also designed for student athletes at universities around the state.

What You Need To Know

  •  HB 347 will allocate two pools of money for athletics departments at 13 state-run universities

  •  The first pool will provide $300,000 to each school and after fixed allocations, the state will take 20% of the remaining tax revenue and split it evenly among the schools

House Bill 347 will allocate two pools of money for athletics departments at 13 state-run universities in North Carolina. The first pool will provide $300,000 to each school and after fixed allocations, and the state will take 20% of the remaining tax revenue and split it evenly among the schools.

A desk job wasn’t always the plan for Chani Warfield. She has spent most of her time as a Division I soccer player.

"Finding ways to fill the space that soccer used to take so much time of, I feel like that was the harder adjustment ... you spend so much time, 20 hours a week to the sport, figuring out what you want to do," Warfield said.

Soccer always played an important role in her life, but it wasn’t until she played on the collegiate level at Purdue Fort Wayne that she realized the importance of funding for the athletic department.

"We were a DI school, having that DI feel and opportunities is what really brought people there, because the more funding we had the better retention we had. We got better gear. We got more gear. We were taking better trips,” Warfield said.

Unlike at her former university, North Carolina does not provide state funding for collegiate athletic departments.

However, relief is on the way with the new sports betting legislation becoming law.

It sets aside two pools of money for 13 state-run universities including UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville and Appalachian State. It's money, Warfield says, that should go to student athletes.

"Having an organization that puts the money towards the people first and making sure the student athlete is the best version of themselves so they can show up for school and athletics. If you want to retain great athletes, you have to make sure they have the right support," Warfield said.

But that support doesn’t always look the same for everyone, according to betcarolina.com. UNC Asheville may use a portion of the funds for mental health needs and scholarships.

No matter how the funds are allocated, Warfield says, it’s more than just sports.

"Without soccer, I don’t know what would help me get through tough times," Warfield said.