Dozens of student athletes from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are being investigated as part of an IA sports betting probe by state regulators.
The IA sports betting probe includes 26 Iowa student athletes and approximately 15 Iowa State student athletes, the schools announced Monday.
The Iowa scandal directly follows Alabama firing its baseball coach in the midst of an unrelated sports betting probe.
IA sports betting probe statements
The University of Iowa released the following statement:
The University of Iowa and the Department of Athletics are aware of the sports wagering investigation and are fully cooperating. We have alerted the NCAA of the potential violations and we have hired outside counsel to assist in the investigative process.
The athletics department provides education on NCAA rules regarding the the prohibition of sports wagering as well as the potential consequences.
The State of Iowa Board of Regents also acknowledged the incidents.
The Board of Regents is aware of concerns related to online gambling involving individuals associated with the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. The Board of Regents and the universities will fully cooperate with any investigations related to these concerns. We are closely monitoring the situation and have confidence that University administrators at each institution will take all necessary steps to ensure ongoing compliance.
IA sports betting probe teams
The IA sports betting probe on the University of Iowa is focused on members of several teams, in addition to a full-time staffer in the Athletics Department.
- Baseball
- Football
- Men’s Basketball
- Men’s Track and Field
- Men’s Wrestling
Timeline of events
The University of Iowa outlined how it all unfolded.
- May 2: Leadership was notified of potential criminal conduct related to sports betting that also suggested possible NCAA infractions.
- May 3: Law enforcement notified the university that additional information would be provided the following day.
- May 4: The university received a list of individuals that may have participated in sports betting.
- May 5: The university notified student-athletes that they would be held out of upcoming games and events, alerted the NCAA, and engaged with outside legal counsel.
- May 8: The university sent a message to athletics staffers and student athletes acknowledging the potential violations.
Iowa State announces violations
Meanwhile, Iowa State University issued its own statement.
“Iowa State University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is aware of online sports wagering allegations involving approximately 15 of our active student-athletes from the sports of football, wrestling, and track and field in violation of NCAA rules. The university has notified the NCAA and will take the appropriate actions to resolve these issues.”
State regulators get involved
Iowa regulators had previously acknowledged an ongoing sports betting investigation into student-athletes at the University of Iowa regarding gambling related to baseball.
A spokesman for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission provided a statement to LSR on the matter.
“There is an ongoing investigation into these matters and we are unable to comment further at this time,” the spokesperson said. “The Commission takes the integrity of gaming in the state seriously and is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide any additional details when able.”
Iowa sports betting markets open
Despite the investigation, state regulators are continuing to offer markets on Iowa college sports, the spokesperson said.
The NCAA would not comment on the matter when reached by LSR.
“Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” a spokesperson said.
Iowa baseball betting baseball probe
On3Sports reported that four Iowa baseball players, including Keaton Anthony and Jacob Henderson, were not present during the Ohio State series.
Anthony leads the team in multiple offensive categories, including OPS (1.206). He had appeared in all 43 games for Iowa before being held out over the weekend.
Henderson has a 6.91 ERA in 18 games.
Multiple college baseball betting issues
The Iowa investigation comes on the heels of Alabama firing its baseball coach, Brad Bohannon, following a probe into suspicious sports betting activity.
According to ESPN, surveillance video indicated that the person who placed the suspicious wagers was in talks with Bohannon at the time.
The LSU-Alabama game from April 28 is at the heart of the investigation.
What happened at Alabama?
The BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ballpark was the reported site of the suspicious wagers. Monitoring service US Integrity reportedly found the issue.
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board went into more specifics:
“There were a couple of bets made in Cincinnati, Ohio,” chairman Ronnie Johns told NOLA.com. “One was on a parlay which involved the LSU-Alabama game, and then there was another straight-up (money line) bet. I was told it was a large bet that involved LSU-Alabama.”
The Iowa investigation was originally reported by College Baseball Central.
