The NCAA has sanctioned five current or former Iowa State football support staff members after they collectively placed more than 6,200 bets totaling over $100,000, some on Iowa State’s own basketball programs, over a two-year span.
The disciplinary action follows a broader state-led investigation into sports betting activity at Iowa and Iowa State athletic facilities from 2021 to 2023. The five staffers each acknowledged violating NCAA sports betting rules and reached a negotiated resolution finalized last week, according to documents released by the NCAA.
Iowa State’s athletic department declined to comment on the matter.
One-year show-cause penalties
Each of the five individuals is subject to a one-year show-cause order through April 24, 2026. If any are hired by a collegiate athletic department during that period, they must serve a two-week suspension and attend an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar at their own expense.
The NCAA classified the violations as Level II infractions, defined as breaches that could compromise the integrity of collegiate athletics. None of the five face criminal charges.
The names of the individuals were disclosed to Iowa State officials as part of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe, which also led to dozens of charges against athletes at both universities for underage betting and identity theft. That probe has since resulted in a lawsuit from more than 35 athletes, who allege the agency violated their rights through warrantless geolocation tracking.
Details of the bets
According to the NCAA’s findings:
- Jace Heacock, a football graduate assistant in 2021 and 2022 and the son of defensive coordinator Jon Heacock, placed 787 bets totaling approximately $55,359. He was rehired by the program on April 24 as director of football analytics.
- Chase Clark, a former assistant director of football equipment operations, placed 2,305 bets totaling about $18,676, including 46 on Iowa State men’s and women’s basketball. He now works for the Detroit Lions as an assistant equipment manager.
- Michael Dryer, a former assistant in equipment operations, placed 1,182 bets worth roughly $11,536, including 25 involving Cyclones basketball. He now works in sporting goods sales.
- Kyle Highland, formerly in football recruiting operations, made 509 bets totaling around $6,365, including eight on ISU basketball. He currently serves as the assistant director of football operations at Army.
- Mason Williams, a former associate in athletics equipment, placed 1,455 bets totaling about $11,679, including 12 on ISU basketball. He is now the head equipment manager at Valparaiso.
Broader impact on NCAA betting policy
The findings add to a growing list of recent NCAA gambling violations. While state-regulated sportsbooks are legal in 38 states, NCAA rules prohibit staff and athletes from betting on any sport sponsored by the association, regardless of location or legality. Those rules were updated earlier this year.
In a similar case last year, a Baylor University employee received a show-cause penalty after being found to have used daily fantasy sports platforms in violation of NCAA rules.
