Iowa, Iowa State student-athletes under investigation for online sports wagering

Gaming officials are investigating 41 student-athletes at both Iowa and Iowa State universities on allegations of prohibited online sports wagering, the athletic departments announced Monday afternoon.

Iowa has 26 student-athletes from five sports under investigation, while Iowa State has 15 student-athletes from three sports. Iowa athletics has retained outside counsel.

There are no accusations any of the athletes bet on their own teams, according to Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko.

“I can tell you that there hasn’t been any information or issues that have raised any doubt with the integrity of any of the markets involving the two universities,” Ohorilko told The Athletic. “That’s different than what we received regarding the LSU–Alabama game.”

Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired last week after he was connected with suspicious gambling activity in Ohio concerning his team’s baseball game against LSU on April 28. No current or former coaches at Iowa or Iowa State are accused of taking part. One Iowa athletics department staffer, however, was connected.

Both universities, along with the University of Northern Iowa, are governed by the same board of regents.

“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 regents said in a statement. “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.”

Ohorilko said, “That is my understanding,” regarding the athletes using app-based betting sites to place wagers. As to whether the criminal element was related to underage gambling, he said, “I would be speculating if I were to say for sure.”

Iowa legalized sports gambling in 2019 for in-person sportsbooks and online and app-based gaming. As long as the bettor is 21 years old, there are no restrictions. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes, coaches and others involved with athletics from betting on any sport at the amateur, collegiate or professional level in which the NCAA holds a championship.

Iowa released a timeline Monday afternoon regarding the investigation:

• May 2 — University of Iowa leadership was notified of potential criminal conduct related to sports wagering that also suggested possible NCAA violations.
• 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 alleged to have participated in sports wagering.
• May 5 —Iowa notified several student-athletes that they would not be participating in upcoming competitions, alerted the NCAA to potential violations and engaged outside legal counsel to advise the university and potentially lead an investigation.
• May 8 — Athletics staff were made aware of the potential NCAA violations through an email.

Overall, the university received information on about 111 individuals, including 26 student-athletes from baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field and wrestling, as well as one full-time athletic department employee. The majority of the individuals are student-staff, former student-athletes or have no connection to UI athletics. None are current or former coaches.

Iowa athletics said it provides education on NCAA rules regarding sports wagering and the potential consequences.

Several baseball players were withheld from a weekend baseball series against Ohio State, including All-American prospect Keaton Anthony. Friday, the department released a printed statement to reporters covering the game: “Due to a potential NCAA violation, we withheld some student-athletes from competition. We will have no additional comments as this is an ongoing investigation.”

Speculation swirled throughout the weekend that the investigation involved more than just baseball players. Neither Iowa nor Iowa State has announced which players are under investigation.

Anthony, who had a team-leading .389 batting average, had started every game for Iowa’s baseball team, which is 34-12 and upset then-No. 1 LSU 12-4 earlier this year.

At Iowa State, which does not field a baseball team, the 15 student-athletes accused of making bets in violation of NCAA rules are from football, wrestling and track and field.

“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 & field in violation of NCAA rules. The university has notified the NCAA and will take the appropriate actions to resolve these issues,” the athletic department said in a statement.

As for former Iowa athletes who have transferred to other schools or no longer play collegiate sports, law enforcement agencies have retained that information.

“The Commission does not handle the criminal aspects of gambling in the state,” Ohorilko said. “Now, with regard to the entities that are licensed and from an administrative standpoint, I can tell you we take that role very seriously.”