Which Iowa football games did players allegedly bet on during 2021, 2022 seasons?
IOWA CITY — Hawkeye football players made illegal wagers on at least 14 of their 27 games over the last two seasons, court documents show, but state regulators reiterated Friday they have no evidence that the integrity of Iowa games was compromised.
The list of 14 Hawkeye games — seven in 2021 and seven in 2022 — that court records show were involved could potentially grow as the investigation from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into sports betting involving the athletic departments of the University of Iowa and Iowa State University continues.
In the last two weeks, 15 people affiliated with the campus’ departments have been charged with tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor punished by up to two years in prison. Beyond current and former football players, charges extended to other campus sports and athletic personal.
When the investigation was first announced, the UI indicated that 26 current athletes could be involved, and ISU said there were “approximately 15” current athletes involved.
For the charges involving Hawkeye football filed so far in Johnson County District Court, named are current kicker Aaron Blom; current wide receiver Jack Johnson; former wide receiver Arland Bruce IV; and former safety Reggie Bracy; and student manager Owen O’Brien.
Court records allege all five used sports wagering accounts set up by adults even though they were too young to bet under Iowa law — not only a crime, but a violation of NCAA rules against student athletes gambling on sports.
A large portion of the betting activity involving Iowa football games, as outlined in court records, was from Bruce — one of Iowa’s top wide receivers over the last two seasons. Bracy and Johnson had smaller on-field roles, and fewer alleged wagers on the Hawkeyes.
Bracy appeared last year in all 12 regular-season games, but most of his snaps were on special teams. Johnson, a walk-on, appeared briefly in four games in 2022. None of those games involved wagering activity from Johnson, records show.
How the games break down
Here are the games that the four Iowa football personnel wagered on, according to court records:
Aaron Blom in 2021: against Iowa State
Reggie Bracy in 2022: South Dakota State, Michigan
Arland Bruce IV in 2021: Iowa State, Penn State, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan, Kentucky
Arland Bruce IV in 2022: South Dakota State, Rutgers, Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska, Kentucky
Jack Johnson in 2021: Wisconsin
Jack Johnson in 2022: Illinois
Owen O’Brien in 2022: Three wagers (games not specified)
Betting the under
Court documents allege Blom and Bruce — both could contribute to a team’s scoring as a kicker and wide receiver, respectively — bet “under total points” on games while they were on the team. Such a bet is based on the total score of the game.
Bruce is accused of betting the under on Iowa’s 2022 win over Northwestern. He had two receptions for 19 yards and three carries for 27 yards in that game.
The wide receiver also allegedly bet the under on the 2022 Music City Bowl, although he already entered the transfer portal at that point and was not with the team in Nashville for that game.
Blom, meanwhile, bet the under on the 2021 Cy-Hawk game, court records show. But he did not appear in the game.
How Hawkeyes fared in games with alleged bets
The Hawkeyes went 7-7 in the 14 games that court records show had betting activity, and 11-2 in the other 13 games.
Strength of opponent could account for some of the outcomes. Sportsbooks favored Iowa to win in seven of the 14 games, versus nine of the other 13 games. (A 10th game had an even line.)
Iowa covered the point spread in seven of the 14 games with one push, based on odds listed on ESPN from Caesars Sportsbook.
Eight of the 14 games finished below the over/under — but ironically not when Bruce allegedly bet the under against Northwestern. In fact, Bruce’s 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of that game pushed the point total past the over/under mark.
On Friday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reiterated its stance that it had not received any information that Iowa or Iowa State games had been compromised. Asked Friday for comment about the latest charges, the commission pointed to its Aug. 3 statement that it “does not currently have information that would call into question the integrity of any sports wagering contest or event involving the University of Iowa or Iowa State University.”
What could happen to players
The tampering with records charge — when a person “falsifies, destroys or conceals a writing or record, with the intent to deceive or injure anyone or to conceal any wrongdoing,” according to state law — is an aggravated misdemeanor.
Beyond that, if the allegations are proven true, the athletes charged may have played their last snap of college football. The NCAA's reinstatement guidelines suggest athletes who bet on their own team “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”
