Iowa and Iowa State athletes alleged to be part of new sports betting scandals

A week after Alabama’s baseball coach was fired after multiple states halted betting on Crimson Tide games due to suspicious betting activity, there are two more betting scandals in college sports.

This time, athletes from rival schools are being accused of violations. Iowa State announced that it was aware of sports betting allegations involving “approximately 15 of our active student-athletes” from football, wrestling, and track and field.

The University of Iowa announced Monday that it was aware of an investigation by Iowa gaming authorities involving potential violations with student-athletes involving sports betting, that it has alerted the NCAA of potential violations and that it hired outside counsel to assist in an investigation. Iowa said it received information about 111 individuals, including 26 student-athletes from baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and wrestling and one full-time employee in the athletic department.

That announcement came after a report that Iowa gambling authorities launched an investigation, and two Iowa baseball players were held out last weekend, according to Darren Rovell of Action Network.

Iowa has had full legal online sports betting since Jan. 1, 2021.

Iowa State announced the allegations, which would be in violation of NCAA rules. It said the NCAA was notified but offered no further details.

Iowa said the allegations don’t include any coaches. Iowa said that on May 2, it was “notified of potential criminal conduct related to sports wagering that also suggested possible NCAA violations.” Two days later, Iowa received a list of individuals who allegedly participated in sports betting.

The next day, Iowa said it told several student-athletes that they “would not be participating in upcoming competitions” and alerted the NCAA to potential violations.

Four Iowa baseball players, including two regulars, weren’t present for the team’s weekend series against Ohio State, according to On3Sports’ Kyle Huesmann.

“The commission takes the integrity of gaming in the state seriously and is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide any additional information when able,” Brian Ohorilko, Iowa racing and gaming administrator, told Action Network.

The Iowa and Iowa State scandals come after the Alabama baseball scandal, in which a couple of large and suspicious bets were made in Ohio on LSU baseball to beat Alabama on April 28. Those scandals came after the NFL suspended five players for violations of the league’s gambling policy in April.

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