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The University of Iowa is the second major college baseball program to be linked to a sports betting controversy this season. A number of players were out of action this past weekend.
The school cited an internal investigation as the reasoning behind the absences, though a specific violation was not listed. We might now have a clearer picture.
The Hawkeyes, who currently sit at 34-12 on the season, find themselves in fourth place in the Big Ten standings. Should the season end today, they’d be all but assured of a spot in the postseason. The NCAA.com website lists Iowa as a No. 3 seed in their latest projections.
This weekend, the team hosted Ohio State in a conference showdown as the Hawkeyes looked to stay in the top half of the league standings.
But when first pitch was thrown on Friday night, a few key pieces were missing from the lineup including top hitter Keaton Anthony. The infielder is hitting .389 on the year to go along with nine home runs.
Iowa’s athletic department released a statement on the missing players, saying they “withheld some student-athletes” in the midst of what they called an “ongoing investigation.”
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.
It’s worth noting that while sports gambling is legal in some states, the NCAA has its own stance and potential punishments.
Iowa would go on to win the first two games of the series with relative ease before dropping the series finale. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, this issue appears probable to linger into the final few series of the regular season.
Iowa Gambling Authorities Launch Investigation Into Hawkeyes Baseball Scandal
The reason for the suspensions was originally unknown, though there were some that hinted that a gambling investigation could be at the root of the cause.
Hearing that the NCAA is investigating several University of Iowa athletes, including at least one baseball player. The investigation surrounds student athletes and gambling.
The University of Alabama fired Brad Bohannon under similar circumstances on Thursday.
— Noah Darling (@noahdarling_) May 7, 2023
Now, we’ve gotten confirmation.
Darren Rovell of Action Network wrote Monday about an investigation into the Iowa baseball program.
“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,” said Brian Ohorilko, the director of gaming for the state’s commission.
These reports come less than a week after Alabama fired head coach Brad Bohannon for his connection to some “suspicious” wagers placed at an Ohio sportsbook. Those bets were placed against the Crimson Tide, and Bohannon was said to be on the phone with the person who laid the bets at the time of placement.
College baseball fans have been quick to comment on the newest baseball betting scandal.
One person sarcastically asked, “Who could have seen this coming with how widespread gambling is now?”
Someone else said, “Who would have thought that college baseball would be the sport with the biggest gambling problem?”
It will be interesting to see if this investigation turns anything up.