• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Iowa, Iowa State Betting Allegations Did Not Include Match Fixing

  • On Monday, Iowa and Iowa State announced that the state’s gambling commission had launched an investigation into sports betting activity.
  • But no games related to the two teams have been flagged as potentially “compromised,” according to sources.
The Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team is being investigated by the state's gambling authority.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

On Monday, the University of Iowa and Iowa State announced that the state’s gambling commission had launched an investigation into at least 41 current athletes and one University of Iowa athletics employee for “potential criminal conduct related to sports wagering” and potential NCAA violations.

But the allegations do not appear to have been related to point-shaving, match-fixing, or other game outcome-related activities, sources have confirmed to Front Office Sports. The nature of the wagering scandal was first reported by The Action Network.

“What’s happening in Iowa is totally different than what went down in Alabama,” one source said. Last week, Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired after evidence surfaced he had placed two bets on the Crimson Tide — and multiple states had shut down betting on the team as a result.

FOS could not confirm the exact nature of the Iowa and Iowa State allegations, but there could be a few possible scenarios.

For example, it would be against Iowa state law for an athlete under the age of 21 to participate in sports betting, regardless of who they’re betting on or what type of information they may possess.

Like the more than 30 that offer some form of legalized sports betting, the sportsbook that operates in Iowa must verify an account to ensure the bettor is at least 21 and, using geolocation, that each bet is placed within the state. 

Where the bets were placed is part of the investigation, one source said. GPS location was thought to be a factor in the six-game suspensions of Detroit Lions receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams that were announced last month. (NFL players can place bets on non-NFL games as long as those bets aren’t placed while at an NFL or team facility.)

The NCAA has much stricter rules than the NFL, however. NCAA rules prohibit athletes or athletic department staff from gambling on any sport that the NCAA sponsors at any level. That includes something as innocuous as entering a March Madness bracket pool.

“Legalization is way ahead of education,” Matthew Holt, president, and CEO of U.S. Integrity, told FOS. “In North America where everything just moves so fast. Which league or conference or school actually knows the rules in 36 states and 40 tribal jurisdictions when they’re all different? So I think there’s a pretty strong understanding that there needs to be more education and awareness.”

Two sources from within the sports betting industry told FOS how these investigations typically arise:

  • A sports gambling operator sees a name of an athlete who placed a bet, and alerts the conference, league, integrity operators or other authorities.
  • The state agency charged with policing gambling get a tip about athletes placing bets, which leads to a targeted probe of a team.
  • Somebody with intimate knowledge of an athlete’s betting activity contacts regulators.

The University of Iowa said in a statement that it was notified of the investigation on May 2, and received a list of those “alleged to have participated in sports wagering.” One university employee and 26 current athletes were named. Iowa State said that on its side, 15 current athletes were named. Both were across multiple men’s sports.

The Iowa scandals are much less severe than that involving the Alabama baseball team because the Alabama games’ integrity could have been compromised.

Last week, the Ohio gambling commission shut down all wagering on Alabama baseball games after two suspicious bets were placed at a BetMGM on an Alabama-LSU matchup. Multiple states followed.

The team then fired coach Brad Bohannon, who was found to have been communicating with a person placing bets at the time. There were reportedly no athletes involved in Alabama’s scandal.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Rozier’s Lawyer Says Missed 2023 Games Cost Him Shoe Money

Rozier had a Puma deal through the end of the 2022–23 season.
Sankey

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
Donald Trump Jr. imitates President Donald Trumps as he speaks during a memorial service honoring Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sept. 21, 2025.

The Trumps Are All In on Prediction Markets

Truth Social is launching a platform that will offer sports event contracts.

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to an audience at Louisiana Tech University on Aug. 25, 2025.

Why Louisiana’s Governor Was Involved in the Brian Kelly Firing

Jeff Landry reportedly hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday.
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
October 27, 2025

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.
Brian Kelly
October 28, 2025

CFB Firings Tracker: LSU Owes Brian Kelly $53 Million

The sum owed Kelly slightly tops James Franklin’s at Penn State. 
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
October 26, 2025

LSU Ends Brian Kelly Era, $53M Buyout Negotiations Underway

The Tigers fell to 5–3 after losing to Texas A&M.
October 26, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Era’s New Powers: Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vandy

Indiana is the most notable, having ascended to No. 2.
October 26, 2025

Sarkisian, Kiffin Address Rumors As Coaching Carousel Spins Again

Reports are rampant about the coaches taking new jobs.
Azzi Fudd
October 24, 2025

Government Shutdown Moves UConn Season Opener Out of Germany

The shutdown is now on its 24th day.