Updated August 24th, 2023
Iowa State has confirmed that one of its football players, who was charged following an investigation into illegal sports betting, has left the program.
Jirehl Brock, the Cyclones’ leading rusher for 2022, was one of five football players that have been charged with tampering records. The investigation found that Brock attempted to disguise his identity when using a mobile sports betting account.
According to the investigation, Brock is believed to have placed as many as 1,327 illegal wagers between February 2022 and February 2023. The wagers, which totaled more that $12,000, were made using a FanDuel account that was under a different name but was controlled by Brock.
The charges allege that Brock made bets on three Iowa State football games, to of which he was directly involved in. He is also accused of betting on 13 ISU basketball games.
Brock is the second player to leave the roster following the departure of Defensive lineman Isaiah Lee last week. The other three players charged in the investigation, Quarterback Hunter Dekkers, offensive lineman Jacob Remsburg and tight end DeShawn Hanika, remain on the roster for now.
Iowa State Basketball student manager charged
There has also been a new charge for tampering with records filed against a member of the Iowa men’s basketball management team. Evan Schuster, student manager for the team, has been charged with having a FanDuel account under his father’s name. It’s alleged that he placed over 2,000 bets totaling $15,800 using the account. The charges filed state that the majority of wagers made by Schuster were placed before when he was under the legal sports betting age of 21. Nine of his wagers were also placed on his own team while he was manager.
In related news, Rutgers basketball guard Jeremiah Williams has been charged with tampering with records as a result of the same investigation. Williams, who recently transferred to Rutgers from Iowa State, has been charged with placing wagers while at ISU although none of the wagers are believed to be on ISU games. Williams never played for ISU during his time there due to injury.
NCAA eligibility guidelines
According to state laws, tampering with records is an aggravated misdemeanor and could see the players face as up to two years in prison. Under NCAA rules, it’s likely that any players found guilty would also lose their eligibility status for a portion of the season.
In June of this year, The NCAA published new guidelines for the reinstatement of players following sports betting breaches. As Brock is accused of placing more than $800 in wagers, his case would fall outside the parameters set for reinstatement. As a result, his case and ineligibility for games would be decided on by an NCAA panel.
Sports betting breaches continue
The case brought against Iowa State players is just one in a long line of investigations into sports betting breaches by both college and professional athletes.
In May, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), which oversees the regulation of the state’s sports betting industry, informed sportsbooks to pause betting on all college baseball games involving the University of Alabama. The OCCC made the decision as a result of suspicious betting activity during the Crimson Tide’s game against LSU. The following investigation prompted the dismissal of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon.
In July, the NFL suspended Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike for violating the league’s gambling policy. Uwazurike became the ninth player banned for sports betting breaches in 2023.
2023 has also seen several players released including the Detroit Lions’ Quintez Cephus, CJ Moore and Stanley Berryhill after they were banned following betting breaches in April. The Indianapolis Colts also released Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry following their bans for the 2023 season. Meanwhile Tennessee Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended for betting on other sports when at the team facility.
Iowa State University Statement
On Tuesday, August 22nd, Iowa State University released the following statement:
“The University of Iowa and the UI Athletics Department have been working cooperatively with the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) staff to determine the eligibility of student-athletes who were involved in sports wagering. The institution has received the SAR determinations for the 11 individuals who are current student-athletes. Because this information is protected through the Family Education Right and Privacy Act (FERPA), specific information will only be released once we have received the student’s consent.NCAA guidelines set forth a process for an appeal of the SAR staff’s decision.
Image credit: GoIowaState.com / CC BY-SA 2.0
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.