Iowa State Athletics releases statement on sports wagering allegations involving 15 student-athletes

15 Iowa State student-athletes have been found to be involved in allegations involving online sports gambling. The school’s athletics program has found them to be in violation of NCAA rules and guidelines.

The Cyclone student-athletes involved have not been identified, but the university released a statement on the matter just hours after the Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team was announced to be under investigation by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

“lowa State University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is aware of online sports wagering allegations involving approximately 15 of our active student-athletes from the sports of football, wrestling and track & field in violation of NCAA rules,” Iowa State Athletics wrote in a statement. “The university has notified the NCAA and will take the appropriate actions to resolve these issues.”

It’s unknown if the two instances are in connection with each other as of this report, but several of the Hawkeye baseball players will not be playing in this weekend’s series against Michigan State.

These two instances of sports wagering aren’t lone offenses. There’s been a recent flood of NCAA rule violations based around college athletics that has seen both athletes and coaches dismissed from their respective programs.

The most high-profile of which came after the Alabama baseball team fired head coach Brad Bohannon in connection with a betting scandal involving two “suspicious bets” made for a baseball game between LSU and Alabama at the Sportsbook inside the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Both the SEC commission Greg Sankey and Alabama released public statements about the baseball betting investigation, with Sankey outlining concerns about competitive integrity.

“We are aware of reports related to the suspension of wagering on Alabama baseball games,” Sankey said. “We will continue to monitor available information and any regulatory activity.

“As many states have acted to legalize sports gambling, we are reminded of the threats gambling may pose to competitive integrity. Together with our member universities, we will continue to emphasize the importance of regulating, overseeing, and providing education related to sports gambling activity.”

It’s not just college sports that have been rocked by these sports betting scandals, it’s happening at the pro level, too. Five NFL players were penalized for betting on games, some on the NFL, and were found in violation of league gambling policies as well. Multiple players lost their spots on the roster and some were suspended as long as a full calendar year. There’s no telling where the next allegations will come from next.