University of Cincinnati Baseball Next Up to the Plate Against “NCAA Infractions”

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

In the thick of a university review that began on May 8th, the University of Cincinnati baseball team fired two staff members due to potential “NCAA infractions” earlier this week  – parting ways with assistant coach Kyle Sprague and director of operations Andy Nagel.

The sports betting market is growing at a rapid pace, and now that the idea of placing wagers is becoming more normalized each and every day, it’s crucial to take the necessary steps and precautions to ensure the integrity of sporting events on all levels. 

Three universities have already fallen victim to gambling controversies this month, and while some of the details remain foggy in this particular instance, it looks like Cincinnati is next up to the plate against collegiate sports wagering policies.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission “is aware of the university's decision to relieve two individuals associated with the baseball program of their duties,” according to Director of Communications, Jessica Franks, who added that “the University of Cincinnati is not under investigation by the Commission.”

The University of Cincinnati and affiliated sportsbooks did not respond to requests for comment made by the Action Network inquiring as to whether the infractions specifically involved gambling.

NCAA regulations prohibit collegiate athletes and staff members from gambling on any event operated by the NCAA. That includes wagers in any country, across all divisions – and the rules draw a much thicker line in the sand than simply prohibiting the placement of bets. 

The NCAA also puts limitations on the spread of insider information, which has already led some states to place restrictions on bettors when it comes to betting on local sporting events – but for the time being, gambling on in-state schools is fair game in the state of Ohio.

Fox19, a local TV station in Ohio close to the situation, reported that Sprague and Nagel didn’t actually place any bets. The report explains that a parent connected to a player on the team placed a wager and then informed Sprague and Nagel about it. The officials were then fired after failing to report the betting activity to any relevant authorities. 

Updated on 04/19/2024

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Sports gambling has taken the world by storm in recent years, and as a result, several questions and concerns have been raised regarding the integrity of betting on amateur sporting events.

Iowa and Iowa State are currently under investigation by state officials after several dozen student-athletes may have violated the NCAA’s gambling policies, the Action Network’s Darren Rovell first reported on May 8. And just a few days before the Iowa and Iowa State news broke, Alabama dismissed head baseball coach Brad Bohannon due to his potential connection to suspicious betting activity in Ohio.

In Alabama’s case, a bettor in Ohio was talking to Bohannonon on the phone when he made the decision to scratch Alabama’s best starting pitcher, the Action Network reported first on May 5. The bettor in Ohio then placed two large wagers on the opposing team despite the game being slated to begin just a few hours later.

Alabama then lost the contest by a score of 8-6, in turn, leading to an independent organization filing a report to state gaming commissions across the country indicating potential misconduct.

In the world that we live in today, there’s no easy solution for this type of issue. Some states simply don’t allow bettors to place wagers on local college sporting events, while others continue to add rules and regulations as they battle through the early days of an exploding market.

Ohio has incredibly lenient policies when it comes to college sports betting, and it’s tough to imagine a scenario in which they eventually stamp a full fledged ban on local amateur sports wagers given the fact that 14 Division I schools are located within Ohio’s boundaries, plus a huge chunk of its betting handle hinged on schools such as the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State.

The integrity of our sporting events must always trump the opportunity for financial gain, though. So, don’t rule out anything quite yet.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson