The normally placid state of Iowa has become ground zero for an ever-expanding sports betting scandal that’s drawn in more than 26 athletes from 5 different sports. As the scandal unfolds, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz has weighed on the subject with some strong words for players who bet on their own teams, as well as the NCAA’s handling of the affair.
Ferentz addressed reporters on Friday to discuss the team’s gambling issues and pulled no punches – especially when it comes players betting on their team. “I think the key point there is betting on our games, and that is, to me, it’s a deal breaker if that is, in fact, proven to be true. So, we’ll deal with that when we get there. But, I think as we move forward, I think, at least in my opinion, it’s been a learning process,” he said in comments reported on by ESPN.com.
While it’s nice that Ferentz thinks betting on your own team should be a “deal breaker” because the NCAA (and almost everyone else with an opinion that matters) thinks the exact same thing.
Ferentz also suggested that Iowa football is being held to a different standard than other D-1 teams saying that it’s “interesting” that only Iowa and Iowa State have been hit with investigations like this. “I’m not excusing anybody that’s involved,” he added.
With the college football season just a few weeks away, it seems almost certain that the state of Iowa will not be the only state whose colleges endure a player betting scandal this season.