The gambling investigation involving Iowa and Iowa State athletes took a dark turn Thursday when it was revealed one player bet against his own team in a game.
The Des Moines Register reported Thursday that four starters for the Cyclones 2022 team have been charged with tampering with records. The state of Iowa has been investigating illegal gambling activity by dozens of student-athletes at Iowa and Iowa State. The tampering charges involve using another person’s identity, such as a family member, to place bets undetected.
The players cited Thursday included defensive tackle Isaiah Lee, who allegedly placed a bet for Iowa State to lose a 2021 game against the Texas Longhorns.
NCAA rules on gambling are very strict, with athletes prohibited from betting on sports in any way. For example, college swimmers cannot join NFL fantasy football leagues that feature payouts.
So an NCAA player allegedly betting against his own team is a serious deal. However, it’s the second time in the last few days an athlete has been cited for such an act. Hawkeyes backup kicker Aaron Blom allegedly bet the under in points for the team’s 2021 game against the Cyclones.
Iowa investigators also charged Jirehl Brock, DeShawn Hanika and Jacob Remsburg. Brock, the Cyclones leading rusher last season with 445 yards, has not practiced with the team this fall, for undisclosed reasons.
Lee made one tackle in that Texas game, which Iowa State won, 30-7.
His status with the team is unclear, although a link to his bio page on the Iowa State Athletics website returned the message, “The page you are looking for no longer exists.” Brock’s page is still active, as are the pages for tight end Hanika and Remsburg, an offensive lineman.
