Casinos pull Citrus Bowl matchup between LSU, Purdue off the board due to Drew Brees

In a surprise turn of events, the state of New Jersey has halted betting on this year’s Citrus Bowl between the Purdue Boilermakers and LSU Tigers. And the reason lies with former Boilermakers quarterback and former Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees.

According to a recent report courtesy of ESPN, Brees is in violation of state regulations because of his business relationship with sportsbook PointsBet. The former NFL superstar was signed on as an interim coach for Purdue back on Dec. 15 for the bowl game.

In a notice issued by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement were instructions for the state’s sportsbook to halt accepting bets involving Purdue football. The notice did not name Brees directly but stated that an individual associated with the program was in violation of statute 5:12A-11 (f). That enactment prohibits athletes, coaches, referees, or directors of a sports governing body from having “any ownership interest in, control of, or otherwise be employed by an operator.”

The former New Orleans Saints star quarterback played for Purdue from 1997-2000. During that time, Brees would amass 11,792 passing yards with a 61.1 completion percentage. He would also graduate with a two-to-one interception-to-touchdown ratio, throwing 90 touchdowns to 45 interceptions. Brees would be drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, where he spent the first five years of his career before heading to New Orleans in the summer of 2006.

The State of New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has also taken a further precautionary step by voiding all wagers placed after Brees was hired. After Brees was brought on, the betting line moved from -11.5 for Purdue to -14.

Brees was named a brand ambassador for points a bit in June of 2021. In the deal points bet, which primary base of operation is in New Jersey, gave breeze and equity stake. It is worth noting that shortly after Brees was named an interim assistant coach, the two sides agreed to end their partnership.