Venmogate: Allegations against John Mateer will fade quickly, 'no big issue' for OU's season

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was the talk of the offseason, as expectations are sky high in Norman. However, a story surrounding Mateer took off on a different level Monday night into Tuesday morning. Dubbed Venmogate, screenshots were discovered of Mateer with “sports betting” in the caption.

Speculation circled about on how this could affect Mateer heading into 2025. If you ask Josh Pate, the answer is not much. He believes the story has run its course after statements were released by both Mateer and Oklahoma, denying the allegations, and saying no NCAA investigation is on deck.

“Real talk, I don’t think this is going to be a big issue,” Pate said via Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “You can think what you want about it, everyone’s got an opinion on it. I just don’t think it’s going to be a big issue and two weeks from now, I don’t think many people will be talking about it.”

Reports on Tuesday indicated a statement was coming from Mateer on the situation. But he was a little busy to start his day, being on the practice field. If nothing else, a good sign about how Oklahoma feels about Venmogate.

Eventually, Mateer did take to social media to clear his name. All of the Venmo captions used were something he called “inside jokes” before saying multiple times that no sports betting has ever taken place.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” John Mateer said. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have no engaged in any sports gambling.”

Mateer is entering his first season in Norman with Oklahoma. He was the prized quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason after a successful 2024 at Washington State. Miami made a push to land Mateer but ultimately, there was not much doubt about where he would land.

Aug. 30 marks the season opener for Oklahoma, hosting Illinois State. One week later will bring Michigan to town for one of the top nonconference games this year. Mateer is hoping to bring instant success to his new home, wanting to be in the College Football Playoff conversation.