Purdue continues to educate about perils of sports wagering in wake of Iowa investigation
Recent news that athletes at Iowa and Iowa State are under investigation for wagering on sports in violation of NCAA rules rocked athletic departments from coast-to-coast.
“We do our best to educate and inform on a regular basis,” said Purdue A.D. Mike Bobinski. “We didn’t wait for this (Iowa/Iowa State incident). We’ve been doing it on a regular basis. Doesn’t guarantee 100 percent safety and security. But about the best you can do is really try and keep the message out there as often as you possibly can.”
Like every school, Purdue does all it can to educate athletes, coaches and staff about NCAA rules surrounding gambling, which has become ubiquitous since wagering on sports became legal in Indiana in September 2019.
NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and staff from betting on amateur, collegiate and professional sports in which the NCAA conducts a championship. To wit, athletes can’t bet on NBA games even if state laws would legally allow them to do so if they weren’t competing under NCAA rules.
Athletes caught gambling are subject to losing eligibility.
“This provided not just us, but I’m sure every athletic program in the country, one more opportunity to get in front of your athletes and your coaches and your staff and say, ‘Hey, folks, just one more time, let us be clear about what the guidelines are because nobody wants to get themselves in hot water over something like this,’ ” said Bobinski.
In addition to the investigations in the state of Iowa, Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was dismissed this spring following a report of suspicious bets made involving his program.
“So, we have taken that opportunity, like everybody has, to reiterate,” said Bobinski. “But that’s been an ongoing thing. Our compliance team is great about making sure that stays in front of our folks on a regular basis.”
