Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer denied any wrongdoing in a case of alleged illegal sports betting activity that could result in a loss of NCAA eligibility.
On Monday night, images of transactions from Mateer’s supposed Venmo account indicated he made two payments for “Sports gambling” and “Sports gambling (UCLA vs USC)” in 2022 during his first year with Washington State. Mateer’s Venmo account transactions were later scrubbed.
The star quarterback, who is expected to contend for the Heisman trophy this season, posted on his social media accounts on Tuesday that the transaction descriptions were real, but that they were only jokes.
A poor choice of words?
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Oklahoma had been made aware of the allegations, but that Mateer “consistently denied” any involvement with illegal sports betting.
The NCAA’s code of conduct strictly forbids student-athletes from participating in professional or amateur sports betting. Mateer also didn’t meet Washington’s legal gambling age, 21, when the transactions occurred.
According to a set of punishment standards implemented last year, the NCAA matches a student-athlete’s dollar amount wagered to a percentage-based loss of eligibility. In 2022, when the transactions happened, the body was much quicker to implement season-long or total losses of eligibility.
Mateer posted on his X account that it was a joke.
"The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false. 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 not engaged in any sports gambling.”
Oklahoma also released a statement that claimed it did not expect an NCAA investigation to ensue.
“OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters related to sports gambling. The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities.
“OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern. OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”
What outcome awaits Mateer?
Mateer was the top-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal during the last offseason, eventually making the move from Pullman to Norman. He finished last year with 3,139 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 826 rushing yards, and 15 rushing touchdowns.
Even if he was guilty of illegal gambling, an investigation would be difficult to prove it due to the apparent lack of concrete evidence. Mateer wouldn’t have been allowed to create a sportsbook account due to his age, and Washington’s online sports betting market is limited to the campuses of tribal casinos that he also would’ve been denied from due to his age.
That implies that any betting would’ve gone through an illegal bookmaker. While legal sportsbooks keep detailed transaction logs, individual bookies make a paper trail difficult to establish.
That said, there’s still suspicion surrounding the transactions. While Mateer claims they were only an inside joke, the mention of a UCLA-USC matchup appears to reference a real event. The transaction was dated Nov. 20, 2022, one day after Caleb Williams’ USC beat UCLA 48-45.
Anyone who is found guilty of illegal sports betting will be punished by the NCAA based on the following:
>$200 or less wagered: Sports wagering rules and prevention education
>$201-500: Loss of 10% eligibility for one season, plus education
>$501-800: Loss of 20% eligibility for one season, plus education
>$801+: Loss of at least 30% eligibility for one season, plus education
Mateer is 12th in odds to win the Heisman Trophy at FanDuel sportsbook (+2500). Oklahoma is ninth in odds to win the SEC (+2200) and has a projected total of over/under 7.5 wins.