Oklahoma Quarterback John Mateer denies involvement in sports betting
Oklahoma Quarterback John Mateer Denies Alleged Gambling Activity
John Mateer, the starting quarterback for Oklahoma, has vehemently denied any involvement in sports gambling following allegations that surfaced earlier this week. The controversy stems from screenshots of transactions on Mateer's Venmo account from his freshman season at Washington State in 2022, which reportedly showed "sports gambling" in the memo field.
The transactions, which allegedly involved one of Mateer's teammates, raised questions about potential violations of NCAA rules, which prohibit athletes from gambling on any sport they sponsor. Mateer, however, has described the Venmo descriptions as misunderstood jokes and assured teammates, coaches, and NCAA officials that he has not participated in sports betting.
Oklahoma and Mateer have both issued statements regarding the matter. The University of Oklahoma is taking the allegations seriously and has opened an investigation. They also stated they provide ongoing education on sports gambling and use monitoring services to detect violations, cooperating fully with the NCAA.
Mateer, who transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this past offseason, is scheduled to begin the season at home against Illinois State on Aug. 30. The Sooners, with Mateer as the starting quarterback, are ranked 18th in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The NCAA prohibits betting on any collegiate sports, and potential penalties for such actions range up to a loss of eligibility. No official NCAA penalties or outcomes from the investigation have been announced yet. The situation remains under review by Oklahoma and the NCAA.
Meanwhile, the other quarterbacks on Oklahoma's depth chart are sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., Mercer transfer Whitt Newbauer, and three-star freshman Jett Niu. During his tenure at Washington State, Mateer passed for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games.
ESPN reported that Mateer has denied any involvement in gambling to officials at Oklahoma. The investigation into Mateer's alleged sports gambling is ongoing, being conducted by Oklahoma officials. The latest update on the matter is that Mateer has vehemently denied ever betting on sports, calling the Venmo transaction memos referencing "sports gambling" from 2022 an "inside joke" between friends, not actual bets. Mateer emphasized that the allegations are false and that he has never engaged in sports gambling.
[1] ESPN [2] Sports Illustrated [3] The Oklahoman [4] USA Today [5] The Daily O'Collegian
- The ongoing investigation into Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer's alleged sports gambling involves transactions on his Venmo account from his freshman season at Washington State in 2022.
- Mateer has been quoted as saying that the Venmo descriptions, which reportedly showed "sports gambling" in the memo field, were misunderstood jokes and that he has not participated in sports betting.
- The NCAA's rules prohibit athletes from gambling on any sport they sponsor, and potential penalties range up to a loss of eligibility.
- Okalhoma officials have stated that they are cooperating fully with the NCAA in their investigation and provide ongoing education on sports gambling and use monitoring services to detect violations.
