Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer under scrutiny due to leaked Venmo transactions, suggesting potential sports betting involvement
John Mateer, the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback, is currently under investigation for alleged sports betting activities, following the surfacing of Venmo transactions from his freshman year at Washington State in 2022. The transactions, which were public as Mateer's privacy settings were not set to "Private" or "Friends Only," included remarks such as "sports gambling" and references to specific college sports games, such as UCLA vs. USC.
The controversy arose in 2025 when screenshots of these transactions surfaced, prompting an NCAA-related discussion. Mateer has since denied any involvement in betting activities, insisting that the descriptions were misleading humor and not actual bets. He acknowledged the seriousness of the issue but maintained his innocence, stating that he never engaged in sports betting.
The allegations against Mateer involve sports betting, a practice strictly prohibited by the NCAA for its athletes. However, as of August 2025, no formal NCAA penalty has been announced, and Oklahoma and NCAA sources have reportedly found no evidence to take action against Mateer.
The potential ban from college football for Mateer would be due to the alleged sports betting activities. Punishment for such violations often depends on the size and frequency of bets, as well as any integrity concerns. In this case, the suspicions were fueled solely by transaction descriptions on Venmo, and no concrete evidence of actual sports betting was substantiated. Mateer deleted his Venmo history amid the public scrutiny, further complicating verification of the transactions' nature.
Some people on social media have speculated that Mateer may have been joking with the payment descriptions. However, the recipient of the transactions was Richard Roaten, a former teammate of Mateer's on the Washington State Cougars. The investigation into Mateer's alleged sports betting activities is ongoing.
John Mateer's performance as an Oklahoma Sooners quarterback has not had a strong start. A suspension for Mateer would be a significant setback for both him and his team, as he is considered one of the best quarterback transfers during the offseason.
The two Venmo payments in question are related to college sports games. If the NCAA investigates the matter and finds the payments to be legitimate, Mateer could potentially face a ban from college football. However, as of now, Mateer has not officially violated NCAA rules with these allegations, and the matter appears resolved with no disciplinary action reported.
[1] NCAA Sports [2] ESPN [3] Sports Illustrated [4] Oklahoma Daily [5] Yahoo Sports
- Despite the ongoing investigation by the NCAA, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer has not yet been officially accused of violating sports betting rules regarding college football games, as reported by NCAA Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Oklahoma Daily, and Yahoo Sports.
- The controversy surrounding John Mateer stems from two Venmo payments involving college sports games, which have led to sports betting speculation, as reported by NCAA Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Oklahoma Daily, and Yahoo Sports.
