A youth-league baseball coach is the center of the University of Alabama baseball scandal that shook the legal sports betting world in the spring.
According to a report from SI.com, Bert Neff Jr. attempted to place a wager of more than $100,000 on LSU at the BetMGM Sportsbook inside the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio, after communicating with then-Crimson Tide head coach and LSU opponent Brad Bohannon on April 28.
Suspicious betting
That set off plenty of alarms as it was more than the sportsbook’s handle on all sports for the entire month. The sportsbook declined to accept the bet, as Neff was adamant about placing the wager and even told ticket writers that he had inside information, according to the report.
“It couldn’t have been any more reckless," a source told SI.com.
Security cameras confirmed that Neff was texting Bohannon on an encrypted app and was told by the head coach that starting pitcher Luke Holman was scratched because of a back injury.
The sportsbook informed U.S. Integrity, a firm that partners with sports leagues and sports betting operators to make sure competition is fair and transparent. It notified the Southeastern Conference and the Ohio Casino Control Commission, which prohibited sportsbooks in the state to allow Alabama baseball wagering.
Bohannon was fired on May 4 after the university discovered his involvement, which included being a part of a text group with Neff and other gambling associates, according to the report.
Ongoing investigations
Neff built contacts in the college baseball world through his connections with youth coaching and recruiting, and he’s also at the center of other betting scandals. Some of his associates are under investigation by the Indiana Gaming Commission, according to the report, for attempting to place wagers on the LSU-Alabama game on the same day in Neff’s home state.
Two University of Cincinnati baseball assistants were fired earlier this year reportedly because of connections with Neff, whose son Andrew plays for the Bearcats. Head coach Scott Googins resigned on May 31 following an investigation.
That’s not all. Neff is believed to be at the forefront of an NCAA investigation at Xavier University. While the college athletics governing body refused to comment on any investigations, SI.com sources say Neff’s relationships with coaches inside that program are being looked into as well.
Cracking down
With legal sports growing throughout the country, both college and pro athletes have been involved in wagering and violating policies from their governing bodies.
The NFL has suspended nine players, including four on June 29, for various amounts of games in 2023 for gambling inside team facilities. No game manipulation was found in the NFL’s investigations.
While no players at LSU, Alabama, Cincinnati, or Xavier have been implicated in any improprieties surrounding Neff’s involvements, athletes from various sports at Iowa and Iowa State are under NCAA and state investigations for placing wagers.
However, the NCAA is revamping its punishment to add discipline levels for wagering on players’ own teams, opponents, and amounts wagered.
