How UTEP, NCAA schools educate student-athletes about gambling
UTEP, which lost three men’s basketball players for gambling, said it regularly educates its student-athletes about the dangers of gambling and the stiff penalties for violations.
The NCAA and UTEP do a lot to make sure players know the price of gambling is a year’s suspension plus losing a year of eligibility.
In the NCAA video called “Don’t Bet On It,” shown to student-athletes across the country, including at UTEP, at least once a year, it spells out the rules about gambling.
Student-athletes may not place a bet on any sort of college or professional sports events where the NCAA conducts a championship and you may not give information to anyone who does place bets on college or professional sports.
The video includes warnings from FBI agents who are former student-athletes.
“I think young people have a misconception that sports gambling is not really illegal,” said FBI Special Agent Vonda Basso. “Sports gambling is illegal in every state of the union except Nevada.”
“It’s just a matter of when you’re caught and how you’re caught and who’s caught first,” said FBI Special Agent Connally Brown. “I’ll tell you the first person who’s caught in this organization is probably going to tell on everyone else.”
UTEP Executive Vice President Richard Adauto said UTEP coach Tim Floyd received information that UTEP junior guards McKenzie Moore and Jalen Ragland were betting on games. The FBI later indicated to UTEP that senior guard Justin Crosgile was also involved.
ABC-7 asked UTEP officials whether they were betting on professional or college games.
“That I can’t help you with,” Adauto said. “The FBI is in the middle of that. But it’s an NCAA violation to bet and gamble.”
Floyd and athletic director Bob Stull said student-athletes are often warned about the dangers of gambling.
“Twice a year our compliance director meets with our student-athletes and tell them about the downfalls of gambling and that their eligibility would be at stake,” Floyd said.
“We have also in the past brought in speakers to talk specifically about gambling,” Stull said. “We have one coming in this spring.”
“Our players were informed and that’s an ongoing education process,” Floyd added. “Hopefully as a result of what we’re doing we’ll help other student-athletes on our campus and other campuses understand the pitfalls of gambling on any athletic event.”
The NCAA has gambling rules to protect the integrity of the game and keep student-athletes away from gamblers who could influence them to fix games. UTEP says the FBI found no indication the players were betting on their own games or involved in any kind of point shaving.
