Oklahoma Sooners QB John Mateer says sports-gambling references on Venmo were 'inside jokes'
John Mateer seems to have fallen into the second category: The Oklahoma Sooners quarterback is now on defense regarding NCAA policy about student-athletes and sports betting.
Screenshots of Venmo transactions the QB made in 2022 began circulating Monday on social media. They appear to show that Mateer, then a Washington State freshman, wrote "sports gambling" to describe two separate payments to the same individual. The amounts were undisclosed.
Read more: The highs, lows and terrible in-betweens of a compulsive sports gambler
One of those descriptions included in "UCLA vs USC" in parentheses. The Trojans defeated the Bruins 48-45 on Nov. 19, 2022, the day before both Venmo payments were allegedly made.
Current NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from engaging in sports betting at any level, although a proposal is being considered that would permit gambling on professional sports only.
Mateer released a statement Tuesday indicating that he had written those words in jest.
"The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.
Read more: Granderson: Sports gambling is coming, and it'll be even worse than you think
"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 Athletics said in a statement that its student-athletes receive ongoing education on matters related to sports gambling and that it uses a service that provides comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities.
"OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern," the department said. "OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending."
Mateer played three seasons at Washington State, including the past two as the Cougars' starting quarterback, before transferring to Oklahoma this offseason.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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