Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has denied participating in sports betting, calling the descriptions of payments on his Venmo account “inside jokes.” Mateer stated that he never bet on college football or other sports, despite two transactions from 2022 suggesting otherwise. The transactions referenced a USC-UCLA football game and were sent to Richard Roaten, who is also the twin brother of Mateer’s offensive lineman teammate Landon Roaten.
Oklahoma Athletics has stated that it provides education on sports gambling and utilizes industry-standard monitoring services to ensure compliance with NCAA rules. The athletic department claims to be unaware of any NCAA investigation into Mateer. However, the NCAA’s handling of sports betting-related discipline for athletes has been a subject of controversy in recent years.
In 2023, over two dozen athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were caught up in a gambling sting that resulted in lost eligibility for some. The NCAA has taken steps to reduce penalties for athletes involved in sports betting, including introducing a proposal allowing college athletes to bet on pro sports where legal. However, the ban on college sports betting remains in place.
Mateer transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this offseason and is expected to be a key player in the upcoming season.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6548749/2025/08/12/john-mateer-oklahoma-venmo-gambling