Player’s parent tied to sports betting investigation with UC, Alabama: Source

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The parent of a University of Cincinnati baseball player is connected to a sports betting investigation involving UC and the University of Alabama, according to a source.

Bearcats Assistant Baseball Coach Kyle Sprague and Director of Operations Andy Nagel were fired by the university on May 17, UC announced Wednesday.

Sources said staff members knew the parent was betting on games and failed to report his actions, which led to their firing.

Multiple sources said that Sprague and Nagel did not gamble, however, the player’s parent was gambling and had conversations with the two men.

“The NCAA has long imposed this rule on coaches and administrators that if you know there is a violation, you must come forward with it as soon as possible,” explained sports betting expert and associate professor at the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University John Holden.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission said they are not investigating UC and are aware of the universities decision to fire Sprague and Nagel.

As to whether the parent was trying to impact the outcome of games, sources said multiple times that lineups were not changed and coaches did not make decisions to impact the outcome.

That same player’s parent is also connected to the investigation involving Alabama baseball, the source confirmed Friday.

The investigation led to the firing of Crimson Tide baseball coach Brad Bohannon.

April 28 surveillance video from the Great American Ball Park’s sportsbook shows a person placing bets while communicating with Bohannon, ESPN’s David Purdum wrote, citing multiple sources.

Bohannon was fired by the university following the May 4 report from ESPN.

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