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One of last week's biggest stories was what happened with new Oklahoma football transfer quarterback John Mateer. He was a massive pickup from the portal after the Sooners needed help on offense, and they lured his offensive coordinator from Washington State to Norman. This week was all about the potential that he might have gambled on college football as an active player.
Earlier in the week, John Mateer's Venmo history went viral online because the purchases explicitly said “sports gambling” in two different areas, with one listing a specific game: UCLA vs. USC in 2022. Oklahoma football head coach Brent Venables addressed the whole situation for the first time on Friday at practice and said that he trusts what Mateer noted when he addressed it and understands the seriousness of the problem.
“I think – and I don’t want to speak for him. But, in his mind, there was nothing to be seen here,” Venables said. “So, you know, thankful for the powers that be that got us to a good place quickly.
“He’s a light-hearted guy. He’s focused and serious when he needs to. I think he recognizes – He’d be the first one to tell you the enormity of, maybe, of what, you know, the implications could have been had he, you know, not followed the NCAA rules years ago, whatever. But, you know.”
Venables also addressed a question about the rules involved with the NCAA and gambling and stressed the importance of taking care with social media. He said they have had those conversations and will continue after this week.
“You know, we already did that several weeks ago. But, they’re kids, you know, in many ways, and you’ve got to continue to educate non-stop, you know, as far as the rules and expectations, for sure,” Venables said.
John Mateer addressed the situation on Tuesday after the screenshots went viral on Monday. He said it was a joke between teammates, and he would never do it because of the seriousness of the allegation.
“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer posted on social media. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question, but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. 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.”
