Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands says right questions are not being asked about sports wagering investigation

IOWA CITY — Iowa men’s wrestling coach Tom Brands expressed his curiosity of the sports wagering investigation that has impacted multiple sports at the University of Iowa and rival Iowa State.

He wondered why questions haven’t been directed toward the initiators of the probe that singled out those two institutions.

“The questions that are being asked should be different,” said Brands, noting NCAA leadership called sports wagering among 56 percent of college male athletes an epidemic on campuses nationwide. “The questions that should be asked should talk about why University of Iowa and Iowa State was targeted only.”

The NCAA ruled last week that it was amending sports wagering penalties, shifting a possible permanent loss of eligibility to sitting out and losing that season of eligibility for betting on other teams at their own school. Iowa and Iowa State’s wrestling lineups have been affected by the ruling, losing multiple starters.

Brands said he still holds the wrestlers accountable for their actions and doesn’t absolve them but that questions need to be directed to the appropriate people, getting to the origin of the investigation.

“These guys didn’t lie,” Brands said during his team’s weekly media availability at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “They didn’t cheat. They did nothing illegal. A 21-year-old can gamble. A 21-year-old is a junior in college. A one-year ban is a death sentence (for eligibility) most of the time.”

Brands added, “Are we afraid if we roll through a stop sign that the Department of Justice is going to have someone on our tail if we talk like this? You know what? It’s time to bring attention to that it was Iowa State University and the University of Iowa and it was targeted unfairly, and maybe illegally. Maybe. Maybe. Those questions aren’t being asked.

“You are to blame also. People (Media) in this room are to blame.”

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Iowa State Coach Kevin Dresser held his weekly media availability Tuesday. He was more sympathetic toward the NCAA but also questioned the reasoning about the investigation.

“To me, the biggest question is who in Des Moines decided to get this thing going and why,” Dresser said. “We haven’t really heard those answers. That’s what I really want to know is why we are in this. Why are Iowa and Iowa State athletes the only ones in this? It just seems very confusing to me as to why this even happened. We don’t seem to get a lot of answers in that respect.”

Many had hoped the punishment would fit the crime, especially for those who didn’t gamble on their own programs and didn’t break laws. Educating student athletes on the dangers of sports wagering was considered as an option but the NCAA resorted to the loss of eligibility for a season.

The NCAA has acknowledged that sports gambling is a problem. Brands said they need to modernize the penalty. He said a rift between NCAA leadership and membership has caused greater differences in action. Student athletes are dealing with the effects.

“They’re fighting amongst themselves,” Brands said. “It’s gridlock politics.”

A concession was made to allow suspended athletes to compete in open tournaments. Brands said that it was irrelevant because wrestlers are still missing out on a season, which is significant since they only get four to five years of eligibility.

Brands praised the Iowa administration for their support through the entire ordeal. He also credited the team for sticking together. Now, they control what they can control and move forward.

“We love all our guys,” Brands said. “No one has quit. In fact, we have two appeals, yet. No one has quit.

“Early May we found out. We didn’t quit then. We didn’t give up. We didn’t hope for the best. We went out and recruited some fricking awesome transfers that make us better. We never quit. We went on to the next thing. We didn’t quit on our guys either.”

Iowa (1-0) will host No. 16 Oregon State (3-0) in its home opener Sunday at noon (B1G+).

“We’re fired up to get in front of our fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” Brands said. “It’s our home opener. It’s noon Sunday and we’re sold out.”