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On Friday, Sports Illustrated reported that one Indiana man was at the center of college sports betting improprieties that led to the firings of University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon and two coaches on the University of Cincinnati baseball staff.
Bert Eugene Neff Jr., the father of Bearcats pitcher Andrew Neff, apparently placed the bets that led to an investigation around the April 28 Alabama-LSU game. According to the story, Bert Neff wagered on the game in question at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park while in communication with Bohannan.
Alabama announced May 4 that it had fired Bohannon, and the Crimson Tide were eliminated from the SEC Tournament Saturday after a 9-2 loss to Vanderbilt. The Field of 64 for the College World Series will be announced Monday at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
With regard to Cincinnati, it’s not clear if Neff bet on Cincinnati baseball games, but the university fired assistant coach Kyle Sprague and operations director Andy Nagle on May 17. According to Sports Illustrated, both were aware of the Neff’s gambling but did not report it. Cincinnati administrators began investigating the situation on May 8, and the terminations were made public on May 24.
Neff’s son does not appear to be involved in any wrongdoing. Cincinnati was officially eliminated from postseason play last week after a loss to East Carolina in the American Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
Pro, college investigations everywhere
The college baseball situation is the latest this year involving professional or college athletes or staff.
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The NFL suspended five players for violating its gambling policy in April, while Iowa regulators and law enforcement opened an investigation in early May around suspected illegal gambling activity at both the University of Iowa and Iowa State. And last week, The Athletic reported that a sixth NFL player is under investigation. To date, no criminal charges have been filed in Iowa, and it’s unclear if any regulations — either NCAA or Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission — were violated.
Bert Eugene Neff Jr. was the one on the phone with former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon and placed the bets in Cincinnati on UA-LSU in late April that got flagged, source with knowledge of situation confirms to @tuscaloosanews. SI was first to report
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) May 26, 2023
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Bert Neff, who played college ball at Indiana and Louisville, also played in the minors for one season in 1995. He remained involved in baseball after his playing days and is listed as the coach of the Indiana Elite 15U Black team.
After the Ohio Casino Control Commission was alerted to suspicious wagering on the April 28 Alabama-LSU game, it halted betting on Crimson Tide games within Buckeye State borders. According to reports, the suspicious activity involved a parlay and an unusual moneyline bet.
U.S. Integrity flagged the activity, which reportedly was only related to Alabama’s baseball team. Days later, regulators in New Jersey and Pennsylvania halted wagering on Crimson Tide games, and multiple operators pulled Alabama baseball from their offerings.
According to a 2017 police blotter published in the Reporter-Times, Neff was once booked into jail for domestic violence. Neff’s LinkedIn page has been removed, there are no posts on his Facebook page, and he either doesn’t have or has terminated his presence on Twitter.
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