New findings in NCAA sanctions against Alabama and former head baseball coach Brad Bohannon revealed that Bohannon knowingly provided insider information to a gambler who bet against the Crimson Tide last spring, according to ESPN.
Bohannon was fired in May and failed to participate in the NCAA’s investigation into suspicious betting. The NCAA announced that Bohannon violated wagering and ethical conduct rules during the incident in the Alabama-LSU game. As a result, Bohannon received a 15-year show-cause order. If a school in the NCAA hires Bohannon, they must suspend him for “100% of baseball regular season for the first five seasons of his employment,” per ESPN.
Alabama received three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, and now must retain a firm to give comprehensive gambling education to Crimson Tide student-athletes, coaches, and athletic department administrators.
Bohannon messaged someone betting on an Alabama game in April 2023 that “[Student-athlete] is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell [the opposing team] … Hurry,” according to the NCAA.
That bettor – identified as Bert Eugene Neff – used the info to try and place a $100,000 bet on the game but was capped at $15,000 by the staff, according to the NCAA.
Alabama lost the game to LSU, 8-6, after scratching their starting pitcher.
Neff was named by gaming regulators as the suspected bettor and pled guilty Wednesday to federal obstruction charges. In a plea agreement, Neff admitted to passing the information along to at least four other gamblers. He is facing up to 10 years in prison and can get fined up to $250,000 for destroying evidence, tampering with witnesses, and providing false statements to the FBI, according to the plea agreement obtained by ESPN.
“Integrity of games is of the utmost importance to NCAA members, and the panel is deeply troubled by Bohannon’s unethical behavior,” said Vince Nicastro, the deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the Big East. Nicastro oversaw the panel that reviewed the case. “Coaches, student-athletes and administrators have access to information deemed valuable to those involved in betting. Improperly sharing that information for purposes of sports betting cuts to the heart of the honesty and sportsmanship we expect of our members and is particularly egregious when shared by those who have the ability to influence the outcome of games.”
Bohannon was banned from Ohio sportsbooks on Nov. 15.
