Oklahoma QB Mateer denies gambling allegations after Venmo transactions surface
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer was placed into the social media spotlight Monday night after alleged screenshots of his Venmo transactions dated back to 2022, referencing "Sports gambling."
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Mateer has since denied "consistently" to OU officials ever being involved with any gambling.
Under NCAA rules, college athletes are barred from engaging in betting on any sport under the organization. Any athlete caught being involved in betting could face losing their eligibility to compete.
Mateer entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2024 season, transferring from Washington State before committing to the University of Oklahoma.
He began his college career as a redshirt freshman for the Cougars, appearing in one game. Mateer would stay with Washington State until after the 2024 season, where he passed for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, while also rushing for 826 yards with 15 touchdowns during that season.
The alleged Venmo transactions show the date "November 20, 2022," with the memos saying "Sports Gambling" and "Sports Gambling (UCLA vs USC)."
On November 19, 2022, the USC Trojans faced off against the UCLA Bruins in a rivalry football game, where USC came out on top, 48-45.
Officials with the school say they are aware of Mateer's Venmo activity that has surfaced in screenshots around social media and are looking into the situation. They plan to be "proactive and exhaust every avenue," according to Thamel.
Social media expert Patrick Allmond says this case can serve as a lesson to everyone.
"You really have to be careful about everything you do online," Allmond said. "It looks to me like he was intending a joke, but this joke is not going to go over very well."
He adds, such posts make it harder to prove a person or athlete's innocence.
"It's really hard to disprove that once it's out there," Allmond said. "The athlete's word against the authorities' word."
Allmond says his message is clear, regardless of the app: once you post something, consider it permanent.
In Mateer's case, he says it gives opposing fans and players something to use against him and OU.
"Competitive schools are going to bring this up," Allmond said. "They're going to take this screenshot, save it forever, and they're waiting to use it."
Mateer released the following statement on social media Tuesday afternoon.
The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false. 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.
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer via X.
News 4 reached out to OU Athletics on Tuesday regarding the allegations, and they provided the following statement.
OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters related to sports gambling. The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities. OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern. OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.
OU Athletics spokesperson