Texas Longhorns Members Spent $15K on PrizePicks Bets

The Texas Longhorns, a professional US football team, has found itself in trouble after five of its members violated the NCAA’s rules. According to the announcement, the people in question spent thousands of dollars on a daily fantasy sports app, despite being prohibited from doing so.

Five People Engaged in Fantasy Sports

As it turns out, the University of Texas’s Athletics Department self-reported five people for violations of the NCAA rules. According to the report, five members of the Texas Longhorns, including two athletes, spent a collective total of $15,000 on a daily fantasy sports app.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, the platform of choice of these players was PrizePicks, a popular American daily fantasy sports operator.

For context, sports insiders, which include athletes, coaches and supporting staff, are prohibited from placing wagers on their sports or engaging with daily fantasy sports competitions because of integrity concerns. People closely tied to a sport may have access to insider information that would provide them with an edge when playing such games. In addition, insider betting and DFS gaming set up the ground for match-fixing, undermining trust in both sports and gaming.

One of the Athletes Is Receiving Gambling Addiction Treatment

As mentioned, two of the violators were athletes who had spent thousands of dollars on PrizePicks. One of them was forced to donate their winnings to charity. The other one, who has reportedly spent $9,600 of the total money, left the team and is currently being treated for problem gambling.

The identities of the two players were not announced officially.

In the meantime, the remaining three people included a student assistant who wagered money on his own team, exacerbating the violation. The assistant has since been removed from their position.

Not a Unique Case

Unfortunately, the Longhorns are not the only team to be involved in betting. In 2024 alone, the NCAA received roughly 100 self-reported violations.

In February Fresno State basketball athletes were suspended over potential betting offenses. These included Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins from the men’s basketball team. At the same time, Mykell Robinson, another college athlete, was allegedly removed from the roster for similar reasons.

In October 2024, Hysier Miller, a player from the Virginia Tech Hokies men’s basketball team was dismissed for similar reasons. The athlete, who served as a guard for the team, was suspected of wagering on games and undermining the integrity of the sport.