Iowa investigator’s email says athlete gambling sting was a chance to impress higher-ups and public

By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

An Iowa criminal investigator suggested to colleagues last year that busting college athletes for online sports betting would impress the public and the powers that be. Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Christopher Adkins wrote in his February 2023 email that if players get suspended or lose scholarships, so be it. Attorneys for more than two dozen Iowa and Iowa State athletes caught in a 2023 gambling sting obtained Adkins’ email and 32 others through an open records request. The athletes filed a civil lawsuit against the state last week.