Two University of Cincinnati baseball staffers fired due to potential gambling infractions

The school’s Director of Baseball Operations and Assistant Coach have been dismissed after internal review.

The University of Cincinnati has announced the dismissal of both its Director of Baseball Operations, Andy Nagel, and Assistant Coach, Kyle Sprague. Though the pair were let go on May 17 after potential gambling infractions, the university made the official announcement on the 24th.

Both of the Bearcats’ team faculty members were under investigation for breaches of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) policies. While the university has not officially clarified the nature of these infractions, the Cincinnati Enquirer was told that neither man had bet on their own team’s games.

Sprague had been with the team since 2017, as a hitting and infield coach, while Nagel started his career with the university’s baseball department in 2015, after years of high school baseball coaching.

Cincinnati said in a statement, “On May 8, University of Cincinnati Athletics began an internal review of potential NCAA infractions involving the baseball program. Although the review is ongoing, Sprague and Nagel have been dismissed based on initial findings. UC is cooperating with the NCAA in this matter.”

The investigation is still ongoing and the university has not provided any further comment on the Bearcats’ believed betting behavior. The Bearcats was also defeated in an elimination game yesterday at the 2023 American Baseball Championship by the East Carolina Pirates.

Recently, five NFL players were suspended for violation of gambling policies, which are still under investigation as well. With sports betting’s popularity on the rise in the US, both the American Gaming Association (AGA) and NCAA have a lot of work to do. However, the AGA has also recently enhanced college-aged protections for sports wagering.

Stephanie Feeley

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