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  • Greg WyshynskiAug 11, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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      Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

When Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk raised the Stanley Cup over his head for the second straight season, the on-ice celebration included two of the most important people in his life: Father Keith Tkachuk, who played 18 seasons in the NHL; and brother Brady Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators.

Keith was smoking cigars and hoisting the Cup with Matthew around the arena. Brady was holding a beer and diligently avoiding contact with the Cup, as superstition dictates that an NHL player should never touch it if they’ve never won it before.

The celebration was another memorable moment for the Tkachuk boys and their father. This month, another one arrived: The trio graces the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 Deluxe Edition.

“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” Brady Tkachuk said. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honor to be featured on the cover. Having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”

We spoke with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk recently about their video game history, the Panthers’ wild offseason, Brady’s future in Ottawa, Matthew’s health heading into next season and their thoughts on the new NHL collective bargaining agreement.

But first, we asked two of the first players named to the 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic ice hockey team about chasing gold. Responses were edited for length and clarity.

You guys became USA Hockey legends after the 4 Nations Face-Off, if you weren’t already. Obviously, the tournament did not end the way Americans wanted. Is winning Olympic gold in the 2026 Winter Games in Italy the ultimate revenge on our friends in Canada?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don’t even know if you look at it as revenge, but it’s been a long time coming since USA Hockey’s been at the top of the mountain. Canada’s owned the Olympics or World Cups or even the world championships, although we got that back a little bit this year. They’ve been the leader in all of that and the team that we’ve all been trying to knock off.

I don’t think it’d be as much as revenge than showing how far along USA Hockey has come. We’ve had some incredible players and national teams that we’ve looked up to our whole lives but that haven’t gotten the job done. So, not only would winning [gold] accomplish dreams for us, but hopefully it would bring a lot of satisfaction for those guys that paved the way for us.

Brady, you play in a Canadian city while trying to win Olympic gold for the Americans. What’s that dynamic like?

BRADY TKACHUK: Learning from experience, it’s a little bit of a different position to be in. All the people that support you on a day-to-day basis, now they don’t want you to win.

Your dream as kids is winning the Stanley Cup and winning a gold medal for your country. I know that’s always been our two main goals. But we got into hockey, and a lot of people got into hockey, from the 1980 Miracle on Ice. And now, we have an opportunity to pave the way for the next generation of kids in the U.S. that maybe wouldn’t be playing hockey if they didn’t get to experience USA Hockey in the Winter Olympics and potential gold medals.

There’s not just playing for ourselves in that locker room with that group, but you’re really playing for your country and you’re playing for the next generation of kids. And like Matthew said, you’re playing for the guys that have paved the way, that are to be so supportive and fired up to be watching.

You guys are NHL 26 cover athletes, along with your dad. We spoke to Keith recently, who reminisced about seeing the glow of a video game screen under the doors of your bedrooms, whether it was when you were younger or in Matt’s case, when he was playing in Calgary. What’s your brief history of playing video games together?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Yeah, we would play. I think during COVID was probably the last time I religiously played, and that was when we were all under one roof before I had my house in St. Louis. Brady and I played a lot. NHL is definitely one of them. I think Brady has played more throughout his life than I have, and that was one of the things that he was much better at than I am. So, I didn’t really play too much against him.

We played the game like how you’d probably expect us to play: Turn off all the penalties, make all the guys really big and fast. It was like prison rules NHL. So, it was a lot of fun.

BRADY TKACHUK: I honestly feel like we had a pretty religious routine. Right after school, if it was a nice day, out for roller hockey then dinner and then we were playing NHL. We try to sneak in a best-of-seven if it was early enough, but it was a lot of fun. Either we played together or most of the time, we’re playing together against each other and it was a ton of fun.

Now that you’re in the NHL, what is the level of interest or concern among the boys when it comes to their EA Sports ratings? Do they still care?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: We don’t talk about it too much. I know that there’s one day, maybe it might be at the beginning of the year, which I guess is coming up here soon, where you go over your rating or you guess another player’s rating. I think where they get pissed off is when you guess their rating and it’s way lower than their actual rating is.

You’ve got to be careful with who the sensitive guys are on the team because you don’t want that to actually affect them — and you never know if it might. Hockey players are proud athletes. You want to have a decent rating.

BRADY TKACHUK: I’m probably one of the guys that will just play a game as the Sens to see where my rating is at, to see how good my guy is. This version is exciting because it’s more individual-based. You can see within the game how I am in real life, and that’s really cool and unique.

These ratings are always fun. And to be honest with you, I don’t know what the rating is going into this year’s game. I know they give a midyear bump and that’s the goal: That hopefully I get a midyear bump because that means I’m playing well.

Matthew, your name was recently listed by the White House as being part of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joining names like Wayne Gretzky and Mariano Rivera. How did you get involved in that?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I’m not actually allowed to comment on that until it’s official yet. So, I have to wait on that a little bit. But I promise in a few weeks, if that comes true, I’ll answer that for you.

Let’s talk about something that did come true: The Florida Panthers somehow hanging on to Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand as free agents. How shocked were you that GM Bill Zito was able to pull that off?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I don’t know if I was shocked. I think at the time, as a player and more importantly as a friend, you’re more worried that one of your buddies is going to go elsewhere. At the end of the day, you want your teammates and your best buddies to be happy with whatever decision they make. So, if that’s chasing a ton of money or if that’s going to where they want to play, you just got to be happy for them.

The best part about those three is they all believe in what we’re doing in Florida. They want to live in Florida, they want to play on a good team, and they want to have a great group of players surrounding them.

Out of all of them, I was most confident in [Ekblad] staying the most. Just because he’s been a lifelong Florida Panther. I just think it was going to be impossible for him to leave. And then the other guys … I mean, this was a chance for them to cash in. You just didn’t know if it was going to be with us or not.

I was surprised, though, that they were all able to stay. I thought that with the way the money was tied up, you didn’t know if it was going to be possible — and somehow it was. Everybody was taken care of so well.

Bill did a great job of making sure it could happen. You want your best buddies to be rewarded with how great they played and how great they’ve been up to this point. I think they all got rewarded very well, and I’m just so excited to have a chance to hopefully run it back with them this year.

When did you know about Marchand? Was it when he was smoking cigars on the back of a golf cart outside of the Elbo Room? At some point, were you just convinced the guy liked it down there vs. leaving as a free agent?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Marchand, when he first got traded, I would’ve thought there was never a chance that we’re going to be able to keep everybody. As time goes on and you have success and you get to know guys and you get to know what their wants and desires are with the rest of their career — or where they want to live — you can start connecting the dots. People just don’t want to leave Florida when they come. I think that that is the case with them and everybody that’s been there.

The only time you’re going to see guys leave is if it’s such a crazy difference with money. Some of these guys that we’ve had the last few years have really cashed in with other teams, which we’re so happy to see. I think that’s really the only way you’re going to see guys go elsewhere.

We have too good of a thing going right now, and everybody wants to be a part of it.

Brady, your dad threw cold water on all the speculation about you leaving Ottawa when we spoke recently. How much did making the playoffs, showing the progress of the Senators, give you a sense of relief that maybe some of that speculation might go by the wayside now?

BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I think we really needed to make the playoffs to show everybody that we’re a team that’s capable of that, but also capable of doing more than just making the playoffs.

The last couple of years, it was kind of stagnant. We had high expectations and we didn’t quite accomplish what we needed to. And with that came doubt. But I think it showed with the steps that we took last year that we have a great hockey team. I think that we’re kind of just getting started with what we want to accomplish. Playoffs are great to get to, but that’s not our end goal. The sky’s the limit for our group.

I think [that success] helped with all the speculation. When things aren’t going well, people are always assuming or trying to think in my shoes. But I was kind of never really in that thought process. It was all about sticking it out. It’s been a long time coming, for not just our team but the city, to get into the playoffs. And I think it was really important to me to end that drought.

Through all that adversity that we faced with being the bottom five teams to finally get to the playoffs was an amazing feeling. But now that we got there, I think everybody wants a little bit more and wants to accomplish all of our childhood dreams.

Obviously, the season is getting closer. Brady, we saw you were training with Trevor Zegras this summer. What are your thoughts about him getting a fresh start in Philadelphia with the Flyers?

BRADY TKACHUK: Yeah, I drove up to Connecticut and skated with him. I’ve known ‘Z’ throughout the years but got to know him pretty well when we played world championships together. He’s a great guy, and I think it’s going to be great for him to get a fresh start in Philly and under Rick Tocchet. They have a great culture there, and I think he’s just going to do a good job of fitting in.

I’ve always thought playing against Philly that they play super hard, but they have a lot of great players with skill. So, I think that is going to be the best thing for him. I’m excited to see his progression this year and see how the change affects him. I bet that’s going to be for the good.

Matthew, you were dealing with some significant injuries by the end of last season and said it was “50/50” regarding offseason surgery. What’s your path for the next few months? Are you still hoping to maybe hit the ice in October?

MATTHEW TKACHUK: I’m still hoping to hit the ice as soon as possible. If I do get the surgery, it definitely will be the first two, maybe three months [of the season] if that’s the case. But it’s still undecided at this point.

Finally, the NHL and NHLPA have signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement. We haven’t heard from many players about this deal. What did you like? What did you wish was in it that didn’t make the cut?

BRADY TKACHUK: I think Marty [Walsh], Ron Hainsey and the NHLPA did a really good job. A lot of it came behind the scenes with the NHL. They kept it discreet.

I think it’s important that we did a four-year deal and to navigate where our league is in four years’ time. Obviously, there’s things that will probably trend and want maybe more of in four years’ time. But I think the changes that they made are exciting. The 84-game schedule [means] more hockey for people to come and watch. I think it’s going to be good.

Less preseason crap, too.

MATTHEW TKACHUK: Took the words right out of my mouth.

That’s the one main thing I like. I’ve never liked the preseason setup. I mean, guys do a great job of coming into [camp] in shape. There are the captain’s skates before the preseason because everyone wants to get back and see the boys. So, I think preseason has been overrated. It’s way too long, and the games are way too much. However they were able to shorten that, I was on board with that for sure.

Just get into the season. Just get on with it.

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Time to panic in New York? What to make of slumping Yankees and Mets

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August 13, 2025

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Aug 13, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

When the New York Mets and New York Yankees met in the first Subway Series of 2025 in mid-May, life was good for baseball fans in New York. Both Big Apple teams sat in first place in their respective divisions and both seemed like postseason locks.

But things have recently taken a turn for both N.Y. teams.

First, the Yankees tumbled out of first place in the American League East, faced an injury scare to MVP front-runner Aaron Judge and lost ground in the AL wild-card race. Then the Mets joined the spiral, losing seven straight games and falling from a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies for National League East supremacy to clinging on to the NL’s final wild-card spot.

Are the struggles simply a blip for two playoff-bound teams — or the beginning of an epic collapse? What will it take for each to turn it around from here? And will the Yankees or Mets be the last N.Y. team standing come October? We asked ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers to weigh in.

How concerned are you about the Mets after their recent slump?

Castillo: Somewhat concerned, because that starting rotation is a problem. Since June 13, Mets starters rank 28th in ERA (4.99) and 29th in innings pitched. (David Peterson is the only Mets starter to complete a six-inning start since June 7.) Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga have not been the front-line performers the Mets projected since coming off the injured list. Clay Holmes, a converted reliever, hasn’t recorded more than 16 outs in an outing in more than two months. Frankie Montas, with a 6.38 ERA, has seemingly pitched himself out of the rotation.

Why just somewhat concerned? First of all, Tylor Megill and Paul Blackburn could provide boosts when they are activated from the injured list, as could Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, two right-handed pitching prospects who have excelled in Triple-A and could receive a call to Queens soon. But mostly because the lineup is too good to struggle for much longer, and it’s hard to imagine the Cincinnati Reds or St. Louis Cardinals surpassing the Mets to seize the third wild-card spot. And in the end, teams can win in October with weaker starting rotations and strong bullpens (see: 2024 Dodgers).

Olney: Concerned, for sure, because of the strength of the National League, and the depth of the Mets’ issues — the struggling lineup, the slumping rotation, the inconsistency of the bullpen. The Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies are the standard for the league these days: The Brewers have a high-end defense, a good rotation and roster depth, and the Phillies have that exceptional rotation, maybe the best closer in Jhoan Duran and a lineup of experienced hitters. Lately, the Mets don’t come close to measuring up to that standard, as we saw with a sweep by Milwaukee last weekend.

Passan: Not terribly concerned. Just as I wasn’t overly bullish when the Mets won seven consecutive games … less than two weeks ago. Yes, some of the Mets’ flaws have been laid bare for all to see. Their lineup is thin. Their starting pitching, too. But outside of that first loss in the streak, the Mets have been outscored by 10 whole runs in six losses. It’s not the sort of thing one typically sees from a team with as deep of a bullpen as New York’s, nor is it likely to continue. They’ve had the worst strand rate among relievers since Aug. 1, and that will even out. They’ve had awful production from the bottom half of the lineup, but at least they’re not striking out. The Mets might not be a world beater, but this is a team that has spent more days in first place this year than not. The notion that it would all disappear over two weeks doesn’t give them enough credit.

Rogers: It depends on what you mean by concerned. They won’t fall out of a wild-card spot, but they’ve essentially lost the division with this skid. The offense’s slump has lasted way too long, and the rotation is on shaky ground — though they’ve actually outperformed my expectations. In any case, the Mets are too good to rank last in OPS since the All-Star break. That will turn.

Fortunately, New York gobbled up a lot of first-half wins to withstand this slump. The Mets will be playing in October but it’ll be the first few days of October instead of getting a bye into the division round.

How concerned are you about the Yankees after their second-half struggles?

Castillo: Extremely concerned. My take on the Yankees has been that they would make the postseason as long as Aaron Judge stayed healthy, because he is good enough to help mask their deficiencies in a weak American League. Well, Judge is dealing with a flexor strain that forced him to miss nearly two weeks, has kept him out of right field since returning and has undoubtedly affected his ability to produce in the batter’s box. Judge being limited to DH has forced the Yankees to play Giancarlo Stanton in right field or keep Stanton, one of their best hitters, out of the lineup altogether.

Now about those deficiencies. The Yankees’ starting rotation has not been good enough since Clarke Schmidt was lost for the season and Max Fried began his downhill turn when the calendar flipped to July. The bullpen, even after a deadline makeover, has faltered too often at the wrong times. The offense has become too reliant on the home run. And the Yankees’ mind-blowing propensity to play sloppy baseball only exacerbates the issues. The Yankees have the talent to compete for a World Series, but they might not have that opportunity if they don’t stop the bleeding. The Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are within striking distance in the wild-card standings.

Olney: The Yankees are three-quarters of the way through their schedule and Aaron Boone is still trying to figure out his bullpen — a tough place for any team to be in a pennant race, let alone the defending AL champions. But we can look back at the ’21 Atlanta Braves and the ’23 Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks for this reminder: It is possible to find yourself late in the season. It is possible to have a turnaround. And the landscape in front of the Yankees might be as friendly as we’ve ever seen for a pennant contender.

They have the easiest finishing schedule for any club, per FanGraphs; they finish their season with consecutive series against the Minnesota Twins, who have been the Yankees’ version of the Washington Generals over the past 25 years; the Baltimore Orioles, who are playing out the string; the Chicago White Sox, who are getting better but are still years away from contending; and then the Orioles again. Don’t be surprised if the Yankees finish the regular season with a flourish, and at least defer some of the big-picture questions that always hover over N.Y. teams.

Passan: Not nearly as concerned as my brethren. Beyond Buster’s point about the cakewalk at the end of the season are the impending returns of Fernando Cruz, Ryan Yarbrough and Jonathan Loaísiga to bolster the pitching staff and the ability of the Yankees lineup to mash home runs. This is not to suggest the Yankees are a championship-caliber team. Compared to their peers, they don’t look the part. This slump is not an anomaly; the Yankees have lived somewhere between mediocre and bad for the better part of two months. The AL is a mess, though, and the Yankees still look like the best of a bunch of good-enough options.

Rogers: Very concerned. The Yankees feel so one-dimensional that it comes down to this for them: If the middle of their lineup can stay on the field, they might be OK. But if Judge or Giancarlo Stanton miss many more games, things could get even worse. The Yankees also need Max Fried & Co. to find their groove again. New York ranks 26th in ERA since the break.

The Rangers and maybe even the Guardians feel like better all-around teams right now, even though they still trail the Yankees in the standings. They might not be looking up at New York for long.

What will it take for each New York team to turn it around from here?

Castillo: Both teams overhauled their bullpens and didn’t acquire a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, balking at the cost to land a front-line starter. Now both teams need their starting rotations to perform better to ease the pressure on their bullpens and offenses.

Olney: In the spring, we thought the Mets would have a dynamic circular lineup, threats from 1 to 9. That needs to develop down the stretch, because unlike the Yankees, the Mets won’t be rescued by their future schedule. They have one of baseball’s tougher slates the rest of the way. Whether it’s Cedric Mullins, who might be adjusting to his new surroundings, a resurgent Francisco Lindor or Francisco Alvarez, someone from that group needs to take charge. And look, the rotation that was so good back in April and into the middle of May has to be better, getting deeper into games to take some pressure off the bullpen.

Passan: The Yankees need to stop walking hitters — they’ve issued the most free passes of any staff since Aug. 1 — and stop giving away outs on defense and the basepaths. For a team with playoff aspirations, they play an undisciplined brand of baseball. Oh, and Judge, who doesn’t have an extra-base hit since returning, must recapture his swing.

The Mets need one player to step up in each of three areas: lineup, rotation, bullpen. Because of the depth David Stearns has built — not a backlog of stars, but the sorts of players who can go on two-week-long heaters — there are plenty of options to carry the mantle. Whether it’s Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Mark Vientos or Mullins on offense, Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea among starters or Ryan Helsley or Ryne Stanek in a relief role, the Mets have too much talent to roll over for Cincinnati.

Rogers: No reason to dig deep on the Yankees: Their starters need to get it together. Since the All-Star break, that group ranks 24th in ERA. Fried and Carlos Rodon — so good in the first half — just haven’t had the same production in the second. Perhaps Luis Gil can find his groove and give them a jolt — he’s slowly looking better and better — but the former two players need to lead the Yankees down the stretch. Conversely, the Mets stars have to act the part at the plate, beginning with Lindor, who is well under the Mendoza line since the break. Mets hitters need to play it loose and free — hard to do in New York — and stop squeezing their collective bats so tight. Odds say they will turn it around — it’s so bad, it’s hard to imagine it will continue.

Which New York team will be playing deeper into October?

Castillo: I’ll go with the Mets because they can work around their rotation weakness in October with aggressive bullpen usage. Judge’s status remains a concern for the Yankees.

Olney: The American League is absolutely wide open, which gives the Yankees an inherent advantage late in the year. The Yankees are competing against teams like the Guardians and Rangers to get into the playoffs, and if they can do that successfully, they’d have to get through the likes of Toronto and Seattle, who don’t have a lot of postseason experience.

The Mets, on the other hand, face a gauntlet of baseball’s best teams: the Brewers, Phillies, San Diego Padres, Dodgers. It’s as if the Mets have to run a double marathon and the Yankees are doing a corporate fun run. The Yankees have a better shot of lasting because the challenge is simply not the same.

Passan: If the playoffs started today, the Yankees would face a banged-up Houston Astros team — always a tough series, yes, but a winnable one. The Mets, on the other hand, would be lined up against Los Angeles, a series strongly tilted toward the Dodgers. At the end of the day, I believe the Mets are a slightly superior team to the Yankees, but because of the competition in each league, the Yankees’ chance of advancing slightly exceeds that of their crosstown rivals.

Rogers: The Mets, because I’m not sure the Yankees make it. And that bullpen they added in Queens at the deadline will come in handy in October. Don’t count the Mets out. They have a run in them.

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‘Era of Orange’: Panthers, Flyers top NHL teams acknowledging Swift’s new album

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A new Taylor Swift era is among us as the Grammy Award-winning artist recently announced her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

The news came as Swift teased her appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend. The episode releases Wednesday and marks the first time Swift will be on the podcast.

NHL teams reacted accordingly to Swift’s album news. The league even posted its own picture of Swift and Kelce on the ice.

The pop star is no stranger to the hockey scene. Swift and Kelce attended Game 4 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. Kelce is a noted Chicago Blackhawks fan, but welcomed Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk on a “New Heights” episode in February. The two also partied together in July 2024.

A plethora of squads creatively acknowledged Swift’s announcement.

Winger Jarome Iginla, a Hall of Famer, rocked No. 12 for the Flames from 1996 to 2013. With “The Life of a Showgirl” being Swift’s 12th album, Calgary featured Iginla on a cover with orange glitter, a nod to Swift’s website that features a similar color.

The Hurricanes opted for two posts, but it was their most recent one that gained steam on social media. They posted an email from “our VP,” asking why they haven’t collaborated with Swift. Maybe it’s their end game?

With the NHL season inching closer, the Blue Jackets decided to tease their own next era with an album cover. The orange color is a nod to the theme of Swift’s latest album.

Florida had its detective caps on as it pointed out that Swift’s necklace in the “New Heights” teaser was a Panthère de Cartier pendant. The Panthers also identified a “T.S.” in red in the back and included a picture of Swift and Kelce at a Stanley Cup Final game.

The Wild showcased their No. 12 left winger, Matt Boldy, who had a career-high 73 points last season.

Swift’s history with the Nashville Predators dates to the late 2000s, when she appeared in a commercial for the franchise. Nashville tapped into that history by posting photos of Swift rocking a Predators sweater while performing.

The Devils referred to a previous Swift lyric to highlight their captain, Nico Hischier. They created their own album cover with the title: “The Life of a Captain.”

The Islanders’ orange and blue color scheme fits with Swift’s theme, and they made sure to tap into it.

Swift shared her album news at 12:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, and Ottawa acknowledged their own No. 12 — center Shane Pinto.

The Flyers used the glittery orange color to edit a photo to have defenseman Travis Sanheim rocking a similar look. Their second picture includes more of the color scheme with the Flyers’ logo and “See you next era …” written below.

The Penguins tapped into the glitter theme as well, but in their black and yellow colors. The look is similar to what appears on Swift’s website as a placeholder for the album cover.

St. Louis’ logos are on full display with blue glitter, another nod to Swift’s webpage.

Fans spotted Maple Leafs winger William Nylander at one of Swift’s concerts in November, therefore, it only makes sense that he’s highlighted ahead of the album release.

Winnipeg had its own No. 12 in defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who wore the number during the 2019-20 season after being traded to the franchise. DeMelo now rocks No. 2, but the Jets still acknowledged his old number.

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OU’s Mateer denies gambling, was ‘inside joke’

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OU's Mateer denies gambling, was 'inside joke'

  • David PurdumAug 12, 2025, 11:27 AM ET

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    • Joined ESPN in 2014
    • Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008

Oklahoma starting quarterback John Mateer, after screenshots of past references to “sports gambling” on his Venmo account surfaced online Monday, denied ever being involved with gambling, saying Tuesday it was instead “inside jokes” with his friends.

School officials became aware of the screenshots late Monday night and are looking into the situation, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer posted to X on Tuesday. “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.”

Screenshots posted online Monday night showed Mateer allegedly twice included “sports gambling” in memos for transactions on Nov. 20, 2022, while he was a freshman at Washington State. Both transactions were allegedly made to a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, believed to be a teammate at Washington State at the time.

College athletes are prohibited from betting on any sport offered by the NCAA, with penalties up to loss of eligibility.

OU Athletics issued a statement saying it “takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situation of concern.” The school said its “unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”

Mateer, the No. 1 overall player in ESPN’s portal rankings, transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this offseason. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, his third with the Cougars.

Oklahoma is ranked 18th in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Sooners open their season at home Aug. 30 against Illinois State.

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