The NCAA has imposed disciplinary measures on five current or former staff members associated with Iowa State University’s football support team. This action comes after it was found that they collectively engaged in over 6,200 online sports bets, amounting to more than $100,000. Their betting activities included wagers on professional sports as well as college basketball games, both men’s and women’s, involving the Iowa State Cyclones.
These individuals were identified following a state probe into sports betting activities conducted at athletic facilities on campus from 2021 to 2023. While they are not facing any criminal charges, the five acknowledged breaching NCAA sports wagering rules. In a resolution officially resolved last week, Jace Heacock, Chase Clark, Michael Dryer, Kyle Highland, and Mason Williams admitted their actions violated NCAA regulations. Consequently, they each face a one-year show-cause penalty effective until April 24, 2026.
Under the terms of the show-cause order, if any of these individuals are employed by another athletic department, they will be mandated to attend the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar annually at their expense and comply with a two-week suspension during the order’s duration.
Iowa State’s athletic department opted not to issue any comments regarding this situation. The NCAA classified these violations as Level II, indicating potential risks to the integrity of the NCAA’s collegiate model.
Jace Heacock, who is the son of the Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock, served as a football graduate assistant in 2021 and 2022. He was reappointed as the director of football analytics in April 2024, although it’s unclear where he was employed in 2023 and 2024. Heackock’s betting activities totaled 787 wagers amounting to around $55,359.
Chase Clark, formerly the assistant director of football equipment operations, placed 2,305 bets with a total value of roughly $18,676, which included 46 bets on Cyclones basketball teams. He is currently working as an assistant equipment manager for the Detroit Lions.
Michael Dryer, once an assistant for equipment operations, placed 1,182 wagers totaling approximately $11,536, including 25 bets on Cyclones basketball. After departing Iowa State, his LinkedIn profile shows employment in the sporting goods industry.
Kyle Highland, who served as a football recruiting operations assistant, made 509 wagers adding up to about $6,365, also involving eight bets on Cyclones basketball. He is currently associated with Army as the assistant director of football operations.
Mason Williams, who was an associate in athletic equipment operations, placed 1,455 wagers amounting to roughly $11,679, including 12 bets on Cyclones basketball teams.
The investigation by the state’s Department of Criminal Investigation revealed these five men’s connections during a probe into underage online sports betting across state colleges. Numerous athletes at both Iowa and Iowa State faced charges related to underage gambling and identity theft as part of the investigation.
Many of the athletes subjected to this investigation have since pleaded guilty, while others faced no charges. More than three dozen athletes have banded together in a lawsuit against the DCI, arguing that their rights were violated and their reputations unjustly damaged.