IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – In his weekly press conference, Iowa men’s wrestling head coach Tom Brands, expressed his frustration with both the NCAA and media outlets in regards to the ongoing sports gambling investigation.

Brands questioned why the University of Iowa and Iowa State University seem to be targeted, despite the NCAA claiming this is a nationwide problem.

“The questions being asked should be talking about why the University of Iowa and Iowa State were targeted only…No one has asked that question,” he said.

Iowa’s wrestling program has been hit significantly by the NCAA investigation with four Iowa seniors (Cobe Siebrecht, Nelson Brands, Abe Assad, and Tony Cassioppi) all impacted by the ruling.

In his press conference, Brands pressed at ‘unfair targeting’ the two Iowa Universities have faced and that it was ‘maybe illegal’ regarding the NCAA’s investigation.

“It has to be said. There has to be someone talking straight and going to the defense and the core question being asked. And that athletic director that is on that committee, that makes that decision {says} ‘It doesn’t happen to my campus.’ The NCAA leadership is on record as saying 56% of athletes gamble in athletic departments across the country. 56%. They’re not dumb people.”

Brands showed no love of the NCAA’s new ruling that would make any student-athlete who placed wagers on other teams at their school ineligible for one season and lose eligibility to play for one year.

“These guys, they didn’t lie, they didn’t cheat…A 21-year-old can gamble. A 21-year-old is a junior in college. And a 1-year ban is a death sentence…”

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