STARKVILLE — Two Mississippi State football players were caught sports gambling in February in violation of NCAA rules, according to a document obtained by the Clarion Ledger.
Both players, whose names are redacted, received minor penalties for the Level III violations, the lowest tier of NCAA violations that are commonly reported.
One of the football players gambled on the Super Bowl, while the other gambled on the NBA All-Star weekend.
Both players were in violation of NCAA bylaw 10.3, which prohibits sports wagering for athletes, staff members and conference employees.
Two other violations have been reported by Mississippi State in 2026. One of them was in the football program when an assistant coach co-signed an apartment lease for a player. The men's track and field team also reported a violation for providing two meals to a recruit's girlfriend while on an official visit.
ProhiBet, a tool used by the NCAA to monitor sports betting, alerted Mississippi State on Feb. 8, the same day as the Super Bowl, that an athlete had placed a Super Bowl wager on Kalshi. The bet was $50 on which team would win between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
The football player lost the bet when the Seahawks beat the Patriots. He then had a meeting with Mississippi State's compliance staff on Feb. 17 and he admitted to placing the wager. He stated that it was the only sports wager he's placed, and the school confirmed it on his Kalshi app.
Kalshi is a prediction market platform that's legal in Mississippi. However, traditional sports gambling apps like FanDuel or DraftKings are not allowed in Mississippi.
Rules education was provided to the player, and no further penalties were assessed.
The second football player was caught one week later betting on the NBA All-Star Game and 3-point contest using Kalshi. ProhiBet alerted MSU on Feb. 15, one day after the 3-point contest and the same day as the All-Star Game.
The player met with compliance staff on Feb. 17 and admitted to placing two wagers worth $10 each. One of the bets was on the winner of the 3-point contest, which cashed for a $64 prize when Damian Lillard won. The other bet was on whether the announcer of the NBA All-Star Game would say certain words. The player lost the bet.
The player had to make a $66.47 payment to a charity of his choice and was given rules education. He also stated that it was the only sports gambling he did.
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Mississippi State football's third violation surfaced when an outgoing transfer refused to pay the remaining rent for his apartment. The assistant coach, whose name is redacted, was listed as a co-signer for the apartment.
The assistant coach stated he did it because the player required a co-signer for the apartment complex as an international student, but it couldn't be a parent. The coach never paid deposit money or rent.