Iowa backup kicker accused of approximately 170 underage sports bets, including the under in Cy-Hawk game

Iowa backup kicker Aaron Blom became the latest Hawkeye to be drawn into the state's college athlete betting scandal on Wednesday, with investigators alleging at least one bet on his own's team performance.

Blom is facing a charge of tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor, as part of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry, according to The Gazette's John Steppe. Former Iowa basketball player Ahron Ulis, who has since transferred to Nebraska, was also reportedly accused of making bets.

In the case of Blom, the criminal complaint alleges he made approximately 170 underage sports wagers, eight of which were on Iowa sporting events. One was on the under of the 2021 Iowa-Iowa State, in which Blom did not appear. The final score of that game was a 27-17 Iowa win, with the total coming just below the over/under at most sportsbooks.

The bets are alleged to have totaled more than $4,400.

Those bets were allegedly made by Blom using his mother's information at the DraftKings sportsbook. The complaint says both mother and son were "cooperative during the investigation," and Blom is said to have made the bets with his mother's "consent and knowledge." Similar to the case of Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, the bets were allegedly made from Blom's phone and came from locations that included “his university residence and areas of the university not routinely open to the public.”

Sep 3, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes place kicker Aaron Blom (1) makes a 46 yard field goal against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Blom might have played his last Iowa football game. (Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports) (USA TODAY USPW / reuters)

Blom was set to enter this season as the Hawkeyes' backup kicker after going 1-for-3 on field goals to open last season. He was replaced as starting kicker by Drew Stevens after two games. He now faces a permanent loss of NCAA eligibility, based on existing guidelines.

Nebraska basketball transfer Ahron Ulis facing similar charge

Like Blom, Ulis faces a tampering with records charge. His criminal complaint can be found here.

Ulis' betting is alleged have placed approximately 1,850 wagers totaling over $34,800, with nearly half of them coming before Ulis turned 21, the legal betting age in Iowa. At least one wager was allegedly on an Iowa sporting event and over 430 were on NCAA football and basketball games.

Ulis left the Hawkeyes earlier this year after averaging 6.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.6 rebounds while starting 27 of 32 games last season. The Chicago native landed with Nebraska and is currently on a trip in Spain, with head coach Fred Hoiberg telling reporters Ulis will not be appearing in any games.

Iowa college athlete gambling scandal keeps growing

Blom and Ulis are two of seven college athletes to face charges from the state of Iowa over illegal sports bets, with Dekkers, former Iowa State football player Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State football player Dodge Sauser, Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson and former Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen among the others accused.

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