THE SIDELINES : Miss. State to Probe Gambling
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ABERDEEN, Miss. — Mississippi State University officials said they will investigate allegations of on-campus betting and whether NCAA rules were violated, after a professor and a former student pleaded guilty to federal gambling charges.
Court documents indicate three Mississippi State football players were used in the fall of 1987 to help collect gambling debts. The players were not identified.
Under NCAA rules, an athlete loses his eligibility to participate in sports if he is involved in betting on college games. However, no rule explicitly bans gambling on professional sports.
Jeffrey Topping, 46, a psychology professor, entered his guilty plea Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson in Aberdeen. Former student Frank Michael House, 27, now of Atlanta, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court at Oxford.
No current Mississippi State athletes or athletic department employees bet or worked with Topping or House, Assistant U.S. Atty. John Hailman said.
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