(Radio Iowa) The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has approved betting on E-sports through sports contests — but not at the state’s casinos. Draft-Kings spokesman Chris Cippola asked the commission to approve E-sport wagering through his company’s contests. “E-sports are organized multiplayer video game competitions in which competitors from different teams compete against each other in tournaments and leagues — in which participants exhibit elite physical talent and skill,” according to Cippola.

Cippola says E-sports have many of the same characteristics as regular sports. “Professional players receive lucrative salaries, endorsements and prize money and teams are sponsored by Fortune 500 companies,” he says. “E-sports competitions have filled the world’s largest sporting arenas and are widely viewed on an international level via popular streaming mediums like Twitch and YouTube.” He cited one example of a popular E-sports. “Rocket League is a competitive video game where players drive vehicles that compete in a soccer match,” he explains, “It is cars playing soccer that are controlled by human participants.”

The commissioners approved the request to allow sports betting on games involving E-sports. They were then asked by Iowa Gaming Association president Wes Ehrecke to approve the same for casinos and their sports betting parlors.”We believe that E-sports clearly fits well in this category for casino sports books to offer wager options on these events. They have a sanctioning governing body — the World E-sports Association for the national level, a national association for college E-sports at the collegiate level,” Ehrecke says.

Assistant Attorney General, Jeff Peterzalek told commissioners that wagering on sports contests and actual sports are governed in separate sections of the law — and the language doesn’t match. “What you just approve in the prior agenda item wasn’t because E-sports were a sport or an authorized sporting even. It was because they are a simulated game or contest — which is expressly allowed in 99-E — but there is no such language in 99-F,” according to Peterzalek.

He says the sports betting definition is very specific and doesn’t include E-sports. “It does not meet the definition of authorized sporting events. I would also note that the definition of authorized sporting events expressly excludes — excludes fantasy sports as defined in chapter 99-E,” he says. “It doesn’t meet the other definitions of professional sporting events, international sporting events, or any of the other definitions that would be needed.” The issue failed after no one made a motion on it. Peterzalek says the casinos could petition the I-R-G-C for a legal opinion on sports betting on E-sports as one option.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Senate has waded into the controversy over construction of a new 19-and-a-half million dollar football stadium in Des Moines. Last month the Des Moines School Board unanimously approved the plan to partner with Drake University on a four-thousand seat stadium to serve as the home field for the football teams from four Des Moines area high schools and for the Drake men’s and women’s soccer teams.

More than seven-thousand people signed a petition calling for a public vote on the stadium project, but school officials say it didn’t meet the legal requirement for a referendum. Senator Jake Chapman’s bill seeks to force a public vote on the project. “Are we going to deny 7000 people’s right to be heard at the ballot box?” Chapman asked. “It is shameful what has happened.”

Senator Zach Nunn of Bondurant says there’s better use for local option sales tax money than for a football stadium. “Have we fixed every roof in a Des Moines Public School?” Nunn asked. “…Have we gotten to a point where students in North or East or Lincoln or Roosevelt have the ability to learn from home with the technology that this money was intended to provide?”

Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo says the high schools involved have significant numbers of minority students.  “It can be viewed as another slam of our minority populations of pulling something that is so central to a high school, their football field, and putting it in a different area of a community,” Dotzler said.

A senator from Ames says state law allows schools to use sales tax revenue for athletic facilities and the legislature shouldn’t try to micromanage local school board decisions. The bill passed the Senate last (Thursday) night on a 47-to-two vote. It’s unclear if the bill has a future in the House.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa legislature has voted to forbid the use of credit cards for wagering on sporting events through Iowa-based casinos. Senator Tony Bisignano, of Des Moines, says that’s a big deal. “If you want you lose your paycheck, that’s fine. I don’t know how long you get away with that from your family, but with a credit card, you can run a debt that can’t possibly be paid and so I thank the body for clarifying that,” Bisignano says. “We never did legalize it, but it got to be interpreted by fantasy sports that they have been using credit cards and this body has spoken.”

Last year lawmakers legalized sports betting to be run through the state’s casinos, but Representative Mike Sexton of Rockwell City says the legislation did not specifically mention this prohibition. “We have established in the State of Iowa that you are not allowed to use credit cards for other forms of gambling,” Sexton says.

For example, Iowa is among the 21 states that prohibit credit cards from being used to buy lottery tickets. In the few states where wagers can be backed with credit rather than cash, credit card companies treat gambling charges as a cash advance. It means there’s an initial fee and interest charges begin immediately.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior defensive end Chauncey Golston has been named to the 2020 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. The announcement was made by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, which is responsible for honoring the nation’s best IMPACT player at the end of the season.

The 42 nominees represent the finest in college football defensive players who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. The Lott IMPACT Trophy has raised more than $1.6 million for scholarships and other youth-related charities throughout the country.

Golston (6-foot-5, 272-pounds) started all 13 games at defensive end in 2019, recording 47 tackles, including 26 solo stops and 21 assists, with 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, five pass break-ups and seven pressures. Golston led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally with three fumble recoveries last season.

The Detroit, Michigan, native was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by league coaches and media last season. Golston also earned Iowa’s team hustle award on defense.

The Lott IMPACT Watch List includes 16 linebackers, 15 defensive backs, and 11 defensive linemen. Nine players from the Big Ten Conference are included on the Watch List, which is tied for the most nominees from any conference.

Former Hawkeye linebacker and current Denver Bronco Josey Jewell won the award in 2017. A.J. Epenesa (2019) and Anthony Nelson (2018) were named to the Watch List the past two seasons. Desmond King was a semifinalist for the award in 2016, and James Morris was a finalist in 2013.

Finalists will be announced at the 17th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Award Show, Dec. 17, at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. Candidates are evaluated during the season with a Player of the Week chosen each week (and his school receiving $1,000 for its general scholarship fund).

The Hawkeyes kickoff their season Sept. 5 against Northern Iowa. For ticket information, visit hawkeyesports.com/tickets.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Regents has approved construction of a new women’s soccer complex at the University of Iowa. Senior Vice President of Finance Rob Lehnertz say the three-point-nine million dollar project will include a new two-story, 84 hundred square foot facility.

Lehnertz says the project is expected to take just over a year to complete.

The UI soccer team currently utilizes space for locker rooms and offices at a remote location from the soccer field, the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Here’s a look at the 2020 CAM Cougars baseball schedule.

Mon. June 15 at Woodbine
Wed. June 17 at Whiting
Thurs. June 18 at East Union
Fri. June 19 vs West Harrison
Mon. June 22 at Coon Rapids-Bayard
Wed. June 24 vs Glidden-Ralston
Fri. June 26 vs Ar-We-Va
Mon. June 29 at Boyer Valley
Tues. June 30 at O-M
Wed. July 1 vs E-EHK
Mon. July 6 at Woodward-Granger
Tues. July 7 vs Underwood
Wed. July 8 vs Audubon
Fri. July 10 at West Central Valley

Conference games are Varsity first at 5:30 p.m. Non-conference game times are still to be determined.

MLB negotiations stumble…NBA to unveil restart plan…MLS players OK package…Coach Majors dies

NEW YORK (AP) — The start of the major league season is in serious jeopardy after management rejected the players’ offer for a 114-game regular season in the pandemic-delayed season with no additional salary cuts. That’s according to a person familiar with the negotiations who also tells The Associated Press that MLB did not plan to make a counterproposal. MLB told the union it had no interest in extending the season into November, when it fears a second wave of the coronavirus could disrupt the postseason and jeopardize $787 million in broadcast revenue.

UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press the NBA has told the players association that it will present a 22-team plan for restarting the season to the league’s board of governors on Thursday. The plan would have 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference clubs going to Florida, with the playoffs starting in August and likely ending in October. Teams would play eight games to determine playoff seeding starting around July 31 before the postseason begins.

UNDATED (AP) — Major League Soccer players have approved a new collective bargaining agreement that will allow for the league to return this summer with a tournament in Florida. The Major League Soccer Players Association announced the ratification of the CBA. Players approved economic concessions for this season. The league countered the proposal from the players and set a Wednesday deadline for ratification.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Majors has died at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, at age 85, according to his wife. Majors coached Pittsburgh’s 1976 national championship team and completed a 185-137-10 record in 29 seasons with the Panthers, Iowa State and Tennessee from 1968-92. That followed a standout playing career at Tennessee during which he finished second to Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung in the 1956 Heisman Trophy balloting.

UNDATED (AP) — A diversity report for racial and gender hiring across college sports found overall improvement yet still reported grades lagging behind the professional ranks. The report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida assigned an overall C-plus score, a B for racial hiring and a C-plus for gender hiring. Lead report author and institute director Richard Lapchick noted in the report that the grades trailed those of professional leagues reviewed in other TIDES studies such as the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and WNBA.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the return of players to the facility will be controlled. Ferentz and several members of the coaching staff have returned to their offices this week. Players begin returning on Monday.

Ferentz says they will be bringing back more coaches and stage in stages.

Ferentz says there are several new guidelines to enter the football facility.

Ferentz says for the time being staff meetings are still being held via Zoom.

June 15th    9/JV/V @ Lewis Central. 2:30 (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 16th    9/JV/V vs Denison-Schleswig. 11:00 (DH), 5:30, 7:30
June 18th    9/JV/V vs Clarinda. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 22nd   9/JV/V vs St. Albert. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 23rd    9/JV/V @ Kuemper.  3:30, 5:30, 7:30
June 25th    JV/V @ Glenwood. 5:30, 7:30
June 26th    JV/V @ Council Bluffs AL. 4:00, 6:00
June 29th    9 vs Kuemper. 11:00 (DH)
                    JV/V @ Harlan. 5:30, 7:30
June 30th    JV/V @ Red Oak. 5:30, 7:30
July 1st        9 @ Harlan. 11:00. (DH)
July 2nd      9 @ Creston. 11:00 (DH)
                   JV/V vs Creston. 5:30, 7:30
July 3rd       9 @ Denison-Schleswig 11:00 (DH)
                   JV/V vs Shenandoah. 5:30, 7:30
July 7th       JV/V vs Carroll.  5:30, 7:30
July 8th       9/JV/V @ Tri-Center. 3:30, 5:30, 7:30
July 9th       JV/V vs Glenwood. 5:30, 7:30
July 14th     JV/V @ Denison-Schleswig. 5:30, 7:30
July 17-Aug 1, Playoffs