Bert Eugene Neff Jr., the man whose betting activity sparked an investigation that led to the firing of Alabama head baseball coach Brad Bohannon, allegedly attempted to place a $100,000-plus wager on the Crimson Tide to lose an April 28 game against LSU.
Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported Neff entered a BetMGM Sportsbook in Cincinnati and attempted to place the more than $100,000 cash wager on LSU—a number that "far exceeded the sportsbook's established house limit on college baseball."
Neff's attempts to make the wager, which were described as pleading and desperate, drew suspicions at the sportsbook, which refused to take the bet. Surveillance footage of the bizarre incident showed Neff texting with Bohannon, who was informing Neff that the Tide were scratching ace Luke Holman from his scheduled start.
"[Video cameras] can see the [text] conversation back-and-forth," a source told Forde. "It couldn't have been any more reckless."
Per Forde, sources familiar with the investigation say it showed Bohannon was a willing participant in the scheme, with records showing him taking part in group chats with Neff and "gambling associates." Multiple associates of Neff also attempted to place large wagers on LSU for the April 28 game in Indiana, but those bets were also flagged.
It's unclear if Neff was placing wagers on behalf of Bohannon.
Alabama fired Bohannon on May 4 following an internal investigation. Athletics director Greg Byrne wrote that Bohannon violated school policy on "soliciting, placing, or accepting by Employee of a bet or wager on any intercollegiate or professional athletic contest."
Criminal, regulatory and NCAA investigations remain ongoing.
Bohannon, 48, had been Alabama's head baseball coach since 2018. He was widely regarded as a stellar hire for Alabama, turning the once-downtrodden program around. The Tide were 30-15 at the time of his firing.
Bohannon made an annual salary of $500,000 under terms of his contract.
