Former Iowa State tight end, DeShawn Hanika, saw his 2023 season erased after being implicated in a sports betting scandal the previous season. However, he has now teamed with sports betting watchdog, Integrity Compliance 360, to tell his story and educate other college athletes.
Scandal Scramble
It’s not often athletes implicated in a sports betting scandal that involves their own teams get a second chance. But that’s precisely what’s happened to former Iowa State tight end, DeShawn Hanika, who subsequently transferred to Kansas to play for the Jayhawks this season but was injured in spring training and has not seen action.
Four starters, including Hanika, on the Iowa State football team were criminally investigated for betting on and against the Cyclones during the 2022 season in which they ended with a 4-8 record. According to reports, DeShawn Hanika made 288 bets totaling $1,262 with 70 wagers on ISU basketball games. However, unlike some of his teammates, Hanika was not found to have wagered on Iowa State football.
The university was caught off guard when the sports betting accusations flew and had to scramble to find its footing. However, it didn’t take long for the athletic department to deal with the scandal and cooperate with law enforcement on the subsequent fallout.
Iowa State Senior Associate Athletics Director Nick Joos said in a statement at the time, “Since becoming aware of potential NCAA eligibility issues related to sports wagering by several of our student-athletes back in May, Iowa State University has been actively working to address these issues with the involved student-athletes, and that process remains ongoing. We will continue to support our student-athletes as our compliance staff works with the NCAA to sort out questions surrounding their future eligibility for athletics competition.”
Hanika Does a 180 With 360
DeShawn Hanika saw his 2023 football season scrapped and left Iowa State to join the Kansas Jayhawks for the 2024 season. But even that has not turned out well after the 6’6” tight end injured his knee in spring training and has yet to play a down for his new team.
But what he has done is turn lemons into lemonade by partnering with Integrity Compliance 360 to share his story and educate everyone from college athletes to coaches about the potential dangers of sports betting and the consequences that can result from impeaching the integrity of the game.
“This partnership with IC360 is a chance to turn my experience into a valuable lesson for others,” said Hanika via press release. “Some student-athletes might believe that betting on separate sports poses no risk, but my wake-up call can be a crucial educational moment to help others understand what’s at stake and prevent similar pitfalls.
“I appreciate IC360 for giving me the platform to spread my message and contribute to positive change.”
Hanika has worked with IC 260’s Education Team which will see him sharing his journey in company videos and at speaking engagements.
“We are proud to partner with DeShawn and provide him with a platform to share his experience and build on IC360’s vision to pioneer a new standard in integrity training and education integrity training within the sports industry,” said Scott Sadin, IC360’s COO. “By blending lived experience solutions with cutting-edge technology, we’re not just raising the bar—we’re redefining it.”
