Months After NCAA Suspension For Players Gambling, Iowa Collective Accepts Massive Donation From Casino Group

Iowa collective 'The Swarm' is officially in partnership with a casino group after a $500,000 donation came through from Elite Casino Resorts. While the partnership was announced last January, the collective was finally able to cash the check this week.

If you're wondering why this might be a big deal, look no further than the NCAA's investigation into underage gambling. Though there are no ties from the investigation that led to Iowa's Noah Shannon being suspended for the season, it's still a bold strategy from 'The Swarm' collective.

This move does make life a little bit easier for Iowa athletics to get further into the NIL game, but don't expect athletes to make appearances at the local sports book. The collective is abiding by NCAA rules when it comes to players endorsing certain establishments.

"Our 2023 SWARM partnership brought a new level of support and excitement for our charitable events," Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts noted. "SWARM athletes participated in our Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’ Sake, the GIVE Foundation Annual Golf Outing, we SWARMED the community in October, and most recently, a Toys for Tots drive. Part of our success comes from giving back to the communities we serve, and we are proud to continue supporting student athletes and local charities."

The perception of this agreement and donation is interesting for the Iowa fanbase, with defensive lineman Noah Shannon being suspended this season for gambling on a non-football event at Iowa. This goes along with the multiple athletes from Iowa and Iowa State being charged for gambling on events in other sports.

So, it's safe to say the donation will get mixed reviews from outside Iowa.

Take The NIL Money And Run, Just Not To The Iowa Tables

Though some folks might have a problem with a collective taking money from a casino group to fund their NIL, I don't see it as that big of a deal. The best part for Iowa Hawkeye fans is the infusion of cash into the 'SWARM' collective, which could have them in the running for a few transfer portal players.

Back in March, SWARM Collective CEO Brad Heinrichs told On3 that student-athletes would not be a walking billboard for the casinos.

“Our relationship with Elite Casinos is that they’re not wanting our student-athletes to market for their casinos. They’re wanting our student-athletes to do work for charity. They’re basically paying The Swarm as a donation to try to have the student-athletes do greater good for the Eastern Iowa community. It’s not as if they’re paying the student-athletes to go and try to get people to gamble more.”

I'd say this partnership could work out for all, if the right steps are taken. But as the gambling industry continues to grow, and schools start to get comfortable again with gambling companies getting involved in the NIL game, it will be something to pay attention to.

Right now, this is a massive casino group giving the Iowa collective a check for $500,000 knowing how much it costs to keep or bring in high-profile athletes. The one student athlete on campus who surely doesn't need further financial help is Caitlyn Clark, who has become one of the faces of college basketball.

Now we wait to see if this partnership can hit 777's and kickstart Iowa into the next phase of its NIL production.