Feb. 24, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Three University of Notre Dame athletic coaches — football coach Bob Davie, men’s basketball coach Matt Doherty and women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw — today joined University president Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., and Tim Roemer, United States representative from Indiana’s third Congressional district, in support of legislation that would ban legal sports betting on high school, collegiate and Olympic sports.

Davie, Doherty and McGraw joined Father Malloy and Roemer at a press conference on campus to promote House Bill 3575, which Roemer introduced earlier this month. There is similar legislation (Bill 2021) pending in the Senate.

Roemer’s proposal seeks to close a loophole that permits organized betting on amateur sports in the state of Nevada. It would amend a previous 1992 federal law (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) that bans gambling on athletics in most states. Roemer previously was a co-sponsor of legislation that created the National Gambling Impact Study Commission in 1996.

Joining the Notre Dame coaches and Father Malloy today at the event were Bethel College president Dr. Norman Bridges, Bethel men’s basketball coach Mike Lightfoot and Bethel women’s basketball coach Jody Martinez.

Roemer has received letters of support for his proposed gambling ban from NCAA president Cedric Dempsey, Indiana University football coach Cam Cameron, Indiana University president Myles Brand, Purdue University president Steven Beering and Purdue University athletic director Morgan Burke.