New Jersey sportsbooks received an order to halt betting on the Citrus Bowl between Purdue and LSU on Friday because "an individual associated with the Purdue Football team" is in violation of state regulations, according to ESPN. That individual is reportedly retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees.
On Dec. 15, Purdue announced that Brees was joining the Boilermakers' coaching staff as an interim assistant ahead of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Brees spent three seasons playing for the program before starting his NFL career in 2001. The deal came together after former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters took over as Purdue's head coach following Jeff Brohm's departure to Louisville.
Coaching for his alma mater seemed like a fun deal, but the line got blurry when it came to the Citrus Bowl because of Brees' business relationship with the sportsbook PointsBet. He became a PointsBet brand ambassador in 2021 and also received an equity stake in the sportsbook. However, PointsBet recently ended its partnership with Brees because of his involvement with Purdue.
"PointsBet would like to congratulate Drew Brees on his appointment as Interim Assistant Coach for the Purdue Boilermakers," read a statement released by the sportsbook on Dec. 22. "While this is an exciting next step in his career, after careful review, we have decided to end our ambassador partnership agreement with Drew.
"Regulatory and legal compliance, responsible gaming practices, and the integrity of legal sports betting are top priorities for our organization and this decision will allow us to uphold that commitment. We wish Drew all the best as he returns home to his alma mater."
The Citrus Bowl is set to take place on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
