Urban Meyer Reveals Pete Rose's Betting Inquiries During Ohio State Tenure

Former Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer recently revealed that Pete Rose, the MLB career hits leader, often called him seeking inside information for betting. Meyer took over the Buckeyes in 2012 and grew up in Ohio as a Reds fan. Shortly after taking the job, he met Rose and the two became friends. That led to some interesting conversations, according to Meyer.

During the season, my first year in 2012, every once in a while I’d get a text … ‘Hey man, how’s the team look? How’s Illinois look? How’s Braxton Miller’s shoulder?’ or something like that. And I’d text him back, ‘Yeah, we’re doing fine.'” The host of “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” later realized the MLB career hits leader, who was banned from the league in 1989 for betting on baseball, was probably fishing for inside information for wagering purposes.

Pete Rose died in 2024. MLB officials removed Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and 15 other deceased players from the permanently ineligible list a year later. In 2022, Pete Rose placed the first legal bet at the Hard Rock Sportsbook in Cincinnati.