Navy sends message to bettors following football team's loss to Rice: 'We do not care'

Navy athletics had enough with bettors and their complaints about parlays following the Midshipmen’s loss to Rice on Saturday, 24-10.

Navy was a 12.5-point favorite going into the game against Rice with the total over under set at 48.5 points, according to FOX Sports, via Data Skrive. The two teams combined for 34 points.

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Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath passes the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Oct. 26, 2024. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

The team decided to kick a field goal from 21 yards out with 8:34 left in the fourth quarter instead of going for a touchdown. The team then turned the ball over on downs and threw an interception on their two final drives.

"Just so we are clear, we do not care who you bet on or who is involved in your parlays," the school’s athletics department wrote on X. "That's an instant block. WE DO NOT CARE."

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The increased amount of sports betting over the last five years has also led to backlash toward teams and players. While players have addressed fans’ fantasy football concerns in interviews and on social media, the influx of gambling has led to anger from bettors.

A Navy football rests on an equipment bag before the Notre Dame game at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

NFL running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Tommy DeVito revealed to Fox News Digital in January they’ve received money requests from fans when the players don’t help them hit their parlays.

"I would say the view of sports gambling is definitely at a high level. Every week, I get a tweet about some parlay, some type of sports bet that I’m a part of," Barkley said. "There’s time where I help some people win some money, and there’s times where I get a DM or message saying, ‘Cash App me $200 right now.’"

DeVito said he saw the good and bad that came with sports gambling.

Midshipmen stand on the field during a flyover before the Notre Dame game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

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"I think it’s good and bad. People get to win some money, some people lose money. I think it’s kinda funny, like Say said, when he gets some tweets and mentions," he said. "For me, I’ve gotten Cash App requests, Venmo requests. Like, ‘You didn’t hit your over passing yards' or whatever it is. I think it’s all cool fun. It’s all fun and games. But, like I said, I want people to win money, but, at the same time, that’s the gambling aspect of it."

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