Federal prosecutors unsealed charges against 26 people Thursday in an alleged college basketball point-shaving scheme that authorities say involved bribes to players across 17 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams. The scheme allegedly impacted or attempted to fix 29 games.
Massive Conspiracy Shakes College Basketball
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A widespread bribery scheme allegedly targeted NCAA Division I men’s basketball, with players accepting payments to influence game outcomes.
- The alleged scheme spanned from September 2022 to February 2025.
- Bribes ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
- The conspiracy extended to influencing games in the Chinese Basketball Association.
- 39 players and 17 teams were allegedly involved.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf described the operation as “massive,” stating during a news conference in Philadelphia, “It enveloped the world of college basketball.” The indictment alleges players were bribed to deliberately underperform – to “shave points” – allowing gamblers to profit from bets.
“This was a significant and rampant corruption of college athletics,” Metcalf said. While some attempts to manipulate games failed due to player non-cooperation or unsuccessful execution, Metcalf asserted, “by and large, the scheme was very successful.”
Scheme Extended to International Play
The alleged manipulation wasn’t limited to U.S. college basketball. The indictment also details attempts to influence outcomes in the Chinese Basketball Association. The scheme originated, authorities say, with former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney allegedly collaborating with professional sports bettors Marvis Fairley and Shane Hennen to fix games in China.
“The scheme proved lucrative,” Metcalf explained. He cited a text message from Hennen to an associate stating, “the only things certain in life were ‘death, taxes and Chinese basketball.’” The operation then expanded to the U.S., focusing on recruiting NCAA players.
According to investigators, those behind the scheme specifically targeted individuals with strong connections within college basketball. “They picked these men because they were well connected in the world of college basketball,” Metcalf said. “They knew the players, many of them were players themselves, they were alumni, they were trainers, they were recruiters, they were networkers, they were people of influence, and because of that influence, they added gravitas and legitimacy to the scheme.”
Teams Allegedly Impacted
Games involving the following schools were allegedly rigged or impacted, according to investigators: Abilene Christian, Alabama State, Butler, DePaul, Duquesne, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, Georgetown, Kennesaw State, Kent State, La Salle, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Ohio University, St. Louis University, St. John’s, SUNY Buffalo, Tulane and Western Michigan University.
The bribes offered to players could range between $10,000 and $30,000 per game, Metcalf said. The strategy involved identifying games where a team was favored to lose and then bribing a player to deliberately underperform, ensuring the team lost by a greater margin than the point spread.
“For example, if a team was favored to lose by 4 points, the player would receive a bribe to underperform so that his team would lose by more than that,” Metcalf explained.
School Responses and Ongoing Investigations
Tulane University stated it would cooperate with authorities following the indictment of former forward Kevin Cross, who is accused of accepting approximately $30,000 to influence a 2024 game against East Carolina. Cross also allegedly discussed attempting to fix a later game against Florida Atlantic, though that attempt was unsuccessful.
Ohio University said no players, coaches, or staff were involved. The indictment alleges individuals involved in the scheme targeted SUNY Buffalo players to prevent them from covering the point spread in the first half of a 2024 game against Ohio.
A St. John’s spokesperson, Brian Browne, said in a statement that neither the school nor any of its current or former players were “cited for wrongdoing in the indictment.” Kent State indicated its appearance in the indictment stemmed from allegations against another team, specifically an attempt by SUNY Buffalo players to prevent them from beating the spread in the first half of a 2024 game.
DePaul and La Salle both stated that no current players were named in the indictment and pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
NCAA President Charlie Baker responded to the allegations, stating the organization has already completed or initiated investigations into nearly all of the teams named. “The pattern of college basketball game integrity conduct revealed by law enforcement today is not entirely new information to the NCAA,” Baker said in a statement.
The announcement follows a similar crackdown less than three months prior, where NBA players Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were among those arrested in connection with alleged illegal gambling rings.
