NCAA Investigating 13 More College Players for Betting Violations

The organization’s newest crackdown follows the recent bans of three college athletes who wagered on their own games and intentionally skewed their performancesImage Source: Shutterstock.com

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s ongoing crackdown on sports wagering violations hasescalated again, with thirteen former men’s basketball players from six programs suspected of gambling-related rules violations. These new cases, made public this week, underline the authority’songoing efforts to protect the integrity of collegiate sports against the backdrop of a constantly evolving gambling landscape.

Advanced Integrity Tools Flagged Suspicious Activity

According to the NCAA, the athletes in question are suspected of wagering for and against their own teams, providing insider information to outside parties, and, in some cases, purposefully altering the outcomeof games to win wagers. Several players have also been accused offailing to cooperatewith the enforcement staff’s investigation, which can also be considered a violation.

The suspected athletes formerly played forEastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T, andMississippi Valley. None are currently enrolled at these same schools. The NCAA stressed that no coaching staff or school officials are implicated in the violations, and that the schools are not facing penalties tied to these cases.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions revealed that it relied on a mix of suspicious wagering alerts fromintegrity monitors, tips from theaffected schools, and digital evidence, including messages exchanged by the athletes. The authority’s integrity monitoring system flagged these irregularities, allowing enforcement to respond and crack down on potential tampering.

Prop Bets Remain an Imminent Integrity Threat

NCAA President Charlie Bakernoted that the announcement was anecessary stepgiven the large publicity surrounding previous investigations. He again urged regulators to work closely with operators to implementmore robust integrity safeguardsand called for a concerted effort to ban proposition bets on college athletes. According to the NCAA, this type of wagering createsdirect incentivesfor manipulation and harassment.

The rise of sports betting is creating more opportunities for athletes to engage in this unacceptable behavior. While legalized sports betting is here to stay, regulators and gaming companies can do more to reduce these integrity risks.

Charlie Baker, NCAA President

These new cases follow recent enforcement action against athletes Mykell Robinsonand Jalen Weaver of Fresno State andSteven Vasquez of San Jose State. The three players reportedly shared betting information and coordinated wagers, ultimately netting almost $16,000in winnings. The athletes even wagered on their own games and deliberately missed statistical targets to manipulate prop bets.

As legal sports betting expands across the USA, the NCAA has madeintegrity educationa leading priority. Since 2022, the organization has provided gambling-harm education to over 100,000athletes, coaches, and administrators, thanks to its partnership with EPIC Global Solutions. March’s “Draw the Line” campaign likewise helped equip schoolswith resources to educate athletes about the dangers associated with wagering.