[WASHINGTON, DC] — Federal prosecutors have indicted dozens of former and current athletes in connection with a scheme to rig college basketball games.
The indictment involves more than 39 players from over 17 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams. Prosecutors allege that the fixers recruited college basketball players to ensure specific outcomes in games during the 2024-25 season.
The fixers reportedly placed millions of dollars in wagers, paying the participating players hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The Department of Justice and this FBI will not tolerate the exploitation of the American institutions for criminal profit,” said Andrew Bailey, FBI Deputy Director. “Nor will we allow victims of this crime, the fans who fill the arenas, the students and alumni who believe in fair competition in the American public, who expect integrity in the institutions they love, to be denied justice.”
The defendants face charges of “bribery in sporting contest” and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors emphasized that this scheme directly threatens the integrity of college sports, unlike a similar alleged sports betting conspiracy in the NBA.