More sports gambling wrongdoing allegations.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s enforcement staff “is in the process of alleging” violations in the case of 13 former men’s basketball players from the following schools. Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley who might have bet “on or against their own teams” and “knowingly manipulated scoring or game outcomes.” No names have been released but the NCAA did release a statement that “facts and alleged behaviors in each case vary.” College basketball players and a betting scandal is nothing new. In 1951, members of the 1949-50 City College of New York’s basketball team were arrested in a point shaving scheme. Eventually 32 players from seven different schools confessed an involvement in the point shaving scheme. Bookmaker Harry Gross pled guilty to 66 counts of gambling and bribery and was sentenced to eight years in prison. That 1949-50 CCNY team won both the NCAA and the more important National Invitation Tournament championships in 1950. Following the disclosure of the point shaving scheme, CCNY was banned from playing at Madison Square Garden in New York and eventually was dropped to the Division III level.
The NCAA has banned former Fresno State and San Jose State players. Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver after an investigation found the three participating in various types of misconduct that, taken together, included betting on their own games, providing information that facilitated other people’s bets, and manipulating performances. The schools are not facing any charges of misconduct. The NCAA actions come on the heels of Major League Baseball’s announcement that it is continuing its investigation of two Cleveland Guardians players, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. The suspensions were set to expire on August 31st. Gambling is omnipresent in the sports industry today and betting is made really easy with apps on phones. This is the world of sports today.
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