US prosecutors have indicted 26 individuals in a scheme to fix men's basketball games at US universities and in China, involving bribes to players. The operation allegedly influenced 39 players across 17 NCAA teams and led to large gambling payouts. Authorities described it as a massive effort that enveloped college basketball.
US Attorney David Metcalf announced the charges on Thursday, detailing a bribery scheme that ran from September 2022 to February 2025. The indictment accuses the group of influencing or fixing 29 NCAA men's basketball games and two Chinese Basketball Association games. Gamblers placed bets on games where players underperformed for bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, allowing fixers to bet against the teams and secure payouts.
"This was a massive scheme," Metcalf told reporters. "It enveloped the world of college basketball." He noted that while one player's actions could sway a basketball game more than in other sports, success was not guaranteed, though the scheme was largely effective.
The plot began with former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney collaborating with professional bettors Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley to fix Chinese games before shifting to US college basketball. Metcalf explained, "They picked these men because they were well connected in the world of college basketball." The involved NCAA teams include 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.
NCAA President Charlie Baker stated that the organization has investigated or opened probes into nearly all named teams. "The pattern of college basketball game integrity conduct revealed by law enforcement today is not entirely new information to the NCAA," Baker said. Some universities, like Tulane and Kent State, noted their inclusion stemmed from games against implicated opponents and pledged cooperation with authorities.
This case follows separate investigations into illegal betting involving NBA figures and the New York mafia, including charges against Miami Heat's Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who deny involvement.
