26 Individuals Charged in Significant NCAA and CBA Game-Fixing Investigation

A major investigation has unveiled a widespread scheme to rig basketball games in both the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), resulting in charges against 26 individuals, including over a dozen college athletes, as announced by federal prosecutors. This elaborate scheme reportedly continued up to last season.

Authorities revealed that gamblers lured players with cash in exchange for deliberately underperforming in games. With players complying, the fixers placed bets against those teams, misleading sportsbooks and other bettors in the process.

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf labeled the case an “international criminal conspiracy” and called it a “serious compromise of sports integrity.” He further noted that other unnamed players may also be implicated, with the investigation still ongoing.

This indictment aligns with a series of gambling scandals in the sports arena following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that facilitated extensive legal sports betting across the United States. Past cases have led to lifetime bans for at least 10 student-athletes from the NCAA and federal charges against professional baseball players accepting bribes.

The 26 defendants now face charges including bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Authorities have identified five individuals as “fixers”—three associated with players through coaching or training roles, and two recognized as gamblers and sports consultants.

The wrongdoing began with two CBA games in 2023 and, after successful operations, expanded to NCAA games, involving over 39 players from 17 Division I men’s basketball teams and attempts to fix more than 29 games. Players received bribes typically between $10,000 and $30,000 for their compliance, resulting in millions wagered.

NCAA President Charlie Baker emphasized the necessity of safeguarding competition integrity and confirmed that nearly all teams related to the indictment are under investigation. More than 40 schools, including Tulane University and DePaul University, have been named as part of these affected games.

The scheme specifically targeted major conference games and playoff championships, such as the Horizon League and Southland Conference championships. Players frequently recruited their teammates, intentionally underperforming or hindering others from scoring. In some instances, these attempts failed, causing financial losses for the fixers.

Investigators indicated that fixers relied on text messages to entice players, sometimes sending cash images as proof of payment. In one noteworthy case, a fixer urged a Saint Louis University player to persuade a teammate, saying, “send that to him if he bite he bite if he don’t so be it lol.” Another fixer offered $3,000 per player to entice participation from Eastern Michigan University players in a game-fixing endeavor.

Typically, cash payments were hand-delivered, though one fixer did not pay four Alabama State University players after a 2024 game against the University of Southern Mississippi.

Among those indicted, four players—Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi, and Camian Shell—have recently participated with their teams, although the allegations trace back to the 2023-24 season. Fifteen defendants played for NCAA Division I schools during the 2024-25 season, five during 2023-24, and former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was involved in the CBA in 2022-23.

Authorities reported that nearly $200,000 in bribes and winnings from two rigged CBA games were found in Blakeney’s Florida locker post-2022-23 season. One fixer texted another, reassuringly stating, “There are no guarantees in this world but death, taxes, and Chinese basketball.”

This case sheds light on the ongoing risks associated with legalized sports betting, alongside the extreme measures some individuals may take to manipulate game outcomes, prompting persistent federal scrutiny and NCAA investigations.