A scheme to rig college basketball games has been uncovered. Here's what we know

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MARC LEVY
Updated 3:59 PM CST, January 15, 2026

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal investigation into a sprawling betting scheme to fix basketball games stretched from the Chinese Basketball Association to the NCAA and has ensnared 26 people, including current and former college players, prosecutors revealed Thursday.

The charges filed in federal court in Philadelphia include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy.
How did the scheme work?

A group of fixers, including gamblers, recruited players with the promise of a big payment in exchange for purposefully underperforming during a game, prosecutors said. Those fixers would then bet against the players’ teams in those games, defrauding sportsbooks and other bettors, authorities said.
How did the players get paid?

In cash, hand-delivered by fixers after a game was successfully rigged, prosecutors say. That meant fixers flying into more than a dozen states to drop off cash to players on their campuses or while they were traveling between games.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/college-basketball-betting-charges-bribery-ncaa-49963615bfd622c2b42bd7038f7c0a3c

[stopdiggin]

1. man - that is so disappointing. (particularly the college ranks)

(and isn't that statement in ITSELF a sort of disappointment?)
Still - care to hazard than any, beyond a very tiny handful - are expressing any real surprise?

[WestMichRad]

2. With the enormous expansion of sports betting in the past few years

… my guess is that there’s a lot more game fixing and manipulation going on than we know about.

This scheme is the 3rd ongoing investigation I’ve heard about, the others involving the NBA (although that one is a “cheat the bettors” bru haha, not game fixing) and MLB (fixing certain pitches).

[popsdenver]

3. Oh hell yes

the opening of online betting has opened the flood gates to corruption of College and Pro sports.........
Includes players, coaches, and referees all having the ability to fix games, or at least "shave" points.....
AND the betting organizations, and Las Vegas.........

In 1996?1997? it was reported that the top five NHL refs in the playoffs and Stanley cup were fired for throwing games. It was all hushed up, but truly happened......It was speculated that the refs were paid to break up the Avalanche and Red Wing Dynasties, in order to get more of the newest southern teams in the playoffs, and increase the poor attendance at the new southern teams..
As I recall, there was also a big problem with the ice in those new southern teams arenas. The humid warm conditions were effecting the ice, such that those teams all had the advantage in home games, since they were all used to playing on the crappy ice........ They were all ordered to install de-humidifiers in their arenas..