In a concerning development in the world of college basketball, federal investigators are looking into a gambling ring that has been linked to unusual betting activity involving at least three men’s college basketball programs this season. The investigations reportedly found that sportsbook accounts connected to this ring placed bets against teams like North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State, and Eastern Michigan.
Sources indicated that some of these accounts were also involved in placing significant wagers on prop bets related to former NBA player Jontay Porter and veteran guard Terry Rozier. Porter has admitted to manipulating his performance for gambling purposes, while Rozier remains silent on a reported investigation regarding his games.
The NCAA has made it clear that they take sports betting very seriously, emphasizing their commitment to student-athlete well-being and maintaining the integrity of competition. They mentioned in a statement that the organization works with various integrity monitoring services and state regulators whenever suspicious reports arise.
In recent games involving Eastern Michigan, particularly against Wright State and Central Michigan, betting integrity monitors flagged unusual betting activity, especially during the first half. There have also been alerts about suspicious betting patterns in a January 9 game between North Carolina A&T and Delaware.
Both North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State officials have not commented on the ongoing investigations. However, North Carolina A&T’s athletic director noted the suspension of three players was due to a violation of team rules, without offering further details.
The investigation has already seen five men charged with conspiring with Porter to manipulate game performances for profit. As of now, four of these individuals have pleaded guilty. The federal authorities are also reportedly scrutinizing a 2023 game involving Rozier, which raised eyebrows due to unusual betting activity. The NBA has stated they investigated the situation and found no wrongdoing on Rozier’s part.
This ongoing situation demonstrates the pressing challenges that college sports face with betting and integrity issues. With federal investigations underway and team officials remaining tight-lipped, the impact on student-athletes and college sports, in general, remains to be seen.
