The federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania announced charges against 20 former NCAA Division I basketball players for match-fixing, marking the most significant college sports gambling scandal in 75 years. The players, from various colleges across the US, were involved in manipulating nearly 30 games over the past three seasons, involving 17 teams. Two masterminds, Shane Hunnen and Mavus Ferli, also face charges in Brooklyn for manipulating NBA games, and former Chicago Bulls guard Antonio Blackney is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is even suspected of manipulating games in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The prosecutors noted that the masterminds bet millions of dollars, and the players, after taking bribes, deliberately underperformed to ensure their teams did not cover the spread, severely damaging sports integrity. Cases of sports event compliance can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Core of the Case: Operation of the Transnational Manipulation Network
This scandal is not an isolated incident, but a transnational criminal network covering both the US and China:
Originating in the CBA: Since September 2022, masterminds Hunnen and Ferli bribed Blackney, who was playing in the CBA, to manipulate multiple games. In March 2023, during a game against the Guangdong team, Blackney, who averaged 32.1 points, scored only 11 points. The masterminds profited over $198,000 from bets placed on platforms like BetRivers;
Infiltrating the NCAA: Blackney used his basketball connections to recruit players from universities like Nicholls State and Tulane University, forming a manipulation chain;
Clear profit distribution: Players received $10,000 - $30,000 per game, delivered in cash to avoid detection, such as Tulane University player Kevin Cross, who earned $30,000 from manipulating a game.
Details of the Case: Match Manipulation Across Multiple Regions
The manipulated games spanned across multiple regions in the US, with shocking details:
Time span: From February 2024, McNeese State University against Nicholls State University, to January 2025, University of New Orleans losing to Southeastern Louisiana University, lasting nearly a year;
Wide-ranging areas: Involving regions like the Gulf Coast and Northeast, with players from universities such as Tulane, DePaul, and Kennesaw State University implicated. Kennesaw State University guard Simon Cotter was even named the league's Player of the Year this season;
Manipulation tactics: Players influenced game outcomes through deliberate errors and controlling scores, such as three players from the University of New Orleans being permanently banned by the NCAA for their involvement in manipulation.
Mastermind Hunnen once stated in a text message, "Only death, taxes, and Chinese basketball are certain," revealing his arrogant attitude towards manipulating events.
Industry Shock: Regulatory and League Emergency Response
This scandal has raised widespread concerns about the integrity of sports events:
FBI and prosecutors' stance: FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey emphasized the commitment to relentlessly pursue sports corruption and maintain public trust in sports institutions;
NCAA's action: League President Charlie Baker stated that protecting the integrity of events is a top priority, having previously written to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to advocate for a complete ban on collegiate sports prediction market trading;
Historical comparison: The last major NCAA match-fixing case was in 1951 involving several New York colleges, with 35 players permanently banned from entering the NBA. This case is described as "historic" in scale.
Prosecutor David Metcalfe stated that this case is not just about wins and losses at the gambling table, but an assault on the core principles of fairness and honesty in sports, causing a severe blow to public trust in sports.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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