On Wednesday, the NCAA announced permanent bans for three men’s basketball players associated with Fresno State and San Jose State after findings of their involvement in wagering on their own games, manipulating their performances, and leaking insider information.
The sanctions involve former Fresno State guard Mykell Robinson, former San Jose State forward Steven Vasquez, and former Fresno State guard Jalen Weaver. All three have been removed from their respective teams and are no longer enrolled at their universities.
The NCAA detailed that “the student-athletes engaged in betting on their own games, each other’s games, and/or provided information that facilitated betting by others during the 2024-25 regular season.” Investigative findings revealed that two of the athletes intentionally modified their game efforts to capitalize on betting outcomes.
The situation escalated when Fresno State, alongside a betting integrity monitor, identified suspicious wagers linked to Robinson’s personal statistics. According to the NCAA, Robinson and Vasquez, who were roommates at Fresno State in the 2023-24 season, exchanged information in an attempt to exploit prop bets.
Text messages acquired by investigators indicated that Robinson informed Vasquez in January he would purposely perform inadequately in a game while still playing for Fresno State. Robinson, Vasquez, and another individual placed $2,200 in bets based on these outcomes, resulting in winnings of $15,950.
Robinson was also found to have placed 13 sports betting wagers on his performance, some within multi-game parlays, one yielding $618. Additionally, he wagered on Weaver’s stats in a December 2024 game after the two communicated about betting strategies. Weaver staked a $50 parlay on his own stats, along with those of Robinson and another teammate, winning $260.
The NCAA reported that Robinson and Vasquez did not cooperate with investigators, while Weaver acknowledged his infractions. Fresno State concluded the 2024-25 season with a 6-26 record, while San Jose State ended at 15-20.
The announcement of sanctions came just a day prior to the NCAA uncovering that 13 other men’s basketball players from six different institutions—Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T, and Mississippi Valley State—are currently under investigation for gambling-related violations. Names of these players and their enrollment statuses have not yet been released.
The NCAA indicated these investigations involve players betting on or against their own teams, manipulating scores or game outcomes, and failing to cooperate during enforcement inquiries. There are also allegations that some athletes provided sensitive information to third parties for gambling purposes.
NCAA President Charlie Baker cautioned that the rise of legalized betting presents new threats. “The increasing prevalence of sports betting enhances the probability of athletes engaging in this unacceptable behavior, and while legalized sports betting will continue, regulators and gaming companies must implement improved measures to mitigate these integrity risks by eliminating prop bets and ensuring sports leagues are included in policy discussions,” Baker stated.
The organization emphasized that no coaching staff or educational institutions are implicated in these violations, and no institutional penalties will be sought.
The ongoing investigation is tied to suspicious betting patterns identified by sportsbooks and integrity monitors over the past two seasons. Reports from ESPN suggest that accounts associated with a gambling operation under federal scrutiny placed unconventional bets against Temple, Eastern Michigan, North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State, and New Orleans.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is currently examining this gambling ring, which is associated with the NBA betting scandal involving ex-player Jontay Porter.
Bookmakers first reported irregular betting activity during the 2023-24 season. A game in March 2024 between Temple and UAB saw significant line movement from UAB -2 to as much as -8, prompting sportsbooks to suspend betting on that game. UAB subsequently triumphed with a score of 100-72. The next season, games involving Eastern Michigan were flagged, resulting in the suspension of four players from the University of New Orleans during the investigation.