Former NCAA Players Charged In Massive College Basketball Betting Scandal

Jan 15th, 2026 11:41 AM EST

(USA TODAY)

A massive college basketball betting scandal spilled into public view Thursday, as federal prosecutors charged 20 men in a sprawling point-shaving scheme that allegedly compromised more than 29 games across 17 NCAA Division I programs.

According to a 70-page federal indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the scheme involved at least 39 college players, with 15 defendants actively playing college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons.

Prosecutors allege players received $10,000 to $30,000 per game to manipulate outcomes for betting purposes, thus defrauding sportsbooks and unsuspecting bettors who believed they wagered on legitimate competition.

“The defendants corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly,” the indictment states.

Players Named — And Still Playing

Four players charged in the case — Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell, and Oumar Koureissi — have appeared in games within the past week. While the allegations against Hart, Shell, and Koureissi relate to prior schools, Cottle’s alleged involvement dates back to the 2023-24 season.

Two additional players, Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short, faced previous sanctions by the NCAA in November for fixing games involving New Orleans.

Alleged Fixers, Repeat Offenders & An NBA Tie-In

Authorities tabbed five defendants as fixers, not players. Among them: Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley. Both face charges in a separate federal case in New York tied to NBA gambling schemes.

Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named in the indictment but not charged. Prosecutors noted he is “charged elsewhere.”

From China To NCAA Basketball

Federal investigators say the operation began as early as September 2022, initially targeting games in the Chinese Basketball Association before shifting its focus to U.S. college basketball — a market with lower pay, higher access, and exploitable betting lines.

After fixing games, defendants allegedly placed wagers on compromised outcomes. That strikes at the heart of sportsbook integrity and consumer trust.

Schools included in the indictment: New Orleans, Southern Miss, Nicholls State, Tulane, Buffalo, Northwestern State, St. Louis, La Salle, Fordham, DePaul, Robert Morris, North Carolina A&T, Kennesaw State, Coppin State, Abilene Christian, Eastern Michigan and Alabama State.

NCAA Responds — Points Finger At Prop Bets

Following the indictment, NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement shared by ESPN's David Purdum that the organization has opened betting-integrity investigations into roughly 40 players from 20 schools over the past year.

“The pattern of college basketball game integrity conduct revealed by law enforcement today is not entirely new information to the NCAA,” Baker said, adding that most of the teams named are already under investigation.

Baker also renewed calls for regulators and sportsbooks to eliminate college prop bets, calling them a persistent integrity risk and a magnet for predatory behavior.

On Wednesday, Baker called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the regulatory body that presides over prediction markets, to pause all college sport offerings on sites like Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, FanDuel Predicts, DraftKings Predictions, and crypto.com until the agency implements appropriate regulations.

"Just as we need Congress to stabilize eligibility, we need federal regulators to stabilize these markets," Baker said. "The answer cannot be the status quo. We need one set of fair, transparent standards."

The Bigger Picture: This Won't Be The Last Time

For regulated sportsbooks, this case underscores the ongoing tension between market expansion and integrity enforcement — particularly as college betting continues to grow state by state.

For bettors, it’s a sobering reminder: when integrity breaks down, everyone loses — except the people fixing the game.

And judging by the scope of this indictment, this won’t be the last shoe to drop.