Former HBCU student athletes hit with NCAA investigation over gambling violations

The NCAA has opened an investigation into gambling violations, with North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State emerging as central figures in the inquiry, per a statement released by the governing body on Thursday. The investigation involves 13 former student-athletes from two HBCUs, as well as former student-athletes from Arizona State, Eastern Michigan, Temple, and New Orleans. They allegedly bet on and against their own teams, shared insider information, attempted to influence game outcomes, or refused to participate in the investigation.

“The NCAA monitors over 22,000 contests every year and will continue to aggressively pursue competition integrity risks such as these,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in the statement. “I am grateful for the NCAA enforcement team’s relentless work and for the schools’ cooperation in these matters. The rise of sports betting is creating more opportunities for athletes across sports to engage in this unacceptable behavior, and while legalized sports betting is here to stay, regulators and gaming companies can do more to reduce these integrity risks by eliminating prop bets and giving sports leagues a seat at the table when setting policies.”

The statement by the NCAA also adds that the schools themselves aren’t directly tied to the alleged gambling improprieties.

“As with the previously resolved cases, the schools and respective school staffs in the ongoing cases are not alleged to have been involved in the violations by student-athletes, and the enforcement staff is not seeking penalties for the schools themselves for the student-athletes’ conduct,” the NCAA statement said.

In February ESPN’s David Purdum reported that a gambling ring, already under federal investigation for suspicious NBA betting, also placed wagers against at least three men’s college basketball teams, including HBCU teams. This revelation triggered the current NCAA investigation.

Reports linked the gambling ring to bets placed against North Carolina A&T State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and Eastern Michigan University during the 2023-24 basketball season. Sportsbook accounts tied to the ring allegedly placed large wagers against these programs, sparking concerns among both U.S. and offshore sportsbook operators.