Three NCAA Basketball Players Banned for Life for Game Manipulation

The NCAA has issued permanent ineligibility to three Division I men’s basketball players after an investigation revealed they were involved in sports betting and game manipulation. The individuals, identified as Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez, and Jalen Weaver, violated ethical conduct rules by betting on their own games and using inside information to win bets.

The NCAA’s investigation, which was triggered by an alert from an integrity monitor and Fresno State, uncovered a coordinated effort among the three student-athletes. Robinson and Vasquez, who were former roommates at Fresno State, used text messages to plan Robinson’s underperformance in a game. They, along with a third party, placed a combined $2,200 in prop bets on Robinson to fail to meet certain statistical goals. This deliberate underperformance resulted in a payout of over $15,000.

The investigation also found that Robinson had placed several other bets on his own performance and coordinated with Weaver, his teammate, to place prop bets. In one instance, Weaver placed a $50 bet on himself, Robinson, and another player after coordinating with Robinson, and he won $260. Both Robinson and Vasquez failed to cooperate with the NCAA investigation, while Weaver did.

As a result of their actions, all three players are no longer enrolled at their respective schools, Fresno State and San Jose State, and have had their eligibility permanently revoked. The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions approved the findings, confirming the violations and upholding the permanent loss of eligibility. While Division I rules allow for some flexibility in reinstating student-athletes for betting violations, betting on your own games is treated as a severe ethical violation that results in permanent ineligibility.