The NCAA has stripped two former Fresno State basketball players of their eligibility after a sweeping investigation uncovered a scheme to wager on games they played while deliberately underperforming. The ruling marks a rare instance of the association imposing lifetime bans for violations that intertwine sports performance with illegal betting.
Evidence presented by the Nevada Gaming Control Board indicated that a network of bettors, including friends and associates of the team, placed fraudulent wagers tied to intentional missed shots and reduced scoring, a practice that the board described as a conspiracy to cheat gambling markets.
A coordinated betting conspiracy
The probe, which relied on financial records, cellphone data and reports from licensed sportsbooks, traced the illicit activity to a specific matchup on January 7, when the Bulldogs faced a conference opponent, and linked the conduct to multiple current and former program members.
Following the findings, three Bulldogs — Jalen Weaver, Zaon Collins and Mykell Robinson — were suspended in February 2025; Collins was later reinstated, while Weaver and Robinson were removed from the roster and subsequently received permanent bans from the NCAA.
All three athletes admitted to betting on their own contests and on games involving teammates, and investigators concluded that two of them manipulated performances to ensure that certain wagers succeeded, a violation that the NCAA treats as a serious breach of amateurism rules.
The case has reignited discussions about the integrity of college sports, prompting the NCAA to tighten monitoring of betting activity and to consider stricter penalties for participants who compromise the fairness of competition.