NCAA Permanently Bans Three Basketball Players for Gambling Scheme

Three men's basketball players—Mykell Robinson and Jalen Weaver from Fresno State, and Steven Vasquez from San Jose State—have been permanently banned by the NCAA for their involvement in a coordinated sports gambling scheme during the 2024-25 season. The players bet on their own games, each other's games, and provided information to others to facilitate betting, with Robinson and Vasquez manipulating Robinson's in-game performance to win prop bets. The scheme included placing bets on underperformance, resulting in significant payouts, including $15,950 from a $2,200 wager, and involved daily fantasy sports bets. The NCAA investigation began after Fresno State and a sports betting integrity monitor flagged suspicious bets on Robinson, uncovering text communications and coordinated betting activity among the players. All three were released from their teams and are no longer enrolled at their schools; Robinson and Vasquez did not cooperate with the investigation, while Weaver did. This case highlights ongoing concerns over gambling integrity in collegiate sports and the NCAA's commitment to enforcing ethical conduct rules.