In a stunning revelation, 13 men's college basketball players from six different schools have been entangled in a web of gambling schemes, including betting against their own teams and manipulating game outcomes, the NCAA disclosed on Thursday.

The investigation spans athletes from Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T, and Mississippi Valley State. Despite their significant roles, the NCAA has withheld the names of these players pending the conclusion of the infractions process, and notably, none are currently enroled at their respective schools.

Among the serious violations under examination are players wagering on both their own teams and against them, discreetly sharing insider information with third parties, and attempting to manipulate scoring. Disturbingly, some athletes have also refused to cooperate with inquiries from the enforcement staff.

The NCAA has indicated that this situation is part of a larger issue, with additional sports betting cases being investigated at various stages. Intriguingly, it seems that certain third-party individuals are linked to multiple cases, with insight into how some athletes became entangled in these schemes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker commented on the escalating risk posed by the growth of sports betting, citing it as a driver for increased questionable behavior among athletes. He urged stakeholders—regulators and gaming companies alike—to take more proactive measures to safeguard the integrity of sports by reforming betting practices.

Importantly, the NCAA has clarified that the schools and their staff have not been implicated in the wrongdoing; therefore, they will not face penalties as a result of this scandal.

As reported by ESPN, suspicious betting activity linked to a gambling ring currently under federal investigation has raised red flags, particularly regarding wagers placed against teams from Temple, Eastern Michigan, and others over recent seasons.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is probing a gambling ring associated with an NBA betting scandal tied to ex-player Jontay Porter. Recent suspicious betting patterns emerged during the current 2023-24 college basketball season, especially involving point spreads and total over/under bets.

One such game that captured attention was on March 7, 2024, between Temple and UAB, where the point spread dramatically shifted from UAB -2 to a startling -8. This raised enough concern for multiple sportsbooks to suspend betting on that match, and an integrity alert was dispatched to clients due to the irregularities. UAB went on to secure a decisive victory, winning 100-72.