NCAA Permanently Bans 3 Male Basketball Players for Betting on Own Games, 13 More Under Investigation

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has permanently revoked the eligibility of three Division I men’s basketball players from Fresno State and San Jose State following an investigation concluding that they placed bets on their own games and manipulated performances to win wagers.

Who Are These Players and What Are Their Violations

The players banned are Mykell Robinson and Jalen Weaver (both Fresno State) and Steven Vasquez (San Jose State). All three compete in the highest division of men’s basketball within the NCAA (an organization that regulates student athletics in the US). The probe found that they not only made bets on their own performances but also conspired to share information to enable others to place bets. Two of them actively manipulated their performances in particular games so that specific prop bets would succeed.

One highlighted instance involved Robinson and Vasquez arranging bets during a game in which the former agreed to underperform in certain statistical categories. The two, along with a third party, collectively wagered around US$2,200 on that under-performance and later shared in a $15,950 payout. Robinson also made several daily fantasy/parlay prop bets involving his own performance, and Weaver placed at least one parlay bet including himself, Robinson, and a third athlete.

What Are Institutional Responses

Of the three, Weaver cooperated with the NCAA’s enforcement staff investigation and admitted to the violations. Robinson and Vasquez, in contrast, didn’t cooperate.  All three have since been dismissed from their teams and are no longer enrolled at their institutions.

Notably, Fresno State and San Jose State themselves aren’t being penalized by the NCAA for these infractions. The violations are considered individually by the student-athletes. Neither of the two colleges is listed among even the long-shot contenders in the typical “top 20–30” futures odds boards of any basketball sportsbook listing NCAA basketball for the 2026 NCAA Championship winner.

NCAA Policy and Broader Investigations

Under current NCAA rules, any student-athlete who places a bet on their own team or on their own sport (for any sport that holds an NCAA championship) faces permanent loss of eligibility. The matter is especially serious when performance manipulation is involved.

In addition, the NCAA is pursuing additional investigations into sports betting violations. At least 13 more former men’s basketball student-athletes from six different schools are under review for possible betting-rules violations, including betting on or against one’s own team, sharing betting information, manipulation of game outcomes, or non-cooperation with NCAA investigations.

Significance and Stakeholder Reactions

These recent cases underline growing concerns about how legalized sports betting interacts with the integrity of collegiate sports. With more jurisdictions permitting legal sports betting, the NCAA has ramped up its monitoring and enforcement, including a sports betting integrity unit.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has flagged the rise in sports betting as creating new risks to competition integrity and has called for collaboration among regulators, sportsbooks, and college athletics to limit high-risk bet types and strengthen preventative measures.