College basketball fans were seen spelling out FBI in balloons after the ongoing federal investigation into bribery and corruption.
The findings include major NCAA violations that could have significant ramifications for around 20 major Division I programs, including North Carolina and Kentucky as well as Top-5 powerhouses Michigan State and Duke.
On Saturday at SMU, some students chanted ‘FBI! FBI!’ and held balloons spelling out the name of the federal agency.
NBA player agent Andy Miller (left) had his agency, ASM Sports, raided in connection with the FBI’s investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting circles back in September. (Right) Christian Dawkins, a former ASM Sports employee, exits a Manhattan Federal Courthouse, after being arrested for bribery and fraud in connect to college recruiting
The federal investigation into the world of NCAA basketball has turned up what appears to be hundreds of pages of documents detailing impermissible payments to student athletes.
Former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency, ASM Sports, lie at the center of the FBI’s findings that implicates 20 Division 1 schools and more than 25 athletes, Yahoo! Sports reported on Friday.
The pair were allegedly involved in a massive underground recruiting operation in which more than 25 players and their families obtained cash advances while having many travel expenses covered.
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors goes to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday
Dennis Smith Jr. allegedly received $73,000 from ASM Sports but did not sign with the agency
Michigan State forward and NBA hopeful Miles Bridges was also named in the documents
Transactions included on former agent Miller’s balance sheets, that span years, include things like cash advances, and entertainment expenses for high school and college prospects and their families.
These types of payments to college athletes, if proven, are clear violations of NCAA rules that could result in loss of amateur status, and ultimately eligibility for the players and teams involved.
ASM sports was raided in September shortly after the FBI and Department of Justice announced its years-long investigation into college basketball, which has already resulted in three criminal cases, several arrests and the suspension of Louisville freshman Brian Bowen, who has since transferred away from the school.
Duke’s Wendell Carter is one of several top recruits named in the federal court documents
Hundreds of pages of documents revealed in the discovery phase of the probe reveal an extensive effort by ASM Sports to secure commitments from players that were at the time, or continue to be amateurs.
One document referred to by Yahoo Sports was ASM’s balance sheet through December 31, 2015, which contained the subheading ‘Loan to Players.’ Several high school and college players allegedly received four- and five-figure payments from ASM Sports, according to the reported documents.
‘These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America,’ NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement. ‘Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports.
‘They are an affront to all those who play by the rules,’ he continued. ‘Following the Southern District of New York’s indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it’s clear this work is more important now than ever.