The Fresno State men’s basketball program is under investigation for possible violations of the NCAA’s sports betting policy. According to The Fresno Bee, guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins sat out of Saturday’s game against Air Force for what the school called “eligibility” reasons, while guard Mykell Robinson was taken off the roster completely.
While the only official statements from both the school and the Mountain West Conference were that they were investigating an “eligibility matter,” unnamed sources at the school told The Fresno Bee and ESPN that the probe has to do with betting activity.
What exactly is being investigated has not been divulged, even by the media outlets’ sources. Whatever it is, it is serious enough for Fresno State to bench its two leading scorers (Amar Augillard is technically the team’s leading scorer, but he has not played in enough games to be eligible for statistical accolades) and cause another player to leave the team entirely, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
NCAA rules ban participation in sports betting activities”
According to the NCAA rulebook: “NCAA rules ban participation in sports betting activities and prohibit providing information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports betting activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition.”
Thus, whatever is being looked into could be as simple as the players betting on games – their own or another team’s – or as nefarious as influencing games for betting reasons.
This is the third investigation into a men’s college basketball team for possible betting violations in just a few months. In October 2024, Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the program before the season even started in the wake of a gambling investigation from when he played at Temple University. And about a month ago, two of Eastern Michigan’s games were flagged for unusual betting activity.