This past week, Fresno State University announced the suspension of two basketball players, Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins, ahead of their upcoming game against Air Force. Weaver and a third player, Mykell Robinson, were later removed from the roster.[i] The suspensions and removals were not due to academic or behavioral issues, but because of an issue that has been an increasingly significant problem in the basketball world: gambling.
The University conducted an internal investigation into suspicious activities regarding player betting, which the NCAA eventually joined.[ii] The allegations are that Weaver and Robinson bet on Fresno State games, including under prop bets regarding their own points and rebounds.[iii] Collins was allegedly betting on other sports, with no evidence that he was A betting on Bulldog games.[iv] While both Weaver and Collins, the best players on the 5-23 Bulldogs, are only suspended, the strict no gambling polices of the NCAA could lead to both players deemed ineligible from further competition.[v]
Should Prop Bets be Removed?
Gambling accusations are not new in basketball, including at Fresno State.[vi] However, what has become a new, disturbing trend is the rise of the prop bet, and its proclivity to be manipulated.
First offered during Super Bowl XX to increase gambling interest in the otherwise lopsided game, prop bets allow gamblers to make side bets on player performance.[vii] These bets can include whether a player will throw for more or less than a certain amount of yards, or score more or less than a certain amount of points.
As gambling continues to explode in the years since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. N.C.A.A, leagues, particularly the NBA, have had trouble with players manipulating their performance. In April 2024, former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned from the league and pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after it was discovered he would intentionally take himself out of games so his under prop bets would win.[viii] In January of this year, it was announced that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also under federal investigation for manipulation of his performance in a 2023 Charlotte Hornets game.[ix] The same investigation into Porter’s gambling scheme also found unusual wagering on five college teams with three schools, Temple, North Carolina A&T and Eastern Michigan, under further federal and NCAA investigations.[x]
The solution might seem simple enough: ban player props. Many states, including New York, currently prohibit sportsbooks from taking wagers on college player prop bets.[xi] After the fallout from the Porter scandal, the NBA took the extraordinary step of negotiating a deal with its gambling partners to remove prop bets for players on 2-way or 10-day contracts.[xii] Some have argued that prop bets should be removed altogether.[xiii]
While an all-out ban might seem simple and effective, there are strong arguments why they should remain. One reason offered is the ability for illegal, unregulated betting markets to still offer them, influencing player performance.[xiv] An additional argument is that offering them allows for better monitoring of other activities, including abusive behavior against players and monitoring gambling addiction.[xv]
As gambling continues to explode, scandals like the one at Fresno State and in the NBA are likely to persist.. The NBA has taken steps with its gambling partners in an attempt to curb lower earning players from ruining the integrity of the league. It is time for state legislators and the NCAA to step in and do the same, as college players who are not making much, if anything, from NIL are just as susceptible to the actions that allegedly took place at Fresno State.
[i] https://kmph.com/sports/content/fresno-state-drops-jalen-weaver-amid-sports-betting-probe-as-boise-state-game-looms
[ii] https://frontofficesports.com/fresno-state-investigated-as-2-players-reportedly-bet-on-own-games/
[iii] https://bircheshealth.com/resources/fresno-state-basketball-sports-betting-scandal
[iv] https://frontofficesports.com/fresno-state-investigated-as-2-players-reportedly-bet-on-own-games/
[v] https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/governing-bodies/article/15738108/three-fresno-state-studentathletes-suspended-investigated-for-sports-gambling-violations
[vi] https://www.yahoo.com/news/fresno-state-basketball-point-shaving-021347431.html. In March 1997, Fresno State basketball players Dominick Young and Chirs Herren were suspended for alleged point shaving. Neither player was found guilty after investigation.
[vii] https://www.bfvlaw.com/the-evolution-and-impact-of-sports-betting-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=The%20first%2Dever%20prop%20bet,spread%20and%20money%20line%20offerings. The bet was a simple “yes or no” wager asking if the Chicago Bears defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry would score a touchdown during the game. He did, and the Las Vegas books lost millions.
[viii] https://www.nba.com/news/jontay-porter-banned-from-nba
[ix] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6100652/2025/01/30/terry-rozier-betting-investigation-nba/
[x] https://www.si.com/college-basketball/exclusive-report-shares-new-details-on-jontay-porter-gambling-ring-unusual-college-wagers-01jmyqxhhkz7
[xi] https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab/college-basketball-player-prop-rules-by-state
[xii] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5854024/2024/10/18/nba-sports-betting-10-day-contract-players/?source=emp_shared_article
[xiii] https://kindbridge.com/sports-betting/ban-player-props/
[xiv] Id. While there are many legal options available to gamblers, illegal operators still haul in tons of money, including 89% of all American wagers on the 2024 Super Bowl.
[xv] Id.
Image Credit: Fresno Bee File Photo
Leave a Reply