Arrests Expected in Probe of Alleged Bribery, Kickbacks at College Basketball Programs
Probe focuses on whether coaches were paid to pressure players to associate with outside entities
Federal law-enforcement officials are expected to arrest at least a half-dozen people and unseal charges Tuesday as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged bribery and kickback schemes at several of the country’s top-tier college basketball programs, people familiar with the matter said.
Investigators have been looking at whether coaches at these schools have been paid by outside entities—such as financial advisers, agents, and apparel companies—in exchange for pressuring players to associate with those entities, people familiar with the investigation said. Executives at at least one apparel company are expected to be among those arrested, a person familiar with the matter said.
The investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office.
Broadly, the investigation has shed light on the highly competitive recruiting pipeline that brings elite high-school basketball players through Division I college programs and into the professional leagues, and the role played by assistant coaches in that process, the people said.