NCAA bans three men’s basketball players for betting on games

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Three NCAA Division I men’s basketball players have been banned for life after a sports betting investigation found they had manipulated games.

Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez, and Jalen Weaver, who all played together at Fresno State, are now banned from returning and have been disenrolled from their respective schools.

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Suspicious betting patterns related to prop bets involving Robinson triggered the investigation, with which neither Robinson nor Vasquez cooperated. Weaver accepted his involvement.

An NCAA press release stated, “As part of a coordinated effort, the student-athletes bet on their own games, one another’s games, and/or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season.”

The investigation found that Robinson had communicated on separate occasions with Vaquez and Weaver over text regarding player props. Robinson and Vasquez placed bets on the former to underperform his lines in a 2025 regular-season matchup.

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During the season, Robinson also placed multiple wagers on Weaver’s prop lines after discussions over text with Weaver regarding the betting lines. Weaver also won money betting a parlay on himself.

As per NCAA guidelines for Division I athletes, the punishment for betting on one’s own games is a permanent ban. However, athletes can potentially be reinstated by any NCAA institution despite violating this rule.

Dig deeper

2025/02/24: Fresno State men’s basketball players embroiled in betting investigation 2025/02/28: Four New Orleans college basketball players suspended for suspected online gambling violations 2025/06/11: March Madness sports betting abuse down 23%, according to NCAA 2025/06/30: NCAA faces backlash over sports betting proposal