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The Latest Sports Gambling Scandal: Point Shaving
The federal indictment unsealed this week in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleges a sprawling point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 NCAA D1 men’s basketball players from at least 17 schools. Prosecutors say the operation ran from September 2022 through February 2025 and involved bribery to manipulate point spreads so gamblers could profit from wagers placed against teams when players underperformed.
Unlike the prop bet scandal last year, this scheme was focused on making sure teams did not “cover the spread”, either in the first half of games or in full. The indictment also makes clear the targets were often underdog teams in games they were expected to lose, and the plan was to make sure they lost by more than the point spread. There was no indication that the scheme used individual player performance prop bets or other unusual markets, instead relying on mainstream point spread wagering, with bets large enough to generate potential seven-figure payouts.
Out of the players, there are several who were still on active rosters when the indictment was released. Simeon Cottle, the preseason Conference USA Player of the Year at Kennesaw State, was playing and had appeared in games this season before being suspended indefinitely from team activities.
Oumar Koureissi played for Texas Southern this season, investigators say his alleged involvement took place when he was at Nicholls State. TSU has removed him from the team amid the charges.
Carlos Hart and Camian Shell also appeared in games this season for Eastern Michigan and Delaware State, respectively, but their allegations stem from their play at previous schools.
In a new world where sports betting is available to anyone with a smartphone, the risk of game fixing will continue to grow. The NCAA is struggling to monitor and manage NIL payments and contracts. They do not have the capacity to attempt to monitor gambling as well. There was a time when the main purpose of the NCAA was to prevent this type of crime. We now have to hope law enforcement can fill the gap.
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Opinion: Gambling on Sports
Sports Betting is Out of Control
Betting is not so simple anymore. Not that long ago, the only bets you could make were on teams to win or lose against the spread or on the moneyline. You could combine them into a parlay or bet on individual games.
Jump to today, and you can bet on every imaginable prop bet. You can bet on plays live during a game. With technology, you can bet any amount of money, from $.01 to $1,000,000 instantly.
It’s only been 8 years since the Supreme Court shot down state restrictions on sports betting, and it has become a 24/7 obsession across the country. Now we have companies like Kalshi, which claim they are not betting sites, but “prediction markets” selling contracts. Now, in all 50 states, regardless of existing law, if you want to put fifty bucks on Miami to win the championship, you probably can.
These markets are generating billions of dollars in profits for everyone except the people betting on the games. Statistics show that parlays, especially same-game parlays, have a massive profit margin for the house. The edge for the sports book can exceed 30% depending on the type of parlay. Next, you have player props, futures, and novelty bets.
The least profitable bets for the house are point spreads and totals. And herein lies the problem.
When you watch the pregame shows, see the ads in your feed, or the “expert” sharing their picks for the games, is it a single-game bet? Almost never.
It’s a parlay. And it’s probably going to lose.
Traditional bets against the spread or totals are now the loss leader for sports books to get you in the door. Once you’re there, they will throw every promo they can at you to spend your money on 3+ leg parlays that almost win.
This is why it’s only going to get worse. The NCAA, NFL, NBA and other major sports leagues will all say the right thing, but they have little interest in giving up their cash cow. Stadiums, including college venues, are building sports books inside the building.
As of today, it’s hard to fathom what would have to happen for sports betting to get reeled in. Sadly, we just have to wait and see.
The NCAA’s Problem with Eligibility Math
Eligibility used to be simple. Five years to play four. The new eligibility math requires flow charts, legal counsel, and a tolerance for ambiguity. For example, Trinidad Chambliss filed suit against the NCAA when his appeal for a sixth year of eligibility was denied. His case centers around his 2022 season at D2 Ferris State, where he missed the entire year due to severe respiratory issues. He and Ole Miss submitted 91 pages of documentation, doctor statements and testimony from Ferris State officials.
Even then, the NCAA denied his request for a waiver on the basis that the documentation did not meet the association’s criteria for an incapacitating injury or illness at the time it occurred.
There was a time that was the end of the conversation. But in the NIL world, one more year of eligibility is potentially seven figure income for a D1 power conference QB. And more importantly, the NCAA almost always loses these suits, because they try to apply uniform rules to wildly different circumstances. COVID seasons, injuries, redshirts, transfers and waivers have all piled up. The result is a system where two athletes with similar paths can receive completely different outcomes.
And courts hate that. Judges tend to ask why discretion exists if it isn’t applied consistently. Every time an athlete wins an injunction, the NCAA’s ability to quietly deny waivers shrinks a little more.
The eligibility system is flawed because it hasn’t kept up with the realities of modern college sports. Athletes will continue to push, and courtrooms will continue to make decisions, whether the NCAA likes it or not.
BRANDING: Growing your followers
Finding New Followers
Everyone wants more followers. But few people want to put in the work to get them. Sometimes they resort to begging people to click the follow button or like their post. This approach is rarely effective. Growth doesn’t come from posting highlights into the void and hoping the algorithm feels generous. It comes from being intentional about why anyone should care in the first place.
The fastest growing accounts are rarely the loudest. They’re consistent. They tell a clear story. They give people a reason to come back, whether that’s personality, expertise, humor, or access. Followers don’t show up for perfection. They show up for familiarity.
Engagement matters more than reach. Replying to comments, interacting with similar accounts, and showing up in conversations where your audience already exists does more than chasing viral moments. Collaboration also works, not the forced kind, but the natural overlap where audiences actually make sense together.
New followers find you when you stop talking at them and start talking with them. The goal isn’t to look like a brand. It’s to look like a person worth following. Everything else usually takes care of itself.
NOTES & QUOTES
Across all divisions, the football transfer portal exceeded 11,000 athletes, with nearly 7,000 without a new home.
The 7,000 players remaining in the portal is more than the total number of D1 football scholarships available.
Women’s college gymnastics continues to post record regular season viewership numbers, giving athletes in the sport leverage with lifestyle, beauty, and wellness brands
The NCAA approved expanded corporate partnership categories for Olympic and non-revenue sports, opening the door for more sport-specific NIL deals that do not rely on football or men’s basketball visibility.
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