The NCAA permanently ineligibilized four Alabama State students as part of the point-fixing scandal that came to light in January this year. The four students have been named as Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines, and Tony Madlock.
Fulcher and Hines were both indicted along with several other college players in January. There is no indication as yet that Knox and Madlock have been criminally charged in the case.
Hines was the only one of the four to agree to an interview with NCAA enforcement staff. However, the NCAA said he “provided false or misleading information when he denied participating in a call and sharing information with individuals who were engaged in sports betting.”
Alabama State officials took to social media over the weekend to say the university had fully cooperated with the NCAA during its probe.
“Alabama State University was made aware of an NCAA inquiry in January and has since been notified of the negotiated resolution related to sports betting allegations involving former […] student-athletes,” the officials said. “Although the institution is not a party to this case, it fully cooperated with the NCAA throughout this matter.”
Players Fixed Game Against Southern Mississippi
Knox was the only player who agreed with the charges that he and the others accepted a bribe to underperform in a game against Southern Mississippi on December 5, 2024. Alabama State lost the game 81-64, leading a group of bettors to win their wagers against the team.
The indictment in January revealed a text sent by one of the players before the game, stating, “Lose by 6 full game no excuses on yall end I ain’t got no excuses on my end I’m make sure yall situated.”
The NCAA statement said Fulcher was the point of contact between the bettors and players. He and Madlock each received $700 to throw the game, while Hines and Knox each received $300.
Bettor Pleads Guilty In NBA & NCAA Scandals
Prosecutors say other college players received payments of $10,000 to $20,000 to fix matches as part of a scheme orchestrated by gamblers Marves Fairley, Shane Hennen, and former NBA player Antonio Blakeney.
Last week, Fairley admitted to paying players in the NBA and NCAA to provide information about team lineups and to underperform. Despite pleading guilty, he continues to post picks for upcoming games on his subscription tipping service Vezino Locks.
He pleaded guilty to a total of seven counts across the two indictments, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and bribery in sporting contests.
He is alleged to have wagered millions of dollars on NBA and NCAA games between 2023 and 2025.
Players Facing Consequences
The NCAA continues to take action against those involved in the scheme. Last month, it permanently banned Airion Simmons, who was accused of fixing games while playing for Abilene Christian University.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has called for a ban on prop bets to combat point-shaving. Following the indictments, he stated, “Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA. We are thankful for law enforcement agencies working to detect and combat integrity issues and match manipulation in college sports.”
Simmons, like Fulcher and Hines, is also facing charges of bribery in sports wagering contests, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 45 years.
In Fairley’s case, prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of eight to 10 years. The college players would therefore expect a considerably shorter sentence.
–Tim Alper contributed to this report
