Scandal threatens eligibility for current college players

RALEIGH, N.C. - A federal fraud and bribery scandal shaking college basketball has led to a key question of what will happen to recruits who received money linked to attending certain schools.

It could mean the permanent loss of college eligibility for some players for violating a core NCAA rule prohibiting improper benefits. But there’s also the chance that some ineligible players could go through the NCAA’s reinstatement process and eventually play after sitting out some games.

“Some of them will possibly not play depending on how large the benefits or inducements were,” said Michael L. Buckner, a Florida-based attorney who has worked on infractions cases. “Others, it’s going to impact them some, some of them may have to be withheld (from games). But I think overall, they’re going to have that stigma that they were involved in this fraud and corruption scandal.”

The case went public Tuesday, with federal prosecutors announcing that 10 men — including a top Adidas executive and four assistant coaches at powerconference programs — were charged with using hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes’ choice of schools, sponsors and agents.

Prosecutors also said at least three top high school recruits were promised payments of as much as $150,000, using money from Adidas, to attend two universities sponsored by the company. Court papers didn’t name those schools but contained enough details to identify them as Louisville and Miami.

Prosecutors have made it clear that the investigation is ongoing, too, meaning it could widen in scope. And that has Don Jackson, an Alabama-based attorney who has worked on numerous college eligibility cases, saying the case is “going to break new ground.”

One of the coaches arrested, Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, was fired Thursday. He is accused of taking $2,000 a month in bribes to funnel athletes to certain agents.

In addition, Louisville interim president Greg Postel said Wednesday that one student-athlete has been informed he will not practice or play for the university until the investigation is resolved.