Well, folks, it appears college basketball recruiting might have a seedy underbelly. The FBI announced Tuesday the arrests of several college basketball assistants and an Adidas marketing director, alleging a pay-for-pay pipeline that funneled top prospects to schools sponsored by the apparel company and later to the company itself.
BREAKING: Government charging 10 people (4 college coaches & reps of "major international sportswear company") with fraud & corruption.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Names in alleged corruption scandal: Auburn's Chuck Person, Oklahoma State's Lamont Evans & Jim Gatto, head of sports marketing at adidas.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Feds allege that Chuck Person agreed to $50K deal to steer player to agent, who was former NBA official & custom clothier Rishan Michel.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Feds: adidas head of sports marketing Jim Gatto, with others, paid high school players to go to adidas schools, then sign with adidas later.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Agent said to be involved in kickback scheme, Christian Dawkins, was fired by ASM for running up $42,000 in Uber charges on player's dime.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Two alleged payments to high school players that FBI details, which included adidas head of sports marketing, totaled as much as $250,000.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 26, 2017
Just good to see no head coaches had any knowledge of this insanely illegal scheme. Then we might really have to question the integrity of the sport as well as the NCAA's.
