March Madness Wagering Set To Tip Off After Federal Gambling Charges

The NCAA basketball tournaments open this week with billions in bets despite recent point-shaving scandal.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 6:33am

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The NCAA basketball tournaments are set to begin this week, with billions of dollars expected to be wagered on the games. This comes just two months after federal prosecutors announced criminal charges in a point-shaving scheme that allegedly involved six 'fixers,' 17 former players and four players who were active with their teams this season. The NCAA has increased efforts to keep games on the up-and-up, but protecting players from all potential fixers and disgruntled bettors would be impossible.

Why it matters

The proliferation of legalized sports wagering over the past decade has led to increased concerns about the integrity of college basketball games. The recent point-shaving scandal highlights the risks players face from fixers and disgruntled bettors, even as the NCAA works to educate players and monitor suspicious activity.

The details

In the federal point-shaving case, the players involved were mostly on low- and mid-major teams and didn't have access to robust name, image and likeness pay packages. The alleged fixers offered each player $10,000 to $30,000 to ensure that their team failed to cover the spread of the first half of a game or an entire game. The fixers would then place wagers on those games. The NCAA has no estimate for how often athletes are offered compensation to manipulate their performance to guarantee an outcome.

  • The NCAA basketball tournaments open this week.
  • The federal charges were announced just 2 months ago.

The players

Mark Hicks

NCAA managing director of enforcement.

James Borchers

Big Ten Conference chief medical officer.

Clint Hangebrauck

NCAA managing director of enterprise risk management.

Charlie Baker

NCAA President since 2023.

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What they’re saying

“Our antenna is up all year-round. If you look at it historically, when we've had concerns around contest integrity, they happen during the regular season. It doesn't mean we're immune in the championship segment. We monitor 22,000 contests throughout the year, so we're vigilant all the time.”

— Mark Hicks, NCAA managing director of enforcement

“The genie is out of the bottle. The ability to gamble, it's like a video game now. People on their phones, it's part of what sport is. And then the ability to reach athletes on social media and have contact directly with people that are participating in these events, I don't think there's any way you can insulate athletes from the effects of gambling in today's world.”

— James Borchers, Big Ten Conference chief medical officer

“You think you're doing what your team is asking you to do, and maybe your team is successful, and then you're getting destroyed on social media from people saying you didn't score as many points as you were supposed to or you didn't come through for me. How do you manage that? It's easy to say they should manage it. You're talking 18 to 23 year olds, and they still have a lot of maturing and developing to do.”

— James Borchers, Big Ten Conference chief medical officer

What’s next

The NCAA Tournament teams are required to file player availability reports before each game for the first time this year, in an effort to keep bettors from contacting players for inside information.

The takeaway

The March Madness tournament highlights the challenges the NCAA faces in protecting the integrity of college basketball games as legalized sports betting continues to proliferate. While the NCAA has increased its monitoring and education efforts, the temptation for players to be compromised by fixers remains a significant concern.