Multiple collegiate athletic programs have been under the spotlight lately, due to speculation of illegal bribes correlated with the super brand, Adidas. Coaches at top programs accepted cash from Adidas to help steer highly recruited high school basketball stars towards their program. Representatives paid the families to have their child sign with the collegiate athletic programs, and to sign with Adidas when they go pro. Schools involved in the scandal are: Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma State, Auburn, University of Southern California, South Carolina and Arizona.

    Four assistant coaches have been accused of accepting illegal bribes, between the amounts of $13,000 and $100,000 to persuade players to hire former adviser Christian Dawkins. Other advisers and recruiters have been identified as Chuck Person of Auburn University, Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State University, Emanuel Richardson of the University of Arizona, and Anthony Bland of the University of Southern California. The University of Louisville was caught red handed, resulting in the firing of head basketball coach Rick Pitino. Pitino denied the allegations in the beginning saying, “These allegations come as a complete shock to me.”

   The goal is that if the highly recruited high school athlete accepts the deal, they go to the NBA and are potentially very successful, causing Adidas profit to skyrocket This is because  the high school athletes had already agreed to signing with Adidas before they went pro.

   Louisville: Christian Dawkins, James Gatto, Merl Code and Munish Sood all agreed to funnel $100,000, in four different payments to the family of a five star high school basketball recruit, Brian Bowen, who is expected to graduate with the class of 2018. Another five star recruit who has not been named was also involved in the scandal, in which his family would receive $100,000 for their commitment to the University of Louisville. Both players decommitted to the school after news of the  scandal broke.

   Arizona: Christian Dawkins and Munish Sood payed Emmanuel Richardson $20,000, some of which he kept to himself, and the rest he used to try and sway his recruits to commit to Dawkins and Sood’s respective businesses once they are drafted. Involved in this scandal is the Arizona recruit Jahvon Quinerly.

   Miami: James Gatto, Merl Code, Christian Dawkins and Jonathan Brad Augustine  conspired to funnel $150,000 to a player who is most likely five star recruit Nassir Little. The bribes made to Little and his family were used to attempt to persuade him to commit to Miami.

   USC: Christian Dawkins and Manish Sood facilitated a payment of $13,000 to Anthony Bland in exchange for him to attempt to persuade certain student athletes to sign with Sood and Dawkins businesses once the student athletes go pro.

   Oklahoma State: Christian Dawkins and Munish Sood payed at least $22,000 in bribes to Lamont Evans in exchange for access to the student athletes coached by Evans. Evans was paid roughly $2,000 a month by Sood and Dawkins for their access to the student athletes, who were more than likely being persuaded to sign with them as their advisers when they go pro.

   South Carolina: No individuals have been charged at the University of South Carolina, the speculation of South Carolina being a part of this scandal is due to a mention in which the university is connected with Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State.

   Auburn: Rashan Michel told cooperating witnesses that Chuck Connors Person needed financial support and in exchange he would steer the players on the Auburn division 1 basketball team to sign with the clothing brand to make these student athletes their suits when they go pro. Due to Auburn’s connection with this nation wide scandal they lost the commitment of five star recruit E.J. Montgomery.

   The entire scandal is still under investigation by the FBI and it is said that their are still 30 people who will be arrested for illicit fraud, and bribery charges. The NCAA is taking serious actions to make sure each and every person involved in this scandal, known and unknown, will be found and punished to prevent similar serious nationwide scandals in the NCAA from happening again.