Fresno State University has come under fire amid allegations that students have been taking exams and completing assignments for athletes.
At least three students are accused of allegedly completing assignments written by the team statistician, Stephen Mintz, during the 2000 basketball season.
All three players being investigated are no longer at the University at Fresno.
Mintz was paid $1,500 to write 17 papers. The money came from Robert Walsh, a Las Vegas-based sports agent, and was then laundered to the academic advisor of the athletes in question, Katie Felton.
Katie Felton and Stephen Mintz are no longer employed by FSU.
Tom Urides, spokesman for FSU, confirmed a joint investigation by the university and the NCAA. However, Urides could not reveal any specifics.
“There’s not really much more that I can say,” Urides said. “We are reviewing the matter.”
“I view any charge of academic fraud with the utmost seriousness,” FSU president John Welty said in a news release last Tuesday. Welty also explained that the university brought self-imposed sanctions onto itself after an ongoing investigation of almost two and a half years.
Coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs , Jerry Tarkanian, has one of the winningest records in college basketball, 778-202 and has yet to be questioned about how ethically sound his tactics have been.
Tarkanian coached at UNLV and Long Beach State before coaching at Fresno State. He was placed on probation at both of these schools in order to investigate issues dealing with recruiting and player eligibility.
After other noted incidents, including suspension from coaching, Tarkanian retired from FSU after the 2002 season. This came after losing 15 games, the most ever in season in his collegiate coaching career.
Urides said Tarkanian was not being investigated at this time because Tarkanian said he wasn’t aware of any cheating taking place among members of the basketball team.
Urides also said that Tarkanian is still involved in the sports program at Fresno and is being paid to develop the new FSU athletic center, the SaveMart Center, where basketball games will be held.