Temple University said it was investigating allegations of match fixing for a Division 1 men’s basketball game against rival University of Alabama-Birmingham.
In a notice released Friday afternoon, a university representative acknowledged being made aware of “disturbing reports” circulating in gambling circles about irregular betting patterns prior to the March 7th home matchup against UAB at Liacouras Center. “We take any hints of impropriety extremely seriously and will conduct a thorough internal review as well as cooperate fully with the NCAA to determine the facts,” the statement read.
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According to sources who analyze sports betting data, the point spread had wildly fluctuated in the two hours before tipoff – initially installed at Temple -2.5 favorites before ballooning to UAB -8 without news to explain the sudden shift. Such a large unprompted move so close to game time was said to be “nearly unheard of” this late in the season between comparable opponents.
The lopsided final score of 100-72 in favor of the visiting Blazers only added fuel to the flames of suspicion, especially considering Temple managed a mere 22 rebounds – their lowest total since 2019. UAB declined comment when asked about the allegations, while Temple maintained they had only just begun their probe and could not comment further at this time.
Now at 19-11 on the year compared to Temple’s 11-19 record, UAB continued their conference schedule while lingering questions went unanswered. A gambling integrity group alerted casinos to the peculiar circumstances surrounding the contest, and their subsequent statement to the American Athletic Conference was all that its spokesperson would say on the matter. As investigations commence, the storied history of corruption in March Madness looms over all involved.
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However, the continuous legalization of and ensuing surge of interest in online sports betting in recent years may have amplified the probability for such an incident to reoccur.
In a 2023 NCAA survey of athletic departments, 13% of Division 1 administrators reported facing a gambling or sports wagering issue within the previous year, contrasted with just 4% in 2019. Equivalently, the equivalent study uncovered 30% of respondents expressing they were now extremely or somewhat anxious about sports betting or gambling contrasted to other compliance matters, opposite 20% expressing as such in 2019.
One administrator’s profound worries with the ascent of advanced betting and its effect on understudies were secretly cited in the report. “The games wagering industry is a billion-dollar business with the assets to impact understudy athletes to bet consistently on each market front,” another expressed. “Instructions don’t have the assets or the subsidizing to win this fight.” “The sheer admittance of wagering exercises accessible with innovation is IMPOSSIBLE to screen or follow,” another stated.
A NCAA representative said the association couldn’t remark on examinations. “The NCAA takes games betting truly and is committed to the assurance of understudy competitor personal satisfaction and the uprightness of rivalry,” the representative expressed. “The Association works with uprightness checking administrations, state controllers and other stakeholders to lead fitting due persistency whenever dubious reports are gotten. Because of the significance of secretiveness, the NCAA doesn’t remark on current, pending or potential examinations.”
