TLDR
- Former Abilene Christian basketball player Airion Simmons received a permanent NCAA ban for conspiring with outside bettors to fix a March 2024 game against Tarleton State
- Simmons admitted to accepting $3,500 to deliberately underperform, collecting cash from a contact in Dallas
- The scheme was exposed in 2025 when a former teammate disclosed the plan after transferring to a Division II school
- Federal prosecutors indicted Simmons and two bettors in January 2026 on charges including bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy
- Simmons joins a growing list of NCAA athletes permanently banned for betting violations, with Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby currently under investigation
The NCAA has permanently banned former Abilene Christian men’s basketball player Airion Simmons after finding he conspired with outside bettors to manipulate the outcome of a game.
The Division I Committee on Infractions issued the ruling after investigators determined Simmons violated core honesty and sportsmanship rules. He agreed to alter his performance during a March 2024 game against Tarleton State.
Simmons admitted to NCAA enforcement staff that he accepted $3,500 to “play bad” in the contest. He later met a contact in Dallas to collect the cash payment.
How the Game-Fixing Scheme Unfolded
The case came to light when a former teammate disclosed the scheme after transferring to a Division II school in 2025. That disclosure triggered a wider NCAA investigation into the incident.
Investigators found that Simmons and two teammates initially discussed losing the game on purpose while playing video games together. They later joined a FaceTime call with a known bettor who pressured them to throw the Tarleton State game.
Simmons told investigators he was already dealing with a hand injury at the time. He also shared information that another teammate would miss the game entirely.
Despite playing limited minutes, Simmons accepted the money to underperform. The NCAA said he kept the entire $3,500 payment and did not share any of it with the other teammates involved.
The violations were classified as Level I, which is the NCAA’s most serious category. Simmons declined to take part in the resolution process, which was treated as acceptance of the findings.
In January 2026, federal prosecutors indicted Simmons and two bettors on charges including bribery in sports wagering contests, wire fraud, and conspiracy.
A Growing Wave of NCAA Betting Bans
Although Simmons is no longer part of Abilene Christian’s program, the ruling bars him from ever returning to NCAA competition. Violations tied to game manipulation for betting purposes automatically result in permanent loss of eligibility.
The Committee on Infractions noted that while schools face penalties for staff misconduct, athletes found guilty of betting violations face direct consequences through ineligibility.
The panel reviewing the case included Rich Ensor, Jason Leonard, and Amy Parsons. They approved the negotiated resolution.
Simmons’ ban comes just weeks after the NCAA handed down permanent ineligibility rulings to three other basketball players. Elijah Grey and Will Richardson, both former Fordham athletes, were declared permanently barred following a federal probe.
Simeon Cottle, who once played at Kennesaw State, was also ruled ineligible under a separate agreement.
The string of bans points to increased NCAA enforcement around gambling violations among student athletes.
At the same time, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is currently under investigation. Records showed he placed more than 10,000 wagers since 2022, including a bet on an Indiana game while he was redshirting.
Sorsby recently entered a gambling addiction treatment program. Depending on the findings, he could join the growing list of players permanently banned from NCAA competition.
