Former Tulane Basketball Player Indicted in Bribery Scandal
Former Tulane forward Kevin Cross is one of twenty-six people that comprised college basketball players and those labeled as "fixers" who have been named in a multi-count indictment by the United States Department of Justice. Cross and the other players named are accused of point-shaving schemes. The players were allegedly paid to tank a game purposefully.
The wide-ranging indictments states that more than 39 college basketball players on at least 17 Division I teams "fixed and attempted to fix" over 29 games.
DOJ Officials Make the Announcement
At a news conference this morning, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.
“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition. When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”
You can read the indictment in its entirety here.
Cross Accused of Throwing ECU Game
The indictment alleges Cross, who averaged 17.5-poihts per game for the Green Wave that year, purposely threw the game with his performance in a game against East Carolina on February 18, 2024. In that contest, an 81-67 loss in Greenville, Cross played for 32-minutes, taking two shots from the field, missing both. The Tulane forward hit all four of his free throws for that game, accounting for all four of his points in the contest.
Tulane said in a statement it would cooperate with authorities "where appropriate." Cross was accused of taking a bribe of approximately $30,000 to keep Tulane from covering the spread in a 2024 game against East Carolina. Cross was also accused of discussing an attempt to fix a game later that year against Florida Atlantic, but the attempted fix wasn't successful, according to the indictment.
After leaving Tulane, Cross went on to play in the National Basketball League in China.
Tulane basketball players were involved in bribery scandal in 1985. It centered on a point-shaving scheme involving the men's basketball team, orchestrated by fraternity brothers who bribed players with drugs (cocaine) and money to manipulate game outcomes, leading to indictments, and the university's decision to abandon men's basketball for a period of time.
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.