Report: Hurricanes basketball program involved in federal corruption case

Miami athletic director says school will cooperate 'in any legal or NCAA review'

CORAL GABLES. Fla. ā€“ A report claims the University of Miami basketball program is involved in a bribery scandal that led to the arrests of 10 people, including coaches and shoe company executives.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced the charges of fraud and corruption in college basketball on Tuesday.

The coaches work at Oklahoma State, Auburn University, Arizona and the University of Southern California.

Business Insider reports the University of Miami is one of the schools where a player was bribed to attend by Jim Gatto, the director of global sports marketing for basketball at Adidas.

Gatto was one of the 10 men arrested.

The criminal complaint says Gatto conspired with coaches to pay athletes to attend universities sponsored by Adidas.

The University of Miami agreed to a 12-year partnership with Adidas in 2015. However, no one affiliated with the school has been arrested.

"The University of Miami is aware of the indictments handed down today by the Department of Justice involving several men'sĀ college basketball programs, coaches, financial advisors, agents and apparel executives,"Ā Miami athletic directorĀ Blake James said in a statement. "As we are just learning the details, we cannot comment on the actions taken today by federal authorities. However, if requested, we will cooperate in any legal or NCAA review of the matter."

In court papers, prosecutors said the FBI has since 2015 been investigating the criminal influence of money on coaches and student-athletes who participate in intercollegiate basketball governed by the NCAA.

Joon Kim, the acting U.S. attorney in ManhattanĀ Ā says the case against 10 men exposed "the dark underbelly of college basketball." He says the coaches exploited the "trust of the players they coached and recruited."

They said the probe has revealed numerous instances of bribes paid by athlete advisers, including financial advisers and associate basketball coaches, to assistant and associate basketball coaches to exert influence over student athletes.
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