Sports betting integrity violations occurred in the Alabama State men's basketball program when former men's basketball student-athletes engaged in game manipulation for sports betting reasons, according to an agreement released by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. One former student-athlete agreed to his violations, but three former student-athletes chose not to participate in the investigation or were unresponsive. All four student-athletes are permanently ineligible.
The individuals — Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock — are no longer members of the school's men's basketball program and are not currently competing in NCAA college sports.
In July 2025, Temple informed the NCAA enforcement staff that Hines, who had transferred to Temple, was contacted by the FBI and shown text messages concerning a sports integrity issue when he was a student-athlete at Alabama State. In October 2025 and January 2026, the NCAA enforcement staff interviewed Knox, who reported that Fulcher put other teammates in a group chat in December 2024 with one of two known bettors, both of whom were later indicted Jan. 14 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests. The bettor offered the student-athletes money for the team to throw its game against Southern Mississippi the next night. Knox's teammates, including Fulcher, Hines and Madlock, then participated in a FaceTime call with the bettor the morning of the game in which Madlock told the bettor he was injured and was not going to play that night. The group agreed on the call to throw the game.
Knox reported that he, Fulcher, Hines and Madlock received a total of $2,000 from the second known bettor for throwing the game against Southern Mississippi. Each student-athlete's violations of ethical conduct rules are Level I.
The enforcement staff interviewed Fulcher, who provided false or misleading information when he denied 1) participating in a call with the bettor and sharing information with individuals who were engaged in sports betting and 2) personally betting on sports. The factual record showed he was paid for participating in a call and providing information to a bettor and also bet on sports through a daily fantasy site.
In January 2026, Hines' attorney notified the NCAA enforcement staff that Hines wanted to participate in an interview. During his interview, Hines provided false or misleading information when he denied participating in a call and sharing information with individuals who were engaged in sports betting. The factual record showed he was paid for participating in a call and providing information to an individual who was engaged in sports betting. After the interview, the enforcement staff requested text records from Hines, who did not respond.
Failure to cooperate in an NCAA investigation — including knowingly providing false information during an interview — violates NCAA rules. Fulcher's and Hines' failure-to-cooperate violations are Level I.
Madlock, who exhausted eligibility, declined to participate in an interview with the enforcement staff.
In January 2026, Fulcher and Hines were indicted by the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on various fraud charges, including bribery in sports wagering contests, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in the events surrounding the Southern Mississippi game.
Although the Committee on Infractions does not currently assess penalties for student-athletes who violate NCAA rules, their participation in violations is not without consequence. Student-athletes who are found to have violated NCAA rules are ineligible and can be reinstated only with the assistance of an NCAA school.
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from the NCAA membership and public. The panel members who reviewed this case are: Norman Bay, attorney in private practice; Susan Lipnickey, senior associate athletics director for compliance and student-athlete resources and senior woman administrator at Xavier; and Steve Waterfield, athletics director at Oakland and chief hearing officer for the panel.
