• A 2017 FBI investigation into college basketball corruption led to the arrests and firings of several coaches.
• Many of the coaches implicated in the scandal have since returned to coaching, with several participating in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
• Former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson received a harsher penalty than others and is still effectively barred from college basketball.

On Sept. 26, 2017, the FBI and federal law enforcement authorities set off a massive explosion in college basketball that led to the arrests of several coaches and the eventual suspension or firing of several others.  

The list included then-USC assistant coach Tony Bland, who was arrested that day on bribery-related charges. The fallout from it also ensnared Louisville head coach Rick Pitino (fired in 2017), Arizona head coach Sen Miller (fired in 2021) Kansas head coach Bill Self (suspended in 2022), and LSU head coach Will Wade (fired in 2022).

But those coaches and several others since have been forgiven and even had a comeback party of sorts this month as active coaches in the NCAA Tournament. Wade also just got rehired as head coach at LSU, as if nothing ever happened, serving as a reminder about what really matters in college sports once all the FBI dust settles.

“Some had short exiles and punishments, but when you win, there’s always a spot,” said David Ridpath, a sports business professor at Ohio University.

These March Madness comeback stories (see list below) also raise other big concerns on the eve of the Final Four in Indianapolis, according to observers.

One is whether this crackdown had any lasting purpose or should have happened in the first place. Another relates to former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson, who’s still paying a price for it even after serving 90 days in federal prison.

“It is a continuing, profound injustice,” one of his advocates said recently.

What was illegal then is now generally legal

The FBI investigation and the NCAA rules enforcement cases that followed aimed to crack down on alleged bribes and illegal payments to recruits or their families, which now seems quaint. NCAA rules have since changed to legalize certain payments to players for their names, images, and likenesses (NIL), starting in 2021.

A sports apparel company such as Adidas now can legally pay players directly for their NIL, unlike back then, when an Adidas consultant testified at trial in 2018 that he provided illicit payments to the families of recruits, including recruits for Kansas and Louisville, two Adidas-sponsored schools. Both Louisville and Kansas got punished for it, even though they said they didn’t have knowledge of it.

Kansas spent $10 million over six years fighting the case, which alleged Kansas was using Adidas to entice recruits with money. An Adidas employee and consultant even went to prison for it.

This likely never would have happened under the current rule structure.

“Everything that’s happening (legally now with NIL) is just a microcosm of what’s always been happening,” Richardson told USA TODAY Sports on March 25. “Now we can put a name to it (NIL).”

Meanwhile, not everyone has been allowed to resume their careers like Bland, Pitino and others who took part in March Madness this month. Richardson is still effectively barred from college basketball under a 10-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA, even after serving prison time and taking responsibility for the $20,000 bribe prosecutors said he took to steer players toward a certain agent and financial adviser once the players made it to the NBA.

That lingering punishment strikes some as just plain wrong

The Book Richardson case

Richardson, 53, is seeking a federal pardon even though he already served his prison sentence. A federal pardon would not erase the 10-year NCAA penalty that extends to 2030. But it would be a meaningful sign of forgiveness. The application for it was spearheaded by a group at New York University, including clinical professor David Hollander.

“It is a continuing, profound injustice Book Richardson remains under the professional restraint of a 10-year show-cause, given whatever other results you would like to observe have come from that FBI investigation,” Hollander told USA TODAY Sports on March 25. “Excessive isn’t strong enough of a word, because words don’t amount to a human being’s life. That’s what this is about. One person’s entire life has been lopsidedly hammered.”

Four coaches pleaded guilty in 2019 to similar bribery charges: Richardson, Bland, former Auburn assistant Chuck Person and former Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans. Richardson, Person and Evans are out of college basketball with 10-year show-cause penalties. Richardson and Evans both did prison time, not Person or Bland. Bland only got a three-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA and is back in college basketball on the staff at Kansas.

Under-the-table bribes like those back then since have been disincentivized and replaced by over-the-table business transactions. In addition to allowing players to earn money for their NIL, the NCAA also now allows them to hire agents to manage their NIL earnings while still in college.  

The timing isn’t lost on Richardson, who regrets taking the money and now works in Virginia at The St. James Performance Academy.

“I did 90 days in jail, and I got out in October of 2020,” Richardson said. “(Legalized) NIL happened in 2021.”

More recently, Richardson noticed all those familiar names involved in March Madness this month.

List of March Madness coaches who got punished in scandal

These coaches coached in NCAA Tournament this month after previously being caught in the quagmire stemming from the FBI investigation of 2017:

∎ Tony Bland, now at Kansas, made his first NCAA Tournament appearance since his arrest.

∎ Rick Pitino, now the head coach at St. John’s, recently made his first Sweet 16 appearance since his firing from Louisville.

∎ Will Wade of LSU was caught on an FBI wiretap talking about an “offer” and a “deal” for Javonte Smart, a top recruit who later signed with LSU before NIL was legalized. LSU fired Wade for cause in 2022 after the NCAA accused him of serious recruiting violations. The NCAA’s enforcement arm also hit him with a 10-game suspension and two-year show-cause penalty. He bounced back as coach at McNeese State, then NC State, which he led to the NCAA Tournament this month. He’s now back at LSU, where all has been forgiven. He recently told reporters he’s “trying to follow more rules this time.” He also received a hero’s welcome in Baton Rouge at his re-introductory news conference March 30.

“You never get second chances in life, but we get one here,” Wade said March 30.

∎ Kansas coach Bill Self was suspended four games in 2022 after fighting the Adidas-related allegations for years. He lost in the second round to Pitino and St. John’s on March 22.

∎ Head coach Sean Miller brought Texas to the NCAA Tournament this month after getting fired from Arizona in 2021 and then bouncing back at Xavier. Shortly before his firing, the NCAA charged Arizona with serious recruiting allegations stemming from the FBI case. An FBI wiretap caught Book Richardson telling an aspiring agent that Miller “bought” star player Deandre Ayton. Miller denied it.

∎ Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend was suspended four games along with Self in 2022 and was sitting right next to him in the game vs. St. John’s.

∎ Former Creighton assistant coach Preston Murphy was back in the NCAA Tournament this month with Alabama after previously being punished with a two-year show-cause penalty stemming from the FBI investigation. He wasn’t charged with a crime but allegedly accepted payment from a business manager seeking to entice college athletes to sign with that person’s management company.

Richardson said he’s happy for these coaches.

“If they have the opportunity to get back and flourish, I’d love that same opportunity,” Richardson said. “I think I have a lot to give.”

Rick Pitino, Bill Self and the Adidas March Madness game

Amid the backdrop of the FBI case of 2017, a second-round game on March 22 in San Diego stands out in particular.

This was a matchup between two Hall of Fame coaches, nationally televised on CBS — Self and Kansas vs. Pitino at St. John’s. Before the game, Self took a seat next to assistant coach Townsend on his right and Bland down the row to his left.

All wore the Adidas “three stripes” logo on their sleeves. Their star freshman guard, Darryn Peterson, has been paid by Adidas, too, and is now allowed to do so openly, unlike players before 2021.

On the other side of the court, Pitino’s team also was outfitted in Adidas uniforms after reaching a sponsorship deal with the company last year.

Adidas-sponsored Peterson scored 21 points, but Adidas-sponsored St. John’s won the game with a buzzer-beating layup, 67-65.

In light of all of this, what impact did this FBI case really have?

This game came just a handful of years after Adidas representatives went to prison and some of those coaches were punished in a case involving alleged Adidas inducements to recruits.

‘It’s really time to free this man’

Richardson is still feeling the impact of it at least.

“I’ve been to hell and back,” he said.  And he never snitched on anybody, which could have helped him get a lighter sentence.

“It all could have been avoided if I just told what everyone thought I knew,” Richardson said.

The NCAA and U.S. Justice Department didn’t return messages seeking comment. Meanwhile, the contrast between Richardson and other active coaches hasn’t gone unnoticed in college basketball.

“I am very happy for my friends, Will Wade and Sean Miller,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said on social media recently. “Not being sarcastic. But I’ve had discussions with the NCAA about Book Richardson & it’s really time to free this man. His penalty is very, very, very unfair”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

PHOENIX — OK, whoever wrote this Hollywood script has a merciless sense of humor.

Come on, this was supposed to be the first chapter of Justin Verlander’s glorious return, his first start in a Detroit Tigers uniform in 3,135 days, at the age of 43 years and 38 days.

Instead, it was a living nightmare Monday night for the future Hall of Famer and the oldest athlete in major North American team sports.

Final score: Arizona Diamondbacks 9, Tigers 6.

Verlander took the loss, and lasted just 3 ⅔ innings, giving up six hits, five earned runs and two walks with one strikeout.

It took Verlander 20 pitches to record his first out.

It was 2-0 after the first four batters.

It was 5-0 after the first 11 batters.

The Diamondbacks had a homer, triple, double and three singles by the third inning. All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll had a triple, homer and four RBIs by the second inning, becoming only the second player to accomplish the feat in an entire game against Verlander, joining Denard Span.

The Diamondbacks scorched six balls over 100 mph the first two innings, and Verlander didn’t produce a single strikeout until the 15^th batter he faced. He recorded only six swings and misses in his 80-pitch outing.

“It sucks, not the way I obviously wanted it to go,” Verlander said, “which is disappointing for myself more than anybody else in the world. … You spend all spring training working on stuff, feel OK, and then the first game of the season felt like nothing was right. …

“They had way too many good swings on most of my pitches. I need to be better.”

It was a season debut that Verlander hopes to flush from his memory as quickly as possible, certainly before his next scheduled start Sunday, April 5, in a nationally televised game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Detroit’s Comerica Park.

Still, despite the ugliness, Verlander refused to give in. He finished his outing by retiring seven of the final nine batters he faced, leaving after 80 pitches. He stayed in the dugout for awhile after he was pulled from the game, standing next to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, lamenting his performance.

“I got some outs, but I wouldn’t consider it progress,” Verlander said. “I think it was much of the same, to be honest.”

It’s premature, and perhaps foolish for anyone to start panicking over Verlander. It was just one start against one of the league’s finest hitting teams in Arizona. Verlander got off to a slow start last season for the San Francisco Giants, too, going 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA in the first half compared to 4-4 with a 2.99 ERA the second half.

“I don’t think what I did today is sustainable,” he said. “If that’s the way hitters are going to react against me, I need to be sharper than that.”

Verlander already has ideas swirling in his head before his next start, knowing he has three Cy Young awards and 266 victories for a reason. He wouldn’t have come back if he thought he’d be a detriment. He knows he can still be successful, and plans to prove it.

“Obviously, he’s thinking about some different things, pitch mechanics, or whatever it may be.” Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler said. “He’s a perfectionist, and he’s one of the best to ever do it. So it’s kind of cool to see the constant drive that he has. It’s cool that each game he’s trying to get better and get better.”

The Tigers’ confidence in Verlander refuses to wane, even after a spring in which he yielded a 6.75 ERA, giving up seven homers in 14 ⅔ innings. Tigers pitchers can’t stop raving about what he has meant to their staff, and are convinced vintage Verlander will surface again.

“It’s been a ton of fun to be with him,” two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal tells USA TODAY Sports. “Just his eagerness to want to get better and his preparation, not that I didn’t expect it, it’s just like to a level that I didn’t really know was possible.

“He’s invested in everything going on. That’s something I can easily pick up on and apply to my game the attention to detail he is on every single specific thing. It’s really impressive. He’s 43 years old and still locked in. He’s locked in for my bullpens. He’s locked in for the other guys’ bullpens. He’s locked in on days I pitch on what I’m doing.

“It’s really cool.”

The Tigers didn’t sign Verlander to a one-year, $13 million contract for sentimental purposes. They know he can be a solid No. 4 starter, replacing Reese Olson, who underwent labrum surgery. Yet, they also see the impact he makes behind the scenes, what he means to this passionate fanbase, and believe he can take them where they haven’t gone in 42 years:

The World Series championship.

“It definitely got me excited when I heard Justin was coming back here,” said Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who’s just 23 saves shy of 500 and a ticket to Cooperstown. “He’s definitely a Detroit legend, a first ballot Hall of Famer. I can only imagine what it does for the fans.

“But for us, guys like me, my first year in Detroit, it’s definitely fired me up.”

Hinch vividly remembers Verlander walking through the Houston Astros clubhouse doors for the first time after being traded in 2017, in between games of a doubleheader, and just what his presence meant to the entire team.

Two months later, the Astros were celebrating their first World Series championship with Verlander going 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five regular-season starts, and 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in the postseason.

“When he walked through the doors,” Hinch said, “is when I first felt the magnitude of what it was like to have Justin Verlander on your team, and how he raises everyone’s play around him. He’s been incredible ever since …

“He’s fit in extremely well with this club, the personality of this team and the preparation surrounding this team.”

While Verlander’s parents and family were at the game Monday, it will be a whole different vibe in his next start in Detroit. It’s a day Tigers fans have been anticipating since he signed, with Scott Harris, Tigers president of baseball operations, receiving more positive feedback than any move he made since joining the team.

“He’s been a huge boost,” Harris said. “In addition to what he can do on the field, off the field, the leadership and the wisdom that he shares with this young group is incredible. There are players asking him questions all the time about how he would approach certain situations. But the thing that I was struck by is how many of our players take notice of his work and how he approaches things.

“When he throws a bullpen, he is obsessed with every detail on every single pitch. That’s just a habit and a practice that has served him well in his career. He’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer because of the talent, but also like the way he approaches the game and how prepared he is. It’s already rubbing off on our young guys.”

Verlander, who made 380 starts for the Tigers before being traded Aug. 31, 2017, to the Astros, joins Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only pitchers in baseball history to make the first 380 starts of their career for one team, leave and start at least 175 games elsewhere, and then return to his original team.

It’s reminiscent of Hall of Famer Tom Seaver returning to the New York Mets after making 360 starts and leaving, and Hall of Famer Tom Glavine who returned to Atlanta after making 505 starts, departing as a free agent, and returning.

“I think the home start is really what will hit our guys because of the fan reaction,” Hinch said, “the Old English D being on his chest will hit a little bit different.”

Said Skubal: “That one Sunday is going to be pretty special. I know it’s scheduled to rain, but I expect 40,000. It’s going to be like a playoff environment.”

Maybe, the emotional return will bring back a vintage Verlander, too.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is insistent Iran will play at the World Cup despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“We have only one plan for this team. Iran has qualified for the World Cup, and will play in the tournament,” Infantino told Iranian media their 5-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday. “Personally, I will do ​whatever I can to make sure everything is in order.”

Iranian officials have previously said it is up to FIFA and the U.S. to keep the team safe during the World Cup. Iran is scheduled to play their matches in Los Angeles and Seattle against Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G.

However, Iran would prefer to relocate its matches to Mexico, citing the United States’ bombing campaign alongside the Israeli military across the region since Feb 28.

President Donald Trump’s recently said Iran would be welcome at the World Cup, while stating: “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

“We want them to play; they are going to play in the World Cup. There are no Plans B or C or D – Plan A is the only plan,” Infantino said in an appearance on Univision.

“We live in a complex geopolitical situation… but our work is to unite. We know it is a complicated situation, but we will work to be sure that Iran plays in this World Cup in the best conditions.”

While moving match venues may be out of the question, Infantino seemingly suggested Iran could hold its World Cup training sessions outside of the U.S.

“From now until the World Cup, I will do whatever I can to support the Iran national team,” Infantino told Iranian media. “If you want to organize a training camp or ⁠if ​there is any matter related to activities outside the ​country, whatever it is, I will help. Whenever you want, please stay in contact. I am at your service and ​will help with anything you need.”

NBA superstar James Harden is paying homage to his late friend and rapper Nipsey Hussle through his upcoming sneaker launch.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pro-baller and Adidas are collaborating with the rapper’s brand, The Marathon Clothing, with the release of the royal blue Harden Volume 10 kicks, according to a press release from Adidas.

The colorway and “The Marathon Continues” flag on the heel tab are an ode to Hussle. The logo, in particular, reflects the hip hop icon’s “enduring message of long-term vision and perseverance,” Adidas said.

Other intentional details on the insole include the word “Crenshaw,” the Grammy award-winning artist’s hometown in Los Angeles.

The shoes are set to drop on Tuesday, April 12, on the Adidas website, the brand’s app, and at select retailers for $160.

‘He was a leader,’ Harden says

According to Adidas, Harden will wear the new shoes during the Cavaliers vs. the Los Angeles game on Tuesday, March 31, the day Hussle died. The “Racks in the Middle” emcee was 33 when he wasfatally shot in front of his own Marathon Clothing store in 2019.

Harden, who is also from Los Angeles, was a close friend of Hussle. The athlete opened up about the news of the musician and entrepreneur’s death in an interview a few days later.

“He was powerful. Not just to a certain dynamic or a certain city, but just to the world. He was a leader. He was so many things,” Harden told reporters at the time. “His life got taken away off nonsense, off BS. It’s been sad, man. Not only myself, but a lot of people around this world were affected by it. It doesn’t seem real.”

In 2018, both Hussle and Harden were captured in a run-in with TMZ.

“The (expletive) that broke the NBA record for the highest (expletive) contract ever, went to Audubon,” Hussle said with his arm wrapped around Harden, referring to the middle school they reportedly both attended.

Harden was on the Houston Rockets at the time when he inked the deal.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban says he regrets selling the team to the Adelson and Dumont families. Cuban made the deal in December 2023, maintaining a minority share within the organization, but now says that he wishes he could take it back.

During an interview on the “Intersection” podcast Tuesday March 31, Cuban said, “I don’t regret selling,” then clarified, “I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.”

At the time of the deal, Cuban was adamant that he would remain involved with the team’s basketball operations. However, that hasn’t happened. It is well-known how furious Cuban was with former GM Nico Harrison’s decision to trade away star guard Luka Doncic in February 2025. ESPN reports that Cuban was also among the people telling Dumont to fire Harrison after the deal was done.

How much did Cuban sell the Mavericks for?

The deal was for $3.5 billion. While Cuban maintains that he believed he would still be involved in basketball operations and action within the organization, there have never been reports that Cuban’s continued involvement was part of the deal for the sale.

Why did Cuban sell the team?

Cuban sold the team amid pressure to build a contender, something he didn’t believe he could do as a “middle-class billionaire.” He also believed his “emotional commitment” to the team had become too much of a burden.

Cuban said on the podcast, “You hear the passion and everything. Now imagine going up and down like that every single game. That’s hard.”

At the time of the deal, Cuban believed the real estate expertise brought by the Adelson family would be a huge boon to the team, while still keeping Cuban’s basketball savvy on for advice. Of course, the latter part of that deal never amounted to anything.

How have the Mavericks done since Cuban’s departure?

Immediately following Cuban’s sale, the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, nearly winning their first title since 2011. Since then though, the team has struggled mightily.

That said, between trading away superstar Luka Doncic and a 24-51 record this season, the team did get rather lucky, securing the No. 1 overall pick despite only a 1.8% chance to earn that pick via the lottery and selecting Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft. Clearly though, Flagg’s presence has not led to the win totals that Harrison and company had hoped for after they traded Doncic to Los Angeles.

Furthermore, the key piece the Mavericks got in return for Doncic, forward Anthony Davis played just 29 games for Dallas before being traded to Washington at this year’s trade deadline.

SACRAMENTO, CA — UCLA women’s basketball is still dancing in the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament, literally.

After No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 3 Duke 70-58 in the Elite Eight on Sunday, seniors Lauren Betts, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gabriela Jaquez gave an encore performance of their choreographed dance in front of family and friends. There’s a lot to celebrate — UCLA is headed back to the Final Four for the second consecutive season.

“We did (the viral dance) in the locker room today, too,” said Lauren Betts, who finished with a 23-point, 10 rebound double-double. “I didn’t realize they were going to play (Tate McRae’s “Just Keep Watching”) on the court in front of everybody … then Gabs of course comes running over.”

Like the song name, fans get to keep watching UCLA as their March Madness run continues. And although the dance break marked a moment of pure jubilation for the Bruins, Betts experienced the opposite side of the spectrum just hours prior. “I was just pretty mad. I just didn’t like how that first half happened,” she said.

“This is the Elite Eight and my senior season is on the line,” Betts said.

The matchup between UCLA and Duke at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday was a tale of two halves. The Blue Devils led by as many as 10 points in the first half and the Bruins entered the locker room trailing for only the second time all season. UCLA completely flipped the script in the third quarter and went on to outscore Duke 39-19 in the second half to complete the comeback victory and keep their season alive.

But the Bruins didn’t need head coach Cori Close to muster up a motivational halftime speech to rally the troops. UCLA — made up of eight seniors, including all five of their starters — had already “taken care of things” and discussed adjustments long before Close stepped into the locker room. Experience was on their side.

“We could have gone into that locker room and just kept our head down and gotten mad at each other and been pissed off, but we want to win,” Betts, the Sacramento Regional 2’s most outstanding player, said. “I spoke to all the girls and held people accountable and I think I just came out with the mentality I’m just not going to lose. And so whether that’s me scoring or blocking shots or just getting extra rebounds, I was willing to do whatever the team needed.”

Senior forward Angela Dugalic, who was named to the Sacramento Regional 2 All-Tournament Team, said the team’s defensive effort was the first topic of conversation.

“We try to anchor ourselves on defense and we knew that wasn’t a great depiction of how we want to play defense, so I think that we just needed to adjust,” said Dugalic, who finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench. “I even told the guards I need you guys to get through the screen so we can properly help you guys and get back to our player. And then they had some things to say to us as well.”

Close has leaned on her team’s veteran leadership all season and trusts their instincts to get back to the fundamentals, although she joked she’d much rather have her players “listen to me before we went out and follow the game plan from the beginning.” Close said her main role at halftime was to bring a sense of calmness.

“I was going into the locker room talking to myself going, they’ve got this, be solid, stay really steady for them,” Close recalled. “When you have a mature group and when your culture is pretty intact in terms of the values, it’s better for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak so usually when I speak, I will have better things to say.”

UCLA will face the winner of No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Michigan at the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3.

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

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