university_of_michigan basketball scandal university_of_michigan basketball scandal scandal series ncaa rules violations resulted year investigation relationship university_of_michigan men basketball program basketball team result investigation men basketball program punished sanctions violations principally involved payments martin players money illegal gambling operation largest incidents involving payments college athletes american collegiate history initial investigation school joined ncaa big conference fbi case began investigation automobile accident recruiting trip revealed curious relationship martin basketball program dating 1980s michigan basketball players implicated years called federal grand jury eventual professional basketball players discovered borrowed total martin investigation claimed financial relationship martin eventually confessed taking loans martin fined legal system briefly suspended national_basketball_association performing public service coach fired involvement violations relating scandal subsequently ncaa investigation find significant wrongdoing related scandal fall obvious players fact guilty taking money martin compromised amateur status response michigan placed basketball program years probation withdrew postseason consideration season vacated past seasons removed players names achievements record book months later ncaa accepted doubled probation period post season school scholarship seasons ordered michigan living guilty players ban extended fourth player included died punishment cost team post season eligibility cost past teams national invitation tournament big tournament championships appearances cost american honors mvp awards big tournament standing school time leading scorer time leader free throws big time leader point field goals surpassed additional year post season overturned appeal mandatory surviving players ended background early morning february ford explorer driven taylor depending source went control returning party detroit miles east michigan campus passengers high school star official recruiting visit investigation revealed trip included visit home university investigated relationship basketball program martin reportedly returning detroit taylor party included drugs alcohol accounts party vary accounts party hosted martin accounts martin house stop way party detroit martin retired provided players money accident broke arm lost season mitchell transferred michigan junior season eventually signed rival taylor went drafted national_basketball_association nba teams played foreign leagues nba ncaa uses statute limitations years time ncaa open open investigation occurring years ncaa convention date violations based learned events occurred far years prior investigation came initial accident reports revealed inconsistencies violations induced expanded investigation michigan admitted secondary ncaa violation transporting recruit miles campus questions immediately raised taylor actually owned sport utility vehicle ncaa asked documentation taylor vehicle michigan investigated players vehicles university soon required vehicles driven players special vehicle registration program martin relationship program march michigan big released results investigation martin relationship school investigation determined martin relationship involved minor violations violations published martin present recruit home visit head coach fisher given player birthday cake fisher prevented martin committing additional violations keeping placing deposit apartment player stopped martin buying airplane tickets player family second october private investigation failed reveal large violations 1980s martin befriended coach provided gifts team players michigan recruited prospect martin present martin began attending michigan games prospect father student enrolled martin attended games practices watson martin developed relationship regularly recruited detroit high schools received complimentary tickets iowa games coach martin attempted gifts cash recruit left michigan martin immediately formed equally close relationship successor fisher martin gave fisher family gifts martin noticed middle school game martin attended church father began relationship making frequent visits family home martin gave eventually confess having received identified specific transaction tied 1990s september athletic director learned previous month martin tried place deposits apartments martin offered airline tickets parents attend tournament puerto_rico emerged fisher known martin actions time fisher ordered deposits retrieved sure tickets weren didn tell athletic compliance offices required result findings ordered interviews basketball team team coaches march big report showed official university phone records documented coaching staff called martin home times seasons records showed martin received tickets michigan basketball games free special arrangement tickets available purchase watson joined michigan basketball coaching staff october investigation revealed fisher provided martin passes sixteen complimentary tickets secretary clerical workers passes addition passes signed initials departed coach watson watson denied making passes available analysis matched fisher fisher fired investigation public october week start basketball practices june revealed sources claimed taylor received martin money turning pro pattern martin young basketball stars eventually clear martin paid ninth sophomore year michigan turned pro martin befriended freshman high school martin home fisher recruiting visit senior year detroit junior year michigan turned pro martin gave martin befriended taylor high school time michigan martin gave taylor went high school maryland know martin coming michigan martin gave years michigan ended learned final fisher limited supply team rooms available martin martin gave hotel room paid michigan father violation ncaa rules martin denied wrongdoing questioned ncaa enforcement representative later refused cooperate forcing michigan ban contact athletic program march raid michigan big investigation private investigation violations arose example cleared october april fbi raided detroit area homes stop numbers game operation area ford plants martin home targets april found loaded gun gambling records cash home authorities investigating martin alleged numbers game operation ford plants martin provided michigan basketball players money gifts item seized western union course federal investigation evidence turned martin given cash payments benefits michigan players detroit area high school prospects starting early 1980s result investigations federal grand jury michigan basketball players investigate relationship martin basketball program michigan basketball player implicated early investigations having accepted named later clear money white received directly given friends family influence decision attend michigan white players captured federal interviewed fbi fully need hire lawyer implicated transferred michigan play men basketball team federal late martin originally agreed plea bargain agreed disclose information payments agreement united_states attorney office assistant attorney led prosecution case martin nearly finalized january plea agreement finalized march employee guilty count federal gambling count income tax son backed preferring chances trial likelihood light punishment time offenders plea agreement faced months prison able homes found guilty trial received years imprisonment fine count agree cooperate university investigation week martin backed plea agreement players testify grand august time professional basketball players nba italy respectively confirmed taken payments martin payments came banning martin contact team firing players federal authorities admitted receiving money rose taylor testified grand jury fisher current coach testified federal grand jury investigating martin michigan assistants martin watson close friends watson head coach martin sitting bench assistant coaches perry arranged recruiting trip known martin coached fisher players observers believed martin watson uncle leading martin nickname uncle martin watson falling early 1990s shortly watson joined michigan staff father gave sealed testimony grand jury march years testimony grand jury returned count indictment charging martin wife friend running illegal gambling business plant money conspiracy money according indictment martin illicit loans totalling taylor money illegal numbers game detroit area auto plants loans understanding players turned pro martin indicted having paid total included time freshman year birmingham michigan sophomore year michigan martin wife federal indictment conspiracy engage illegal gambling faced years prison fine convicted martin charged seven additional counts having illegal gambling business conspiracy money counts money counts money illegal activities charge dropped plea agreement april pleaded guilty grand jury work martin martin pleaded guilty count conspiracy money agreed cooperate investigations government michigan ncaa seven charges martin dropped addition furthermore martin barred team ban continuing financial relationship violation ncaa rules considered new violation september indicted charges including justice lying federal grand jury having relationship martin charge years prison fine vowed fight charges martin pleaded guilty running illegal lottery plant worked provide proceeds players martin testified paid cash gifts january denied money martin maintained testified grand jury matters martin stated understanding money players professionals grand jury investigation asked campus apartment rent paid martin received spending money jewelry clothing stereo generally responded saying recall think received gifts prosecutors turning professional gave martin significant sum money cash partial december father admitted accepted gifts small loan martin contradicted earlier statements prosecutors accused aunt lying meeting martin updated filing father aunt indicted charges having lied federal grand jury dealings martin university attempted previous investigations successful gathering evidence proceed federal government got involved january federal prosecutors filed detailed relatives justice died suspected february awaiting sentencing time death confessed taking paying winning martin pleaded guilty april lying federal grand jury admitted telling grand jury october bet money work martin sentenced august years probation martin death largely took air federal case july day jury selection case begin pleaded guilty reduced charge criminal contempt order avoid possible jail sentence admitted having received deal subject fine possible classification united_states judge rule september exchange plea charges dropped charges father charges aunt dropped martin death sanctions self imposed fall clear michigan basketball program guilty major violations response michigan decided impose sanctions program initially michigan announced game players appeared november michigan president athletic director announced school imposing sanctions basketball program postseason play players took martin money longer school school vacated entire season game played season season included title big tournament title vacated final games entire ncaa tournament record difference game game vacated game result school credited win included virtually entire career fisher successor include games played eligible final games freshman year retained returning received ncaa postseason play banners commemorating final runs title big tournament title removed arena years probation described happened wrong plain simple said determined like happen michigan day banners removed days later athletic department officially deleted mention taylor school athletic records included mvp awards big tournament standing big time leader point field goals school time leading scorer time leader free throws came payments compromised amateur status players implicated scandal continue listed school american big tournament team michigan finished season record sat year ncaa tournaments self imposed postseason ban ncaa ncaa accepted michigan sanctions imposed additional years probation docked school scholarship year ordered school died taylor ncaa barred michigan postseason play season later overturned appeal committee chairman come close imposing death penalty football program months earlier called martin michigan affair violations ncaa meant michigan accept donations recruiting assistance players years ended ncaa criticized fisher allowing martin access program university announced intention appeal additional year suspension post season play result sanctions successor received year contract extension compensate duties probation right transfer sitting year scholarship senior extended entire remaining scholarship tenure vacated games following official ncaa record affected games team gained win fallout september ncaa reversed decision add second year postseason hearing appeal university went champions national invitation tournament september judge deferred sentencing monitor service hours community service middle school literacy program summers ordered literacy program week program expected work hours summer september university announced sought involved athlete university sought confessed lying grand jury stated feel university request appropriate stolen university nba season disabled list february returned nba suspended games guilty plea september judge ruled conviction treated pay maximum fine offense ruling came served hours public service accumulated related pocket expenses following release court testimony requested high school state titles won lineup conducted investigation called press conference march announce credible evidence amateur status violated gave option games played decided alma mater entire season senior year ended noted died end michigan athletic director stated opportunity players met guys looking forward meeting guys interested meeting great taylor immediately stated look forward affiliation university stroke midnight ended tweeted vocal opinions happen following end article stated university retire jersey asked national finalist banners university president said tenure noted day won president anymore maybe different view
University of Michigan basketball scandal