NCAA bans ex-Abilene Christian player Airion Simmons over game-fixing allegations

The NCAA has permanently banned former Abilene Christian University men’s basketball player Airion Simmons for allegedly participating in a scheme to rig games for sports bettors. The decision by the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions follows an investigation into conduct that occurred while Simmons was a student-athlete at the university between 2019 and 2024.

According to the NCAA, Simmons colluded with a teammate and a bettor to intentionally underperform in a game in March 2024. In a December 2025 interview, Simmons told investigators he was contacted by a second bettor regarding the prospect of losing the game for money. A former student-athlete who transferred to the program in September 2025 reported that Simmons and another teammate attempted to recruit him to purposely lose the March 2024 game.

The reporter stated he received a FaceTime call with Simmons, the teammate, and a bettor instructing the group to throw the game. The student-athlete indicated that by the time he entered the game, the final outcome was already determined and his performance had no impact on the result.

Simmons allegedly agreed to receive $3,500 to "play bad" in the March 2024 game. He received cash in a Dallas parking lot but did not share the money with the other student-athletes involved. Simmons left the game after 11 minutes due to a reported hand injury. He told investigators he had a hand injury and that another teammate would not be playing, though the final outcome was reportedly already determined.

Simmons is also named in a federal indictment in Pennsylvania for bribery, fraud, and conspiracy. He agreed to be interviewed by NCAA investigators but declined to participate in the processing of the case. This action follows the permanent banning of two former Fordham basketball players last month for similar violations.