As part of an FBI sting involving bribery and corruption in men’s college basketball, former Clemson guard Merl Code, Jr., was arrested on Tuesday.
An Adidas employee, Code, Jr., was one of 10 people arrested for allegedly taking part in a fraudulent operation that was centered upon bribing high school basketball recruits to play for Adidas-sponsored universities and/or agree to represent Adidas in the professional ranks. In return for doing so, players are reported to have been offered lucrative financial incentives.
While four assistant coaches were arrested, including former NBA Rookie of the Year and current Auburn assistant coach Chuck Person, Code, Jr., and Jim Gatto, the head of sports marketing for Adidas were also arrested and charged with fraud and corruption.
The paying of high school athletes has been the primary source of recruiting scandals for decades now in college athletics. However, the involvement of Adidas, one of the most successful shoe companies in the world, makes this controversy fairly alarming, as it raises the question of just how much pull sponsors have in skewing the recruiting process.
As for Code, Jr., who played for Clemson from 1993-1997, he is accused of working closely with Gatto to orchestrate this entire scam. Gatto reportedly spearheaded the bribery instances by using four assistant coaches at prominent programs as middle men in attempting to bribe recruits and their families in order to steer them toward certain agents and financial advisers who would ensure that the players accepted Adidas sponsorships down the road.
While this is sure to evolve into a long, drawn-out legal battle, Code, Jr., and the others at the center of this case face very serious charges. While the NCAA has been involved in cases such as this in the past, this particular case has been taken on by the FBI, as the involvement of Adidas and its alleged unfair business practices makes this case far more serious than the typical recruiting scandal.
Code, Jr., is being linked to schemes involving the funneling of hundreds of thousands of dollars to at least three different recruits and their families as part of the bribery operation. Code, Jr., who is no longer affiliated with Clemson in any way, and his family have yet to comment on the matter.