College basketball fans might want to mark down September 26th 2017 as a day that will go down in infamy. Ten individuals, including 4 active assistant coaches were indicted on federal corruption charges Tuesday. Accused of perpetuating a system that funneled blue-chip basketball recruits to certain programs, agents, and footwear companies, these 10 men likely represent the tip of a very large iceberg.

The coaches involved were from Auburn, Oklahoma State, Arizona and USC. A current marketing director at Adidas was also named, along with a current Adidas and recently-former Nike staffer. You have AAU organizers and agents wrapped in there too.

It appears the University of Louisville is also likely embroiled in this controversy. The FBI complaint includes a reference to a “public research university located in Kentucky.” Whether that is UK or Louisville is difficult to discern, but the Adidas connection along with timing and enrollment figures point pretty squarely at the Cardinals.

Most ominous about this is the prosecutor’s declaration that, “We have your playbook. The investigation is ongoing.”

It is unlikely any 18S reader is surprised that shoe money flies through the grass roots and college basketball circuits to shape the futures of young talents. What is so unique about today is that the federal government, specifically the DoJ and FBI, have inserted themselves into the equation. The haphazard inconsistency of the NCAA is something we fans have come to accept. It is how many programs have managed to stay afloat while operating under NCAA incompetence. Now that the DoJ is on the case, just how far will all of this go? When and where will the other shoes drop? Clearly this wasn’t just Adidas. Nike and UA are also significant players in the youth and college basketball.

More to come as this story develops.