Loyola University Maryland’s men’s basketball team dismissed an individual for gambling violations, it shared Friday. An investigation related to unusual betting activity related to the program was first reported by Sports Illustrated.
“Loyola was made aware of an individual’s gambling violation that was promptly reported to the NCAA,” an athletic department spokesperson told Sports Handle in a statement. “The individual was immediately removed from the program, and the NCAA accepted the self-report and took no further action.”
It’s not believed that the integrity of games was compromised.
“The conference office investigated to ensure the integrity of League contests by reaching out to U.S. Integrity, the conference’s monitoring partner. U.S. Integrity analyzed contests and no anomalies were discovered,” the athletic department’s statement said. “The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency provided information on operators licensed in the state, and those operators confirmed all previously known information.”
Loyola finished its 2024 season earlier this week. The Greyhounds went 7-25 on the season, losing in the Patriot League Tournament to Navy. They went 12-19 against the spread, including a woeful 1-11 mark in home games.
Loyola head coach Tavaras Hardy stepped down following the season’s conclusion. The school announced his departure on Friday.
“After much thought and deliberation, I have decided it is best that I step down as head men’s basketball coach at Loyola Maryland to pursue other professional opportunities,” Hardy said in a press release.
Hardy was not the person removed from the program due to a gambling violation, according to a report from the Associated Press.
News of the Loyola betting incident comes a day after flagged as being suspicious. The Temple-UAB game saw dramatic line movement prior to tipoff in UAB’s favor.
