Many of times NCAA teams in the long history of American sports have been caught cheating. The most popular way by far involves coaches, administration, all bribe potential recruits or players to come play on their team. Whether it involves buying them material items like new clothes or cars. To buying players fancy dinners, having sports agents cater to their every need. Some teams have even been caught giving players thousands of dollars. If you're like me, you probably were thinking there's no way teams are still doing that right? I mean the NCAA is probably even more on top of things nowadays. Well, we'd be both wrong.

According to ESPN, more than 20 Division 1 men's basketball teams have been identified as violating NCAA recruiting rules. All this has been investigated by the FBI and has recognized schools such as Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, and Kansas. Now if you know a little bit about college basketball, a majority of the schools that were listed by the FBI for cheating are big-time juggernauts. Those schools you see almost every year make it very far in the NCAA March Madness tournament. Coincidence? Maybe so apparently with these new revelations.

All of these claims are backed by thorough investigations done by the FBI, involving wiretapping former NBA agent Arthur Miller's office phones as well as checking financial records. These claims lead to evidence that players have received payment for as much as $76,000. Just to play basketball at a particular school. I'm sure you can see why that's extremely illegal to do in any college sport and level, it doesn't even have to involve a Division 1 school.

Collegiate student-athletes must pick a program based on the program's history and legacy, academics, and overall if they like the school and campus. These seem obvious but I guess programs still are not playing by the rules. The NCAA plans on giving out sanctions to all programs that are apparently involved in the scandal.

For those of you who are not familiar with what a sanction is against a program, it could involve multiple forms of discipline. Such as being forced to give up wins and national titles from a certain season or seasons. The NCAA could force the programs to give up a large number of recruits for the next few seasons.

This could really hurt as it prevents a program from receiving talented players that could benefit them greatly in the future. Or, the worst penalty of all would be receiving the death penalty for a program.

In this case, let's say they did that to Arizona's basketball team. This would mean Arizona University would not be allowed to have a basketball team for next couple of seasons. It has happened actually.

Back in the 80's, SMU's football team was unstoppable. Until the program was caught doing the same exact thing that these schools have been caught doing. Giving money or benefits to players that are very illegal.

So that puts into question, do any of the schools in question deserve that penalty? We'll have to wait and see.

However, I do feel this will shake up the way things are done in men's collegiate basketball in a big way. And personally, I feel it be in a positive way too. Athletes should focus just as much on their education as their sport.

Maybe this will force programs to make their players do this. And may even force star players to stay longer down in college hoops instead of declaring to the NBA draft.

This is a big developing story and I encourage all of you basketball fans to keep an eye on this as sanctions are dished out to programs. You should especially keep an eye on this your favorite team is one of the teams listed. In that case good luck for the next couple of seasons.