This story appears in the Sept. 24–Oct. 1, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
A year has now passed since last Sept. 26, when the sports world awoke to unseasonably consequential college basketball news. Early that morning the FBI arrested 10 individuals, including four Division I assistant coaches, on charges of bribery and fraud related to cash payments made to recruits’ families. The actions outlined in the charges weren’t terribly surprising—heck, Blue Chips came out 24 years ago.