The NCAA was expected to be on Fresno State's campus Wednesday to start a formal investigation of allegations into academic fraud by former men's basketball players, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com.

The NCAA already has visited the campus in the past year to investigate allegations of players receiving extra benefits from meals during the seven seasons Jerry Tarkanian coached at the school. Fresno State already issued self-imposed penalties but the NCAA did not look into academic fraud.

The NCAA is expected to rule on the findings from the first investigation in the spring.

Former Fresno State players had academic course work written for them and some of their term papers were paid for by money funneled through a Las Vegas agent, according to a story published in The Fresno Bee on Sunday. The Bee detailed allegations from former basketball team statistician Stephen Mintz.

Fresno State President John D. Welty issued a statement late Tuesday promising that rumors of alleged fraud would be looked into thoroughly.

"The university is actively reviewing these allegations. Of course, the university considers any allegation of possible academic fraud as a serious charge and is currently conducting a vigorous investigation jointly with the NCAA," Welty said.

Welty said the results of the investigation into the fraud allegations would be made public.

Mintz said he wrote and delivered 17 pieces of course work in 2000 for three players, Courtney Alexander, Terrance Roberson and Dennis Nathan, work for which Mintz said he was paid $1,500.

Mintz says former academic adviser Katie Felten was the university employee who asked him for help in writing the papers.

But in a Monday interview with radio station KMJ-AM, Felten said she was never part of any academic fraud with Mintz. She denied she wrote any papers or did course work for players, and said Mintz told her he had asked The Bee for money in exchange for his story.

Charlie Waters, executive editor of The Bee, issued a statement saying: "The Fresno Bee has not and will not pay for information from sources. From time to time, sources inquire about being paid, but all have been and will be told, 'No,' unequivocally."

Mintz, 39, told The Bee the $1,500 in payments for doing the course work came directly from Felten or Alexander, an allegation both deny.

The Associated Press was unable to reach either Mintz or Felten for comment on any of the issues surrounding the fraud allegations.

Alexander, who now plays for the New Orleans Hornets, faxed a statement to a Fresno television station in reply to Mintz' charges.

"I categorically deny that Mr. Mintz ever wrote a paper for me," Alexander said in the statement. "All he did was type papers for me, for which he was fairly compensated. (Mintz) obviously is trying to make a name for himself at my expense."

When reached by The Bee last week, Tarkanian said he did not know whether the school was investigating allegations of academic fraud. He also said he was not aware of any players who had academic course work done by others.

"In 37 years of coaching, I've never had a case of academic fraud," Tarkanian said. "I can't believe what you are saying is accurate. We have always taken academics very seriously."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.