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Another sports betting scandal has surfaced, this time involving two Fordham Rams men’s basketball players.
Two former players have been deemed permanently ineligible to play in NCAA games after the governing body found them in violation of potential game manipulation for sports betting.
The NCAA announced Tuesday that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson are believed to be linked to a known bettor who has been charged with fraud and corruption.
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Elijah Gray of the Fordham Rams celebrates during a game against the George Washington Revolutionaries at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center in Washington, DC on January 3, 2024. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Gray and Richardson are no longer with the Rams basketball program.
It was a third of another sports betting investigation that heard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing a game for money.
“NCAA enforcement staff contacted state gaming regulators to identify bets placed by the known bettor. The Mississippi Gaming Commission noted that a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham, where the individual bet that Fordham’s opponent would win,” the NCAA wrote in its statement. “Law enforcement personnel reviewed the Fordham men’s basketball roster for this season and identified three individuals who were linked to the known bettor on social media, including Gray and Richardson.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES PUNISHED FOR $100,000 BETTING SCANDAL, BETTING ON OWN SCHOOL
Gray said he and Richardson exchanged messages with Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA player, and the known bettor involved in the scheme.
Gray added that both players agreed to lose the game in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000 in payments each. Gray, however, said he reconsidered the deal and played his normal effort and Fordham ended up winning the game.
Richardson, meanwhile, has not cooperated with NCAA investigators. He denied participating in the calls with Gray and the known punter during an interview in September 2025.
Elijah Gray and Kyle Rose of the Fordham Rams celebrate during a game against the George Washington Revolutionaries at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center in Washington, DC on January 3, 2024. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Gray said Richardson continued to communicate with Blakeney after the game that Fordham ended up winning, and said he saw screenshots of the messages, although he didn’t remember what they said.
Richardson denied participating in the scheme during a subsequent interview in October 2025, while also denying any communication with the known bettor and Blakeney. He also denied telling Gray about his execution interview, although Gray said the opposite had happened.
“Phone records also indicate that after the October interview, Richardson again contacted another student-athlete who had not previously been interviewed by law enforcement personnel,” the NCAA statement added.
Gray admitted that he violated rules of ethical conduct by providing information to a known bettor, but he maintained that he did not follow through on his scheme. The NCAA said Gray “expressed remorse for his actions.”
Will Richardson of the Fordham Rams dribbles the ball during the first half against St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena in New York on November 4, 2024. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
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Gray and Richardson violations are considered Level 1 of the Ethical Conduct Rules.
Gray averaged 8.2 points per game in 32 games during his second season with the Rams in 2024. Richardson also averaged 9.8 points per game in 27.1 minutes.
