Fordham Betting Case Ends With NCAA Lifetime Bans

The NCAA has ruled former Fordham players Elijah Gray and Will Richardson permanently ineligible after a sports betting case tied to attempted game manipulation.

Good to Know

• NCAA officials said bettors offered Gray and Richardson $10,000 to $15,000 each.
• The case involved Fordham versus Duquesne on February 23, 2024.
• Gray accepted NCAA violations but said he played normally and never received payment.

Fordham Case Becomes Part Of Wider Betting Probe

A game Fordham actually won has now left two former players with lifetime NCAA bans.

The association said Elijah Gray and Will Richardson agreed to help Fordham lose against Duquesne on February 23, 2024. According to NCAA enforcement staff, both players joined a call with a bettor and a former NBA player connected to the plan. Gray also exchanged messages with one known bettor.

Gray later told investigators he backed away before tipoff. He said he played his normal game, Fordham won, and no money changed hands. After the result, one bettor contacted him to complain.

NCAA officials reported:

“The bettor contacted Gray after the game to express disappointment, and Gray stated that he did not respond to the message or continue to communicate with him. Gray also did not receive any payment from the bettor. He said that Richardson, however, continued to communicate with the former NBA player and showed Gray screenshots of their messages, though Gray did not recall the contents of those messages.”

Richardson denied taking part. He told the NCAA that Gray had mentioned an offer tied to a Fordham loss, but denied joining calls or speaking with the bettor and former NBA player. Another Fordham player gave investigators a different account, saying he overheard Gray, Richardson, and another player discuss throwing a game for money.

The NCAA also said Richardson contacted other players about his interview and later declined to keep cooperating. The association stated:

“Failure to cooperate in an NCAA investigation – including knowingly providing false information during an interview – violates NCAA rules.”

Federal prosecutors widened the case after a September 2025 NCAA investigation. A person tied to two known bettors was indicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges linked to sports betting. Investigators said one bettor reached players while acting as a name, image, and likeness agent.

Fordham entered the review after the Mississippi Gaming Commission flagged a $10,000 bet on the Rams to lose a February 2024 game. NCAA staff then checked social media ties between players and the bettor, identifying Gray, Richardson, and another Fordham player.

ESPN reported that Gray has pleaded guilty to federal charges and awaits sentencing. The network also identified former NBA player Antonio Blakeney as part of the case and said he faces federal charges. Marves Fairley, named as one of the alleged bettors, plans to plead guilty, according to ESPN.

Prosecutors have said the wider case involved more than 39 players from at least 17 Division I schools, with athletes accused of fixing or trying to fix more than 29 games.

The Fordham penalties arrived during a broader run of US sports betting cases. Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were arrested and indicted in November over alleged pitch rigging. In October, the FBI arrested Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and several others in a case tied to alleged game and stat fixing.