The NCAA bans two former Fordham basketball players for life over a match-fixing scheme
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Another sports betting scandal has surfaced, this time involving two Fordham Rams basketball players.
Two former players were deemed permanently ineligible to participate in NCAA play after the governing body found them in violation of potential game-fixing violations in sports betting.
The NCAA announced Tuesday that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson are suspected of having ties to a well-known bookmaker who was charged with fraud and bribery.
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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 Jan. 3, 2024. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Gray and Richardson are both no longer part of the Rams basketball program.
It was a third party from another sports betting investigation who had heard Gray, Richardson and another student athlete discuss throwing money at a game.
“NCAA law enforcement staff contacted state sports regulators to identify a bet placed by a known bettor. The Mississippi Gaming Commission noted that a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham, in which a person bet that Fordham’s opponent would win,” the NCAA wrote in its statement. “Law enforcement officials reviewed the Fordham men’s basketball roster that season and identified three individuals who were connected to a known bettor on social media, including Gray and Richardson.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES PUNISHED IN $100K BETTING SCANDAL, SCHOOL MISSING.
Gray said he and Richardson exchanged messages with Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA player, and a known pawnbroker who was involved in the scheme.
Gray added that both players agreed to forfeit the match in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000 in payouts each. Gray said, however, that he reconsidered the deal and played his usual effort and Fordham ended up winning the game.
Richardson did not cooperate with NCAA investigators. He denied being part of the calls with Gray and the known badger during the September 2025 interview.
Elijah Gray and Kyle Rose of the Fordham Rams celebrate during the game against the George Washington Revolutionaries at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center in Washington, DC, on Jan. 3, 2024. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Gray said Richardson continued to communicate with Blakeney following that game Fordham ended up winning, and said he saw screenshots of the messages, although he doesn’t remember what they said.
Richardson denied taking part in the scheme in a subsequent interview in October 2025, while also denying contact with the known bettor and Blakeney. He also denied telling Gray about his law enforcement interview, even though Gray said the opposite happened.
“The phone records also show that after the October interview, Richardson contacted another athlete who had not yet been interviewed by police,” the NCAA statement said.
Gray admitted that he violated ethics rules by providing information to a known badger, but maintained that he did not follow the plan. The NCAA said Gray “expressed remorse for his actions.”
Will Richardson of the Fordham Rams dunks the ball in the first half against the St. John’s at the Carnesecca Arena in New York City on Nov. 4, 2024. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)
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Gray and Richardson’s breach is considered a Level 1 code of conduct.
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.
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