Two former Fordham Rams men’s basketball players were ruled permanently ineligible to participate in NCAA play 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 allegedly are connected to a known bettor who was indicted on fraud and bribery charges. Gray and Richardson are both no longer a part of the Rams’ basketball program.
Who Gets Ruled Out
The NCAA said it was a third party from another sports betting investigation that overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing throwing a game for money. That is the kind of backroom talk the betting apparatus feeds on: athletes at the bottom, money at the top, and a governing body stepping in after the fact to police the wreckage.
In a statement, the NCAA said, "The 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 had been placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham, where the individual bet that Fordham’s opponent would win." The NCAA also said, "Enforcement staff reviewed the Fordham men’s basketball roster for that season and identified three individuals who were connected to the known bettor on social media, including Gray and Richardson."
The sanctions landed through the NCAA’s enforcement machinery, with the organization declaring both players permanently ineligible. The case shows how quickly the institution moves when gambling, fraud, and the threat to its product collide, even as the players themselves were already out of the program.
What the Players Said
Gray said he and Richardson exchanged messages with Antonio Blakeney, an ex-NBA player, and the known bettor who were involved in the scheme. Gray said both players agreed to lose the game in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000 in payments each, but he reconsidered the deal and gave his normal effort, and Fordham ended up winning the game.
Richardson did not cooperate with NCAA investigators. He denied being a part of calls with Gray and the known bettor during a September 2025 interview. Gray said Richardson continued to communicate with Blakeney after that game Fordham ended up winning and said he saw screenshots of messages, though he didn’t recall what they said. Richardson denied participating in the scheme in a subsequent interview in October 2025, while also denying communication with the known bettor and Blakeney. He also denied telling Gray about his enforcement interview despite Gray saying the opposite occurred.
The NCAA said, "Phone records also indicate that, after the October interview, Richardson again contacted another student-athlete who had not yet been interviewed by the enforcement staff." Gray agreed he violated ethical conduct rules by providing information to a known bettor, but he maintained that he did not follow through with the scheme. The NCAA said Gray "expressed remorse for his actions."
The System and Its Rules
Gray’s and Richardson’s violations are considered Level 1 of the ethical conduct rules. That label is the clean bureaucratic wrapper around a mess of betting, pressure, and institutional control. The NCAA said the players were connected to a known bettor who was indicted on fraud and bribery charges, and that state gaming regulators were pulled into the investigation as the enforcement staff tried to identify bets placed by that bettor.
Gray averaged 8.2 points in 32 games during his sophomore season with the Rams in 2024. Richardson averaged 9.8 points per game in 27.1 minutes. Those numbers now sit beside a permanent ban, another reminder that the NCAA’s control over athletes can turn on a dime once the organization decides a line has been crossed.
The case was announced Tuesday, with the NCAA leaning on state gaming regulators, phone records, social media connections, and interviews to build its case. The players are no longer part of the Rams’ basketball program, and the governing body has made its ruling. The machinery keeps moving, and the athletes are the ones left to absorb the consequences.