NCAA Investigation Reveals Fordham Players Targeted in Alleged $10K-$15K Match-Fixing Scheme

The NCAA released findings from an investigation on Tuesday that revealed how an alleged gambling ring under federal indictment approached players under the guise of being NIL agents and targeted a Fordham men's college basketball game in 2024, leading to two former Rams being ruled permanently ineligible.

The NCAA on Tuesday ruled that former Fordham players Elijah Gray and Will Richardson allegedly communicated with known bettors and a former NBA player about throwing a game against Duquesne on February 23, 2024, in exchange for $10,000-$15,000 payments each.

Gray told the NCAA that he had agreed to lose the game but ultimately reconsidered and said he played with his normal effort in Fordham's win, according to the investigation findings. Gray agreed that he violated ethical conduct rules by providing information to a known bettor but maintained that he did not follow through on the scheme, according to the NCAA.

Gray, who played two seasons at Fordham from 2022-24, before transferring to Temple and Wisconsin, was among 29 players charged in a federal gambling indictment unsealed in January. Federal authorities had pinpointed the Fordham-Duquesne game as one that had been targeted by the match-fixing ring. Gray has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. ESPN has left a message for Gray's attorney.

The NCAA said Richardson did not cooperate with the investigation by knowingly providing false information and failing to preserve the probe's integrity. Richardson played three seasons at Fordham, from 2022-25, before transferring to the University of Albany. When reached by ESPN on Tuesday, Richardson declined comment.

During its investigation, the NCAA learned that two of the known bettors involved in the scheme approached players under the guise of being a name, image and likeness agent. Gray told NCAA enforcement staff that one of the bettors messaged him on Instagram ahead of the Duquesne game and later asked him to underperform in the game and to recruit teammates to do the same. Gray said he recognized one of the bettors from AAU tournaments in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C.

Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney has been charged in the scheme, and Marves Fairley, one of the bettors implicated, has indicated that he will plead guilty to the charges. Fairley and betting associate Shane Hennen are also charged in a federal gambling indictment centered on sharing inside information in the NBA.