(Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

Two former Fordham men's basketball players received permanent bans from the NCAA on Tuesday after a lengthy gambling investigation.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson participated in potential game manipulation for sports betting reasons.

According to the investigation, a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham in which the bettor wagered that the other team would win. NCAA enforcement staff identified three members of the roster with connections to the bettor, including Gray and Richardson.

Another member of the team told investigators he overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing the idea of throwing a game for money.

Gray admitted to agreeing to participate in the scheme in exchange for a payment of $10,000 to $15,000, but said he reconsidered and played with his normal effort and Fordham won the game. Richardson has denied involvement and he declined to cooperate with the investigation, which itself is an NCAA violation.

Gray, a 6-foot-8 forward, played two seasons at Fordham (2022-24) before transferring to Temple for the 2024-25 season. He transferred again to Wisconsin but was dismissed from the program last October amid the investigation. Gray averaged 5.7 points in 61 games (nine starts) for the Rams.

Richardson, a 6-foot-3 guard, played three seasons at Fordham (2022-25) before transferring to Albany, where he was dismissed from the program in December without appearing in a game. He averaged 7.9 points in 73 games (41 starts) for the Rams.

The bettors involved in the plot were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests.

--Field Level Media