NCAA Sanctions Three More Players in College Basketball Gambling Probe

Two former Fordham players and one at Kennesaw State were cited for Level I violations tied to the broader game-fixing scheme under federal investigation.

Three more former college basketball players were sanctioned by the NCAA for their roles in the sprawling game-fixing scheme. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The NCAA announced sanctions against two former players at Fordham and one at Kennesaw State Tuesday, taking another step toward closing the loop on the sprawling gambling scandal in men’s college basketball. 

Will Richardson and Elijah Gray were the Fordham players who were cited by the NCAA for Level I violations related to a Feb. 23, 2024, game against Duquesne. According to the association’s infractions report, a “known bettor” made contact with the players in an attempt to get them to underperform in the game, in which money was wagered by two bettors on Duquesne. A $10,000 bet was placed on the Dukes in Mississippi, which is the home state of Marves Fairley, one of the men charged by federal prosecutors in connection with corrupt gambling on both NBA and college men’s basketball games. Fairley is expected to plead guilty for his role as a “fixer,” according to ESPN. 

However, Fordham won the game, 79–67. Then sophomores, both players came off the bench and played limited roles in the game. Both saw 15 minutes of action, with Gray scoring three points but committing three turnovers while Richardson scored seven. That was Richardson’s least playing time of that season.

“When interviewed by enforcement staff, Gray acknowledged that he had exchanged messages with one of the known bettors and stated that he and Richardson subsequently participated in a call with the bettor and a former NBA player who was involved in the scheme,” the NCAA infractions report said. “Gray stated that both players agreed to lose the game in exchange for $10,000-$15,000 in payments each. However, Gray stated that he ultimately reconsidered manipulating the game and said he played with his normal effort, and Fordham won the game. … Gray also said he did not receive any payment from the bettor.”

Richardson denied to NCAA investigators that he participated in the game-fixing scheme against Duquesne. He also denied communicating with the known bettor or the former NBA player. 

Gray, who expressed remorse for his actions to the NCAA, was cited for a Level I violation of ethical conduct. Richardson was cited for both an ethical conduction violation and a failure to cooperate with the investigation charge, which is also a Level I violation.

After two seasons at Fordham, Gray transferred to Temple and played for the Owls in 2024–25. He then transferred to Wisconsin but was dismissed from the team shortly before the start of the ’25–26 season—eight days after his interview with NCAA investigators. Richardson played just the first eight games of his junior season at Fordham, then transferred to Albany for the ’25–26 season but never played. He was dismissed from the team on Dec. 31, 2025.

In the infractions case involving Cottle, the four-year player at Kennesaw State was cited for failure to cooperate with the NCAA investigation. Cottle was indicted by the feds in January on charges of wire fraud and bribery related to Kennesaw State’s game against Queens University of North Carolina on March 1, 2024. He did not play again for the Owls after that indictment and his college eligibility has expired.

Following that indictment, the NCAA enforcement staff notified the school of the possible sports betting integrity violations and requested an interview with Cottle. He refused to meet with NCAA investigators or turn over relevant information.

The NCAA has publicly acknowledged investigations of 13 former players from six schools in relation to the gambling scandal, which has resulted in two federal inquiries at the pro and college level. Three other players were charged in separate cases.  

The federal case involving current and former NBA players has progressed in federal court in New York. New charges are expected against guard Terry Rozier, according to reports, while Damon Jones was expected to change his plea to guilty on Tuesday.

The basketball cases are unrelated to the current investigation of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The school announced Monday that Sorsby is seeking treatment for a gambling addiction. Shortly after that announcement, multiple media outlets reported the NCAA probe of Sorsby related to prohibited gambling while playing at Indiana and Cincinnati. Sorsby is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the college game and a strong NFL prospect, but his NCAA eligibility is in doubt pending the outcome of the investigation into his gambling.

---

More College Basketball From Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s College YouTube channel.