A pair of NCAA investigations led to permanent ineligibility penalties over illicit sports betting activity, with the probes tied to a federal indictment for alleged point shaving.
On Wednesday, the NCAA agreed to a pair of negotiated resolutions regarding gambling-related infractions by three former NCAA basketball players. The governing body of college sports deemed two former Fordham men’s basketball players, Elijah Gray and Will Richardson, permanently ineligible for their connections to a federal sports betting probe.
The NCAA also reached a resolution regarding former Kennesaw State player Simeon Cottle, who is out of eligibility.
Fordham basketball embroiled in controversy
According to the NCAA’s investigation, a third-party person connected to the probe was interviewed by the DI Committee on Infractions. The third-party said that several student-athletes at Fordham were allegedly in contact with illicit bettors who disguised themselves as NIL agents to recruit players for a point-shaving scheme.
The NCAA responded by notifying gaming regulators, with the Mississippi Gaming Commission flagging a suspicious Fordham basketball wager placed in February 2024.
The game was against Duquesne, with Gray and Richardson allegedly asked to help Fordham lose. Fordham would defeat Duquesne, 79-67. The $10,000 wager led the NCAA to scour social media to find connections between an illicit bettor involved in the scheme and two members of the Fordham basketball team.
Gray later acknowledged his involvement in the scheme when interviewed by NCAA enforcement staff, revealing that he and Richardson received kickback payments of up to $15,000 for manipulating their play. Meanwhile, Richardson denied his involvement in the alleged scheme when interviewed by NCAA enforcement staff. He later provided false information and ultimately failed to cooperate.
As a result of Gray’s admission and Richardson’s failure to cooperate with the NCAA probe, the organization deemed the two basketball players permanently ineligible. Both Gray and Richardson transferred from Fordham after their involvement in the alleged scheme. Gray has since pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme and awaits sentencing.
Cottle also failed to cooperate with NCAA
According to court documents filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Cottle is named as a co-defendant in the federal indictment for the alleged point-shaving scheme. Cottle is one of 26 people alleged to have been involved in the scheme, with various charges levied against the group including bribery in sporting contests and wire fraud.
The NCAA approached Cottle about his alleged game manipulation while a student-athlete at Kennesaw State, but the former men’s basketball player did not cooperate with the probe. It also contacted Kennesaw State, with the school suspending Cottle immediately.
The NCAA notes that Cottle’s failure to cooperate with the NCAA triggers permanent ineligibility, but the former student-athlete has no collegiate eligibility remaining. Cottle was suspended from Kennesaw State in his final year of NCAA eligibility.
SBC Americas reached out to the NCAA for additional comment on the resolutions. The organization declined to provide additional comment beyond its press releases.
Gambling issues reach NCAA football too
The NCAA is investigating Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who entered a residential gambling addiction treatment program earlier this week. Sorsby is being investigated by the NCAA over betting activity that included a wager on an Indiana football game in 2022, while he was a member of the program as a redshirt freshman.
Sorsby did not compete in the contest, with only one game played in that season. According to On3.com, Sorsby placed more than 10,000 bets since 2022. The wagers were placed across several online sports betting operators, including DraftKings and BetMGM.
Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati, faces permanent NCAA ineligibility depending on the results of the investigation.
