Players Suspended for Gambling Reinstated

Four members of the Richmond Spiders suspended for sports betting have been reinstated. The fifth player will be reinstated before the start of the 2018 baseball season, the university said. When the suspensions were announced in February, Daily Fantasy Sports looked to be the culprit. That is no longer the case, as the NCAA issued a statement to the contrary.

“According to the facts of the case submitted the University of Richmond, the four baseball student-athletes wagered money on sporting events using gambling websites,” the statement read. “Contrary to previous media reports, these cases did not include fantasy sports.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch had reported that the suspensions were fantasy sports related. The players have not been named, but the four will be eligible to play against George Washington on April 7.

“We look forward to having these student-athletes back on the field next week vs. George Washington,” Richmond Head Coach Tracy Woodson said. “Our staff is committed to complying with all NCAA rules and regulations and we will continue to work hard to educate our student-athletes about all NCAA rules.”

It’s unknown what the fifth player did that differed from his four teammates back with the Spiders. The sports betting was said to be small, so there’s some belief he may have wagered larger amounts. But nobody is saying, just as the sports the players bet on have not been named.

The Spiders appear to be ready to put the matter behind them and move forward. The Spiders are just getting into the heart of Atlantic 10 play.

“We appreciate the efforts of our compliance department and NCAA staff in getting this matter resolved,” Athletic Director Keith Gill said. “We will continue to work with the NCAA and our compliance staff to identify strategies for our student-athletes to avoid future NCAA rules violations.”