Moisture/damp soil in unfinished basement

[Amir Navabpour]

I have an unfinished basement that we noticed has some mild to moderate levels of moisture on some soil/dirt on the floor we just discovered. Upon checking, the gutters, downspouts and grading all look good. We did notice a gap on the side of the basement that was boarded up not well. For now, my plan is to more more securely board up and caulk that gap on the side (although it’s hard to imagine it’s the source of moisture throughout the entire soil on the floor), then put a fan on for a while.

Curious if 1. You think this could be a serious issue and 2. Any other fixes I should do that I have not listed above?