Tag: Brendan Sorsby

Brendan Sorsby runs with the ball during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Oklahoma AG asks Big 12 to suspend Brendan Sorsby

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For the second time in as many days, a state attorney general has weighed in with their opinion on Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s court-mandated eligibility.

Oklahoma attorney general Gentner Drummond sent a letter to the Big 12 on Friday, strongly urging the conference to suspend Sorsby, who received a temporary injunction to be eligible for the 2026 season Monday after the NCAA originally ruled him ineligible.

The NCAA had reached that decision after court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team showed the quarterback placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while a member of the program in 2022 and 2023. In all, he wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27.

“(Texas Tech’s) actions in obtaining eligibility for Brendan Sorsby — an athlete the NCAA declared permanently ineligible for extensive wagering on college sports, including games involving his own team — have constituted a shameful chapter in the story of college football,” Drummond wrote. “Texas Tech has acted in a manner adverse to the Big 12 and the integrity of college football as a whole.

“(Texas Tech) has shirked responsibility by running with a bogus claim to a friendly court. Its leadership has prioritized winning over sport, over honor and over integrity. If Texas Tech will not do the right thing, the Big 12 should. Texas Tech should be sanctioned.”

The office of Texas AG Ken Paxton wrote a letter to the Big 12 on Thursday which warned legal action against the conference if it were to overrule the court’s decision and deem Sorsby ineligible.

Drummond is advocating on behalf of Oklahoma State, which is set to host the Red Raiders on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Okla. But he’s not the only Big 12-affiliated person upset with the court decision.

The 15 Big 12 athletic directors excluding Texas Tech met Tuesday and unanimously expressed their opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders. The conference presidents met Thursday and a full board meeting is scheduled for Monday, with the Big 12 pondering how to proceed.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Thursday in the wake of Paxton’s letter that “all options remain on the table” with regard to Sorsby’s eligibility.

The NCAA went to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo, Texas, earlier this week and asked for an “accelerated appeal” of the temporary injunction that restored Sorsby’s eligibility. As of now, the court date is scheduled for next February, shortly after the national championship game will be held.

Sorsby threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the past two seasons at Cincinnati. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt looks on during the team trophy celebration after the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Texas Tech AD: School supports Brendan Sorsby, not out to ‘engineer his eligibility’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he understands the concerns of his colleagues regarding the case of Brendan Sorsby but backed the school’s commitment to seeing the quarterback through treatment for a gambling addiction.

Hocutt made his extensive comments in a statement issued Wednesday.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech in the offseason for a reported $5 million payday, was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA after it was discovered he placed $90,000 in bets on sports — including on his own Indiana team in 2022. On Monday, a Lubbock County district court judge granted a temporary injunction that allows him to play in the 2026 season.

The NCAA issued an immediate appeal over the decision, which outraged athletic directors and coaches from programs across the country.

“I’ve watched the reaction to Monday’s court ruling with great respect for my colleagues across college athletics,” Hocutt began his statement. “Many of them are people I admire. But I also owe it to Texas Tech, and frankly to the truth, to offer a few facts that seem to be getting lost in the noise.”

Sorsby filed a suit seeking the injunction to allow him to play, with a trial set for next year — after the conclusion of the season. But if the NCAA’s appeal is unsuccessful, he will play for the Red Raiders.

Hocutt said the university is not a party to the lawsuit and is not funding it.

“A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him. Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility,” Hocutt said.

“I’ve heard the word ‘integrity’ used a great deal in the last 48 hours. As someone who has dedicated his career to college sports, I, too, believe integrity is central to our industry’s success. I also think integrity applies on more than one front. The integrity of sports matters. So does the integrity of how we treat a 22-year-old who sought help, entered residential treatment, and is working every day toward recovery. Those two things don’t have to be in conflict.”

Still, NCAA member institutions – including the Big 12, Texas Tech’s conference – are trying to figure out their next steps.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark led a call with conference athletic directors on Tuesday and has scheduled calls with the league’s executive committee and campus presidents in the coming days.

“We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference,” Yormark said in a statement.

The Big 12 and the College Football Playoff, which is independent from the NCAA, also must consider what legal options are open to them should Sorsby ultimately be allowed to play by the courts.

The Athletic reported that coaches in all sports have been told by officials at Nebraska and Georgia not to schedule competitions against the Red Raiders. The Big Ten is expected to take up the issue on Wednesday with its member universities, per the report.

Hocutt said Texas Tech has a duty to assist Sorsby.

“Let me be direct about what Texas Tech’s position actually is: we are glad Brendan is still part of our community, because that is where we can extend him the best possible support in his ongoing recovery,” Hocutt said. “Clinical care, device monitoring, financial oversight, outpatient therapy – that infrastructure exists because we take our responsibility to this young man seriously.”

Sorsby spent his past two seasons at Cincinnati before leaving for Texas Tech. He also played at Indiana for two seasons (2022-23).

–Field Level Media

Brendan Sorsby looks to throw during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Big 12 ADs, NCAA president speak out against Brendan Sorsby ruling

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The Big 12’s athletic directors held a call with conference commissioner Brett Yormark Tuesday to express their frustration about the temporary injunction that made Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby eligible for the 2026 season.

Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after admitting to gambling on college football. District judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby the injunction on Monday, overruling the NCAA and prohibiting the association from suspending Sorsby from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating,” pending a change of heart.

With a trial date set for Feb. 8, 2027, that doesn’t seem likely.

Because of his historic ruling for a team which won its first Big 12 title in program history last season and made its first College Football Playoff, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this decision has been met with frustration from the rest of college football.

ESPN reported that TCU athletic director Mike Buddie and Kansas State AD Gene Taylor presented the possibility that the rest of the Big 12 could elect not to play Texas Tech this upcoming season due to their outrage.

“We had a thoughtful and productive conversation with our athletic directors today as we continue to work through the broader implications of this situation,” Yormark said in a statement shared by the Big 12 after the call. “Many of our athletics directors voiced their opinions. We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference.”

According to ESPN, Georgia and Nebraska will no longer allow their teams to play against Texas Tech in any sport, and the Big Ten as a whole will weigh a similar mandate.

NCAA president Charlie Baker also spoke out against the injunction while talking at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics conference on Tuesday, saying the appeal process is already underway.

“I spent eight years as governor of Massachusetts and three years and change in this job. This was pretty much a new low, and I’ll leave it at that,” Baker said, per Sports Business Journal.

“We’ll pursue every legal avenue that’s available to us. This is a pretty fundamental issue and the facts kind of speak for themselves.

“The rules on this one are pretty clear and they apply to everybody who plays sports at the amateur and professional level everywhere. But if you think about it, three or four of the most challenging issues that Division I faces are all the result of a court case. And in most cases it is one student-athlete. The judge looks up, sees that one student-athlete and makes a decision based on that, but the consequences ripple all over the place.”

Court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team showed he placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while a member of the program in 2022 and 2023. In all, he wagered about $90,000 through a variety of sportsbook accounts registered to friends and a family member over a four-year period before entering an addiction treatment program on April 27.

Sorsby threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the past two seasons at Cincinnati. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

Brendan Sorsby looks to throw during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech title wagers surge after Brendan Sorsby injunction

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In an ironic twist, the injunction that opened the door for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play next season despite previously placing bets on his own team has led to a surge of wagers backing the Red Raiders to win the national championship.

Texas Tech was being offered at +2000 by BetMGM before Monday’s ruling. Following the injunction being granted, those odds shortened to +1700 and the book reported that 35% of all money wagered on the national championship winner during that time backed the Red Raiders.

They still have only the 11th-shortest odds, but the heavy action has had an impact on the national title market.

Ohio State remains the title favorite at +600, followed by Notre Dame at +700 and Indiana and Texas both at +750. Texas Tech remains +2000 at DraftKings, where Ohio State leads the way at +650 followed by Notre Dame, Indiana and Texas at the same odds as BetMGM.

Sorsby, 22, opened at +2500 at BetMGM to win the Heisman Trophy next season. Those odds have also shortened, as he is now being offered at +2000 with 3.6% of all money wagered backing him.

The current Heisman favorites are fellow quarterbacks Arch Manning from Texas and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, who are both being offered at +750, followed by Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss at +900. No other player has shorter Heisman odds than Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin at +1100.

The fallout from Monday’s ruling continues to reverberate throughout college sports, with multiple schools contemplating boycotting competing against the Red Raiders in any sport.

It stems from the temporary injunction issued on Monday in Lubbock County, Texas, by district judge Ken Curry that restores Sorsby’s eligibility. It also said the NCAA cannot prevent him from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”

That’s despite Sorsby being ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it found he had bet about $90,000 on college and pro sports in a four-year span, including on his team when he attended Indiana in 2022. His appeal to the NCAA was denied last Friday.

The NCAA immediately appealed Curry’s ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Brendan Sorsby’s case against NCAA set for 2027, after upcoming season

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Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility case against the NCAA is set for trial on Feb. 8, 2027, long after the end of the college regular season and extending past the College Football Playoff.

Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it found he had bet about $90,000 on college and pro sports in a four-year span, including on his team when he attended Indiana in 2022. His appeal to the NCAA was denied on Friday.

But on Monday in Lubbock County, Texas, district judge Ken Curry issued a temporary injunction and restored Sorsby’s eligibility and said the NCAA cannot prevent him from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”

Sorsby, 22, filed for an injunction against the NCAA on May 18, seeking reinstatement. Sorsby’s filing accused the NCAA of being “deeply hypocritical” with regard to gambling and said Sorsby would be “irreparably harmed” if the injunction was not granted.

And that is just what Curry’s action did, much to the dismay of the college athletics community on Monday. The NCAA immediately appealed Curry’s verdict to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo. Each of the four district judges are graduates of the Texas Tech School of Law, according to their court biographies posted online.

Among the outraged parties on Monday was the Big 12 — Texas Tech’s conference. Commissioner Brett Yormark told ESPN that the conference’s executive board, and then likely the full board, will discuss what action the Big 12 could take.

College sports attorney Thomas Mars, who has tangled with the NCAA on eligibility issues in the past, told ESPN on Tuesday that he thinks the Big 12 can severely punish Texas Tech should a player ruled ineligible by the NCAA be inserted into the lineup.

“There is no question that the Big 12 could impose draconian sanctions on Texas Tech, and the type of sanctions would only be limited by their creativity,” Mars told ESPN.

On3 reported in January that Sorsby had struck a one-year deal with Texas Tech for estimated at $5 million in a move that put the Red Raiders among CFP title contenders.

After a solid season at Cincinnati in 2025, when he passed for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, Sorsby was considered the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Reports: NCAA denies Texas Tech’s appeal for Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility

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Texas Tech’s appeal to have quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility restored was denied by the NCAA on Friday, according to multiple media reports.

Sorsby was one of the most coveted quarterbacks in this year’s transfer portal class after he left Cincinnati. He entered a treatment program for a gambling addiction on April 27.

He was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after admitting to gambling on college football games, among other sports. NCAA policy prohibits college athletes from betting on any sports it holds competitions for, professional or collegiate.

The reported denial of the appeal is separate from Sorsby’s lawsuit against the NCAA, which had its first court date Monday when Lubbock County (Texas) District Court Judge Ken Curry heard arguments from attorneys representing Sorsby and the NCAA.

Curry has not yet shared his decision on the case, which could result in Sorsby receiving a temporary injunction to allow him to play while the case continues or could see the NCAA’s ineligibility decision upheld by the legal system.

Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, requested a ruling by June 15. The quarterback has until June 22 to declare for the NFL’s supplemental draft should he be ruled ineligible at the collegiate level.

After Sorsby’s initial eligibility request was denied by the NCAA last month upon the conclusion of his rehabilitation program, multiple media outlets reported that court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team showed he placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while playing for the Hoosiers in 2022 and ’23.

In all, the filings demonstrate that Sorsby wagered about $90,000 through a variety of sportsbook accounts registered to friends and a family member over a four-year period.

Sorsby, ESPN’s No. 1-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the past two seasons at Cincinnati. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

In 2025, the Bearcats started 7-1 but lost their final five games.

Texas Tech won its first-ever Big 12 championship last season and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed, dropping its quarterfinal matchup vs. No. 5 Oregon 23-0.

–Field Level Media

Coach Todd Monken talks to the press at the Browns OTA camp in Berea on May 20, 2026.

Browns coach Todd Monken: Drafting QB Brendan Sorsby is ‘slippery slope’

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First-year head coach Todd Monken anticipates there could be peril on the periphery if the Cleveland Browns select Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby in a potential NFL supplemental draft should he lose college eligibility because of gambling.

Monken, stressing that he was speaking for himself and not the Browns organization, called the decision a “slippery slope” given Sorsby’s situation regardless of his proven talent and skill level.

“I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road,” Monken said at the Browns Foundation Golf Tournament. “That’s my opinion. That’s not (general manager Andrew Berry’s).

“I like the quarterbacks that we have. I think that’s a slippery slope when you go down that, irrespective of talent, right?” Monken continued. “In terms of the situation he’s (put) himself in, we all know what that is. He put himself in that situation. And we’ve seen in other sports with players that have been banned for life from playing in professional sports.

“But from my end of it, kind of a tough angle to go down that road and think that’s going to be your franchise quarterback if he’s ever eligible to even play in the NFL.”

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason and was the Red Raiders’ projected starter for 2026. ESPN ranked Sorsby the No. 1 overall transfer in this year’s class.

But Sorsby has been fighting for his college eligibility after revelations of rampant betting led the NCAA to revoke his eligibility in April and deny his request for reinstatement in May. The NCAA prohibits athletes and employees from wagering on NCAA events in which a championship is held, which includes football.

Sorsby is seeking an injunction against the NCAA to play in 2026, but should that fail, an option could be to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft.

The Browns’ Berry was asked on Tuesday about Sorsby and was not as absolute in his answer as Monken was.

“No different than we do every year,” Berry said. “We’ll do the work on all the prospects, and then we’ll make the appropriate decision for the organization.”

The Browns’ quarterback depth chart includes veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as well as 2026 sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green.

A judge in Lubbock County, Texas, did not make a ruling on Sorby’s request for a temporary injunction after a hearing Monday. Judge Ken Curry requested additional documentation be provided before he renders his verdict, which could happen in the upcoming days, according to ESPN.

Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, requested a decision be made by June 15 to allow Sorsby a window to determine whether to apply for the NFL supplement draft, which carries a June 22 deadline.

Curry heard arguments from Sorsby’s team and the NCAA as to why Sorsby should be allowed to return to the field after allegedly making thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports — including his own team while at Indiana.

Sorsby placed at least 40 bets on Indiana football as a redshirt freshman with the Hoosiers, court documents revealed.

Those ranged from $1 to $114 and totaled at least $850 in September and October of 2022, while he was redshirting. Sorsby said in a letter to the NCAA that he never bet in a game he played in, nor ever bet against his team.

The quarterback wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period using sportsbook accounts registered to a family member and friends, with 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 coming from June 2022 to December 2023 alone. Last week, Sorsby revealed that he completed a 35-day, in-patient rehab stay in Arizona to treat “a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder.”

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said on Monday that if an injunction is granted, the collegiate governing body would in effect become the first sports league in the U.S. that could not punish its athletes from betting on its own contests.

The NFL supplemental draft was last held in 2019. Created in 1977, it was launched to give players with “sudden eligibility changes” a ladder from college to the NFL. However, the league would likely closely review the investigation into Sorsby’s off-field activity before determining whether to hold the special draft in July.

–Field Level Media

Brendan Sorsby runs with the ball during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Report: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby hires attorney to protect NCAA eligibility

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, under investigation for sports gambling, has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to protect his college eligibility, ESPN reported on Saturday.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, the quarterback and his current school announced on Monday.

Kessler was lead attorney in the House vs. NCAA case, which was approved in June 2025 and led to revenue sharing in college athletics. Schools were able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning last July 1, with the amount increasing annually.

A prominent antitrust attorney, Kessler has represented the NFL Players Association on behalf of players such as Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice.

NCAA rules forbid collegiate athletes from betting on any sport (collegiate or professional) for which the NCAA sponsors a championship. Sorsby reportedly bet on college football and MLB games.

This could lead to him being deemed ineligible for the 2026 season, pending the NCAA’s active investigation.

Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports betting wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3. He was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states, per On3.

This reportedly included betting on Indiana games in 2022 when he was redshirting during his first year of college. ESPN reported Monday that all of the bets were on Indiana to win and none were on the game he played in — a 45-14 loss to 16th-ranked Penn State.

Sorsby, ESPN’s top-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through a drill during spring football practice, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the Womble Football Center.

Report: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby placed over 10k wagers since 2022

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports betting wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, announced Monday he is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction, taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team.

Per On3, he was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states.

This reportedly included betting on Indiana games when he was redshirting as a member of the team in 2022. ESPN reported Monday that all of the bets were on Indiana to win and none were on games he played in.

However, NCAA rules forbid collegiate athletes from betting on any sport (collegiate or professional) for which the NCAA sponsors a championship. Sorsby reportedly bet on college football and MLB games.

This could lead to him being deemed ineligible for the 2026 season, pending the NCAA’s active investigation.

Sorsby, ESPN’s No. 1-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

Brendan Sorsby looks to throw during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby enters gambling addiction program

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Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, the school announced Monday.

ESPN reported that Sorsby, who transferred to join the Red Raiders this offseason from Cincinnati, made thousands of dollars of bets on a variety of sports through a gambling app.

These bets, which reportedly included Indiana football games when he was redshirting there in 2022, are being investigated by the NCAA. Per ESPN, all of the bets were for Indiana to win and he didn’t appear in any game he bet on.

The NCAA issued a statement on the matter.

“Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” the statement read. “However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”

NCAA athletes are not allowed to wager on college or pro sports and these bets, if proven through investigation, could impact his eligibility.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said in a statement. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

Sorsby, ESPN’s No. 1-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

Texas Tech won its first Big 12 championship in history last season and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed, losing its quarterfinal matchup vs. No. 5 Oregon 23-0.

–Field Level Media