Brendan Sorsby’s attempt to play in 2026 may now involve the court system. According to ESPN, the NCAA has blocked the Texas Tech quarterback’s request for reinstatement to play in the 2026 season.
Sorsby recently completed inpatient treatment for a gambling addiction. Tech announced earlier this spring that Sorsby was seeking treatment after placing numerous bets throughout his college career.
Details of Sorsby’s Betting Activity
Sorsby, who transferred to Tech from Cincinnati over the offseason, placed a bet on Indiana while he was a member of the Hoosiers in 2022. NCAA rules state that players who bet on their own team can permanently lose their eligibility. The 2026 season is set to be Sorsby’s final season of college football.
Sorsby said in a lawsuit that he “began placing small bets on the Indiana football team, typically in amounts between $5 and $50” while a redshirt freshman. “All of these bets were in support of Indiana,” Sorsby wrote in an affidavit in the lawsuit. He added that he “placed bets on Indiana to win a game or score more than a certain number of points or for the quarterback to throw for more than a certain number of touchdowns or yards.”
Legal Action and Arguments
The NCAA’s denial comes less than two weeks after Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in an attempt to regain his eligibility. Following the lawsuit’s filing, Tech said that it had declared Sorsby ineligible and that it had begun the process of filing for his reinstatement through NCAA channels.
Sorsby’s attorneys, including Jeffrey Kessler, argue that Sorsby’s gambling addiction is a clinically diagnosed disorder recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. They also argue that the “NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices.”
Precedent and Other Betting Violations
Sorsby would not be the first power conference quarterback banned for betting on his own team. Ex-Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers lost his eligibility for placing bets on the Cyclones while he was a backup.
- Sorsby has placed thousands of smaller bets.
- Many of them were on professional sports.
The NCAA also prohibits athletes from betting on professional sports that are also NCAA-sanctioned sports.
Transfer to Texas Tech
Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech was one of the biggest portal moves of the offseason. Tech reportedly offered him an NIL deal worth north of $4 million to come to Lubbock for his final season after the Red Raiders won the Big 12 title but lost in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.