The Brendan Sorsby saga appears to have reached a surprising conclusion.
According to a report from Pete Nakos, Sorsby and Texas Tech are parting ways amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his eligibility. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Sorsby will enter the NFL’s supplemental draft and begin his professional career rather than continue to fight for eligibility at Texas Tech this season.
Sorsby was initially declared ineligible by both Texas Tech and the NCAA for betting on sports, including wagers on Indiana when he was a member of the Hoosiers. A Lubbock judge controversially granted him a temporary injunction and restored his eligibility for the 2026 campaign, albeit with a two-game suspension.
The injunction caused outrage around the college sports ecosystem, with key figures around the sport staunchly opposing Sorsby’s eligibility and conferences like the Big Ten weighing a scheduling ban against Texas Tech. The long list of opponents included the Big 12, as the Red Raiders’ conference was pursuing other legal avenues to fight the surprising court ruling.
“The Big 12 filed a legal complaint asking a federal court to protect the constitutional and contractual rights on the Conference and our member institutions to take actions expressly permitted under our Bylaws,” the Big 12 said in a statement on Monday. “The Big 12 has long spoken out about the dangers of sports wagering and remains committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition. Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics. This situation is evolving with pending legal matters and the upcoming start of the football season, and the Conference hopes for a timely resolution off these issues. The Board continues to keep all options on the table.”