FRISCO — Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby is ready to accept punishment for betting on sports — but it shouldn’t end his college career.
“I do believe that he made a mistake, I do believe there should be consequences, but it’s my opinion that he shouldn’t be penalized for the rest of this year or his career,” McGuire said Thursday at the Big 12 spring meetings.
Sorsby has acknowledged wagering on sports, including his own team when he was a freshman at Indiana. The NCAA announced Tuesday it had denied Texas Tech’s petition to have Sorsby’s eligibility reinstated.
Texas Tech plans to appeal the ruling, university president Lawrence Schovanec said. Sorsby also has a hearing scheduled in Lubbock County District Court on Monday on his request for a temporary injunction that would allow him to play this season.
“He’s come out and said he believes there should be a penalty, and he’s ready to serve that penalty,” McGuire said. “We just don’t think it should be for the full year.”
One of the top players in the transfer portal this offseason, Sorsby joined the Red Raiders on a multimillion-dollar deal to play his final season of college football. He played the past two seasons at Cincinnati.
McGuire said Sorsby is not on campus yet. He’s spending time with family after completing a residential treatment program for gambling addiction. He placed “thousands” of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app, ESPN reported in late April.
McGuire said Sorsby will continue to have Tech’s support.
“At the end of the day, whatever the ruling is, we’re going to support him 100%,” McGuire said. “He chose Texas Tech. So he’s a Red Raider. He’s going to be a Red Raider for life. I’ll be a part of his life and help him anyway I can.”