The Brendan Sorsby saga has taken another dramatic turn. According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the Big 12 filed a 47-page complaint Monday against Texas Tech, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and multiple university officials, all in an effort to preserve the conference’s authority to sanction member institutions.
The filing, which was submitted in the Northern District of Texas, seeks declaratory judgment and a preliminary injunction that would allow the Big 12 to enforce its bylaws regarding Texas Tech’s intention to play the quarterback during the 2026 season.
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Notably, the conference is not seeking financial damages and is not attempting to overturn the Texas court ruling that granted Sorsby eligibility. Instead, the Big 12 is asking a federal judge to allow the league to discipline Texas Tech without interference from Paxton’s office.
According to Dellenger, the lawsuit was triggered in part by a letter sent by Paxton last week. The attorney general warned the conference that sanctions against Texas Tech could constitute antitrust violations and threatened potential legal action.
The complaint also revealed that Big 12 officials, presidents and athletic directors have urged Texas Tech not to play Sorsby, though the school has reportedly refused.
“If a vote were to occur however,” the filing states, via Dellenger, “some of the potential sanctions the Board could consider under the bylaws include monetary sanctions and/or a ban on competing in the Big 12 Championship Game.”
Conference leaders were scheduled to meet Monday afternoon. However, a decision on sanctions is still not expected immediately.
“There is considerable concern” that allowing Sorsby to compete could create “reputational harm and irreparable damage to public and member trust in the integrity of league competitions,” according to the filing.
“In an industry that rarely agrees on anything, there is finally an issue that everyone seems to agree on (other than TTU and the Attorney General): universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics,” the complaint states.
Moreover, Sorsby was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA after admitting to wagering on Indiana football games during his time with the Hoosiers. Court documents indicate he made roughly $90,000 in impermissible wagers throughout his college career and even continued betting after transferring to Texas Tech.
After the NCAA launched its investigation, Sorsby entered treatment for gambling addiction and anxiety. A Texas judge later granted him an injunction allowing him to compete during the 2026 season.
The Big 12’s complaint lists Texas Tech, the Texas Tech University System, Chancellor Brandon Creighton, president Lawrence Schovanec, athletic director Kirby Hocutt and Paxton as defendants.
“The threat that gambling poses to the integrity of athletic competition has been understood, and has been borne out by scandal, for over a century,” the complaint reads. “That history informs the Conference’s values and governance practices and explains why these values are non-negotiable.”
With the NCAA appeal still pending and the Big 12 now taking legal action against one of its own members, the Sorsby case continues to reshape the landscape of college athletics. Time will tell what the endgame is, but it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.