Cincinnati transfer and future Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby attends an NCAA college basketball game between Texas Tech and Houston, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)
Annie Rice/AP
Not even Taylor Sheridan could dream up a college football drama with this many twists and turns.
Since April, Brendan Sorsby’s gambling scandal and ensuing legal battle with the NCAA has dominated offseason talk. After the No. 1 transfer portal target from Cincinnati chose Texas Tech, the roof began caving in on the quarterback and the Red Raiders when the NCAA launched an investigation into impermissible betting.
With Sorsby now potentially headed to the NFL, see the full timeline of what’s happened below.
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Jan. 4: Sorsby transfers from Cincinnati to Texas Tech
Texas Tech landed the consensus top quarterback in the transfer class in Sorsby, the Lake Dallas product who threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025 with the Bearcats. A source confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that the quarterback received a reported $6 million in NIL money from the Red Raiders.
April 27: Sorsby enters gambling addiction treatment, NCAA announces investigation into allegations of betting improprieties
On the same day he announced he was taking a leave of absence to enter a treatment program for a gambling addiction, the NCAA began investigating Sorsby for impermissible betting. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Sorsby made “thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app.” The NCAA forbids its athletes from betting on college or professional sports.
May 18: Sorsby files a lawsuit against the NCAA
Sorsby filed against the NCAA seeking an injunction that would make him eligible for the 2026 season. The quarterback retained the legal services of Jeffrey Kessler, who is well known for his work on several high-profile college sports cases, including the landmark House settlement in 2025.
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May 18: Texas Tech declares Sorsby ineligible, immediately initiates his reinstatement
Shortly after he filed the lawsuit, Texas Tech declared Sorsby ineligible, with the intent to reinstate him. “After finalizing an agreed-upon stipulation of facts between Texas Tech University, the NCAA and Brendan Sorsby, the University has declared Sorsby ineligible for competition,” Tech said in a statement. “Texas Tech intends to quickly initiate the reinstatement process.”
May 26: NCAA denies Sorsby’s request for reinstatement
As expected, the NCAA denied Sorsby’s initial request for reinstatement. At this point, he still had a legal case pending against the organization, with a court date set in Lubbock county, as he sought to play in 2026.
May 2: Court documents reveal the extent of Sorsby’s gambling
Initial court filings detailed Sorsby made thousands of bets totaling at least $90,000 while in college, including at least 40 on Indiana football when he was a freshman at the school in 2022. On March 11, the NCAA received a tip from an online gambling book, which had been informed by law enforcement, about Sorsby’s gambling activity. Texas Texas was notified April 14 that the NCAA was investigating.
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June 8: Sorsby wins the court case, granted a temporary injunction
In a shocking result, Lubbock county judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby an injunction, making him eligible to play in 2026. The judge ruled the NCAA could not prevent Sorsby from practicing or playing on Texas Tech’s football team. Sorsby agreed to a suspension for the Red Raiders’ first two games of the season, a penalty that had been proposed by his attorneys.
June 8: Big Ten threatens a schedule ban on Texas Tech
In response to the court ruling, the Big Ten decided to go on the offensive, threatening a league-wide scheduling ban on Texas Tech. Athletic directors at former Big 12 rival Nebraska and SEC powerhouse Georgia reportedly directed their coaches to not schedule games against the Red Raiders.
June 15: NCAA, Big 12 file lawsuits in Texas
Also in response to the court ruling, the NCAA filed an appeal in Texas to stay the injunction. The Big 12, meanwhile, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Dallas, seeking a court order backing the use of its bylaws for potential punishment of Sorsby. This was in response to Texas attorney general and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Ken Paxton warning of legal action from Texas Tech for any sanctions against the school or Sorsby.
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June 15: Sorsby and Texas Tech part ways, he enters NFL supplemental draft
After all of controversy surrounding him and his injunction, Sorsby ultimately decided to part ways with Texas Tech and enter the NFL supplemental draft. The quarterback opted to begin his professional career rather than continue fighting to keep his college eligibility for 2026.
June 16: Sorsby announces he’ll hold a pro day
As he now begins preparations for the supplemental draft, where he would turn professional if selected by a team, Sorsby has tentatively scheduled a pro day for July 10 at Southlake Carroll High School, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
June 17: Sorsby’s agent says Cincinnati knew about his gambling
Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, made the claims in an interview with KRLD radio in Dallas that Cincinnati knew about his client’s wagering on college sports and did not take action. The school responded in a statement: ““If we ever became aware of impermissible wagering, we would report to the NCAA and comply with sanctions.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report