On Monday, Sorsby announced his decision to declare for the NFL supplemental draft, ending what became a heated debate across the country.
Sorsby, who has been the face of college sports news these last few weeks, made a decision that should have happened two months ago, when it first became known he had gambled on his team at Indiana University. A decision then would have saved him, and Tech, from mounting backlash. That didn’t happen and we guess, in this case, it is better late than never.
Sorsby will now depart Tech having never played a snap for the Red Raiders, but he leaves behind lessons that will continue to serve as an important reminder of what is acceptable in college sports.
The NCAA has long had regulations that prohibit sports betting of any kind, a clear indication that what happened at Tech should never have occurred. The moment the university became aware of what had transpired, its leaders should have immediately barred Sorsby from competing.
According to the Tech athletics website, “compliance with NCAA rules is of the highest priority for our athletics program and institution.” For Tech, it seems that compliance with these rules only matters when it doesn’t change the eligibility of an athlete the university needs.
Change is nothing new for college sports. But that doesn’t have to mean walking away from standards that have existed since college sports’ earliest days, standards that include following the rules and looking out for the well-being of every athlete.
Tech chose the opposite, and we hope it does not become commonplace.
The Sorsby saga should also serve as a lesson for other institutions that find themselves in a similar situation. It is unfortunate that an example had to be made out of what transpired at Tech, but it remains an important lesson that the integrity of the game matters.
It was promising to see the passion that both athletic administrators and fans had about standing up for the right thing.
It is also important that universities and conferences stand up to threats on the integrity of the game. When something threatens college sports, schools and conferences should be able to act without risking legal repercussions, as Attorney General Ken Paxton was threatening. When institutions take a stand, they are protecting the true well-being of athletes — this should be the north star.
College sports are at their best when the game is at the center of attention. Sorsby and Tech distracted fans from this core spirit of the game. Hopefully, the lesson will stop this from becoming a regular occurrence.
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