{"id":338577,"date":"2026-06-16T16:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/338577\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T16:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:48:08","slug":"brendan-sorsby-wont-play-for-texas-tech-amid-eligibility-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/338577\/","title":{"rendered":"Brendan Sorsby won’t play for Texas Tech amid eligibility controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brendan Sorsby<\/a> won\u2019t be playing football for Texas Tech this fall after all.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not because the transfer quarterback has been permanently banned by the NCAA for wagering on college sports \u2014 an injunction issued by a Texas judge last week appeared to clear the way for Sorsby to play<\/a> for the Red Raiders in 2026.<\/p>\n

That ruling, however, was being challenged through separate court filings by the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference. Facing that uncertainty over his final season, and with the deadline to enter the NFL supplemental draft quickly approaching, Sorsby opted to leave the Red Raiders without ever playing a down.<\/p>\n

Sorsby\u2019s decision was announced Monday night in an open letter by Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech board of regents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation,\u201d Campbell wrote<\/a>. \u201cBrendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL\u2019s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future, as well as for his teammates, and our university.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sorsby posted a statement Monday night on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,\u201d Sorsby wrote<\/a>. \u201cAs my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech this offseason, after two years each at Indiana and Cincinnati, for a reported multimillion-dollar deal. In late April, he and Texas Tech jointly announced that he had entered a residential treatment program<\/a> for gambling addiction. Sorsby completed the 35-day program in May.<\/p>\n

Court records show that Sorsby has admitted to wagering at least $90,000 during his time as an NCAA student athlete, including 40 bets on Indiana football games he was not participating in while a freshman backup with the Hoosiers in 2022. <\/p>\n

\u201cTexas Tech will continue to provide the support and recovery resources Brendan requires on this journey,\u201d Campbell wrote. \u201cFurthermore, Texas Tech will not seek return of any amounts already paid to Brendan through his NIL agreements.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May, Sorsby filed a lawsuit<\/a> in Lubbock County District Court asking to have his eligibility restored because the NCAA \u201cfailed to comply with its contractual commitments\u201d to him as a student athlete and therefore \u201cis precluded from enforcing its gambling bylaws against Mr. Sorsby to deny or withhold his reinstatement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, judge Ken Curry granted a temporary injunction that would have allowed Sorsby to play for the Red Raiders in 2026. He would have had to miss the first two games of the season as one of the conditions of the ruling.<\/p>\n

Without the injunction, Curry wrote in his ruling, Sorsby would \u201csuffer a probable, imminent and irreparable injury\u201d by missing out on the \u201celite coaching, training resources, camaraderie, and regimen that only being a member of a Division I college football team can provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

The final hearing had been scheduled to begin Feb. 8, nearly two weeks after college football\u2019s national championship game.<\/p>\n

Following the ruling, several teams and conferences discussed a ban on playing Texas Tech in any sport. After appealing the decision last week, the NCAA filed an emergency motion on Monday to stay the injuction and asked for the case to be resolved before the start of the Red Raiders season.<\/p>\n

Also on Monday, the Big 12 filed for a judgment from a U.S. District Court in Dallas protecting the conference\u2019s ability under its bylaws to sanction Texas Tech, a member school, if Sorsby played this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn athlete with an extensive, documented history of wagering on intercollegiate athletic contests \u2014 especially his own team\u2019s games \u2014 presents a reputational and integrity risk to the conference and its championship competition that the conference has both the right and the responsibility to address,\u201d attorneys for the Big 12 wrote in the filing.<\/p>\n

Soon after Campbell announced Sorsby\u2019s decision, Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt issued a joint statement on the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Brendan\u2019s lawsuit resulted in the granting of a temporary injunction, we found ourselves in a difficult situation,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWith his health and wellness as our top priority, we supported him in spite of very different perspectives and opinions. Our position was challenged by many but our support for him never changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to extend all available resources that Brendan had as a student and athlete to ensure his transition is as successful as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n