TCU coach Sonny Dykes is the latest voice around the Big 12 to publicly support commissioner Brett Yormark following the conclusion of the Brendan Sorsby saga at Texas Tech.
Speaking with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Dykes praised Yormark for the way he navigated one of the most controversial situations college football has faced in recent years: “He showed strong leadership,” Dykes told ESPN. “Appreciate his desire to do what’s best for college football.”
$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage
The comments come after Sorsby announced plans to enter the NFL supplemental draft, effectively ending the legal battle that had consumed the sport throughout the last few weeks. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Sorsby planned to withdraw his eligibility lawsuit, making him eligible for the supplemental draft as a player who had exhausted his college eligibility.
With Sorsby’s departure, the Big 12 quickly turned its attention toward moving forward: “It’s been a challenging week for both our Conference and the college athletics landscape,” Yormark said in a statement. “The Big 12 looks forward to moving ahead as 16 strong. We wish Brendan Sorsby success in his future endeavors.”
Moreover, Sorsby became the center of national attention after receiving a temporary injunction that restored his eligibility despite previously being ruled ineligible by both Texas Tech and the NCAA due to sports wagering violations. The ruling prompted immediate backlash from around college athletics, and placed the Big 12 in the middle of a legal and philosophical battle over competitive integrity.
Throughout the process, Yormark and the conference consistently maintained that allowing Sorsby to play would undermine the values and standards of college athletics. The Big 12 even pursued legal action seeking protection of its authority to enforce conference bylaws and potentially sanction member institutions.
“The Big 12 filed a legal complaint asking a federal court to protect the constitutional and contractual rights of the Conference and our member institutions to take actions expressly permitted under our Bylaws,” the conference previously said in a statement obtained by On3’s Pete Nakos.
The conference added that universities “should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.” Ultimately however, the situation resolved itself when Sorsby and Texas Tech parted ways before the start of the 2026 season.
Now, with the legal battle winding down, support for Yormark’s handling of the situation continues to emerge. Dykes’ endorsement adds another notable voice from within the conference as the Big 12 looks to turn the page and focus on football.
After months of uncertainty, one thing is clear, and that’s the fact that the Brendan Sorsby case left a lasting impact on college athletics. For the Big 12 though, the focus has shifted toward preserving unity and moving forward into the 2026 season.