The conference has responded to the latest development in the case involving Brendan Sorsby's eligibility.
LUBBOCK, Texas - After quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted an injunction that could allow him to play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2026, Texas Tech University used Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as leverage for potential continued legal action, in the event of colluding acts by Big 12 Conference foes against Texas Tech for the decision to play Sorsby.
The Big 12 has responded to Texas Tech's threat of continued legal action involving the dealings around Sorsby and his NCAA eligibility after numerous gambling offenses.
The conference didn't wait around in returning to court, with Monday's announcement serving as the latest example of either side not backing down in this imminent legal battle.
According to multiple reports on Monday, the Big 12 has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Tech "seeking both a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to allow the league the authority to use its bylaws to potentially punish Sorsby." The filing is in the Northern District of Texas (Dallas).
This suit seeks "a declaratory judgment that the First Amendment protects the Conference's right to invoke its authority under its Bylaws to sanction [Texas Tech] related to its handling of the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity."
The filing lists Paxton, Texas Tech chancellor Brandon Creighton, university president Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt as the defendants.
A successful ruling for the Big 12 could allow the conference to punish Texas Tech if it were to play Sorsby this season, likely by not allowing the Red Raiders to compete in the conference championship game, should they qualify.
"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."
Also on Monday, the NCAA officially filed its appeal of Sorsby's injunction ruling from last week, which was granted by Judge Ken Curry in Lubbock County. The appeal asks the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas (Amarillo) for "an expedited timeline that gives clarity on Torsby's case before football season," according to ESPN.
Paxton's release last week stated that any sanctions placed on Texas Tech by the conference would be "unlawful."
Big 12 conference officials, including university presidents and athletic directors, reportedly planned to meet on Monday. According to a previous conference call, reports say that most officials have requested that Tech not play Sorsby this season.
Texas Tech posted a 20-minute roundtable video featuring Schovanec, Hocutt, and head coach Joey McGuire outlining how school and athletic department have laid out procedures for managing Sorsby's gambling addiction while also prioritizing his mental health throughout his return to the program. The video did not include whether or not he would play, but stated how it is a "day-to-day" process, meaning his soonest available game (Week 3 after his court-issued two-game suspension) is not a guarantee.
The Big 12's ruling says there would be "considerable concern" that the league would suffer "repetitional harm and irreparable damage to public and member trust in the integrity of league compensations," if Sorsby appears for the Red Raiders in 2026.
"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 states. "That history informs the Conference's values and governance practices and explains why these values are non-negotiable."
