The University of Cincinnati is filing legal action against quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech this offseason.
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is facing an impending legal battle with his former school, Cincinnati, over a reported dispute in the contract terms of his NIL agreement.
Cincinnati claims that Sorsby, the No. 1 transfer portal recruit in this offseason's cycle when he committed to the Red Raiders, is allegedly being argued to pay the university a $1 million buyout settlement.
Sorsby's transfer is deemed a breach of his NIL contract that spans 18 months signed in July 2025. Sorsby entered the transfer portal on the day it opened, Jan. 2, and announced his commitment to Texas Tech two days later, still within the agreed terms of his deal with the Bearcats.
"Cincinnati athletics is proud to partner with its student-athletes and honors the contractual commitments it makes to them," the statement read, via The Athletic. "We expect student-athletes and their representatives to do the same. In his lucrative NIL agreement with Cincinnati athletics, Brendan Sorsby committed to stay and play for two seasons as a proud Bearcat representative. He also agreed that if he left the university before that time, he would pay the university a specific amount for the substantial harm that his breach would cause.
"Cincinnati athletics intends to enforce that contractual agreement. As stewards of the university’s resources, the athletics department has a duty to do so. We thank Brendan for his time at Cincinnati and wish him success in the future."
Sorsby's representation has released the following statement, accessed by Texas Tech's The Daily Toreador:
"Pursuing legal action against Brendan Sorsby is misguided. University of Cincinnati, through its revenue-share structure, paid him $875,800 for a season he fully completed and in that time, he generated millions in value for the program. Attempting to recover those funds now sends the wrong message to current and future student-athletes and risks damaging the long-term credibility of Cincinnati football.
"This is further disappointing given that Brendan parted ways with UC in what was a mutually agreeable manner. The money the university seeks to recover from him is nothing more than an unlawful penalty under Ohio law. Because UC has chosen to pursue this course of action, Brendan will aggressively defend the lawsuit and pursue any and all damages he incurs as a result of it."
Sorsby played two seasons at Cincinnati from 2024-25 after arriving from Indiana. He recorded 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns passing, along with nine touchdowns rushing with the Bearcats.
It was reported that his NIL signing with Texas Tech was worth $5 million, making him one of college football's highest-paid athletes in the name, image and likeness and revenue-sharing era of college football.