Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is seeking an injunction against the NCAA as gambling investigation threatens his 2026 season.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is now fighting the NCAA in court, and the clock is getting nasty. Sorsby filed for an injunction Monday in Lubbock District Court as he seeks clarity on whether he’ll be eligible for the 2026 college football season or forced toward the NFL Supplemental Draft.
Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, stepped away from the program April 27 to enter a residential treatment program for gambling addiction. The 6-foot-3 quarterback is under NCAA investigation after admitting to making “thousands” of online bets on multiple sports dating back to his true freshman season at Indiana in 2022.
The lawsuit says Sorsby has been “clinically diagnosed” with a gambling disorder, calling it “a mental health condition.” His legal team, which includes high-profile sports labor attorney Jeffrey Kessler, argues the NCAA has dragged out the reinstatement process while Sorsby faces a June 22 deadline to apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft.
“The NCAA has refused to process his reinstatement request in a timely fashion as required by its own procedures, which typically call for review within 48 hours,” the lawsuit reads. “Now, after belatedly agreeing to review his request based on stipulated facts, it has made more demands that are further stalling the process. And it still offers no timeline for a decision — all while the clock ticks toward a June 22, 2026 National Football League (“NFL”) Supplemental Draft deadline that will determine whether Mr. Sorsby can play high-level football anywhere this year.”
The filing also takes a direct shot at college sports’ gambling world.
“The NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices,” the lawsuit states.
The NCAA pushed back in a statement to USA TODAY Sports, saying it has not received a reinstatement request.
“The NCAA has not received a reinstatement request for this case. The NCAA generally doesn’t comment on pending reinstatement requests, but the Association’s sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions,” the NCAA said. “When it comes to betting on one’s own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk. Every sports league has these protections in place, and the NCAA will continue to apply them equally because every student-athlete competing deserves to know they’re playing a fair game.”
Texas Tech also issued a full statement Monday:
“After finalizing an agreed-upon stipulation of facts between Texas Tech University, the NCAA and Brendan Sorsby, the University has declared Sorsby ineligible for competition,” the statement read. “Texas Tech intends to quickly initiate the reinstatement process.”
Sorsby reportedly acknowledged small bets on Indiana football in 2022, typically between $5 and $50, but has emphasized he never bet on a game he played in and never tried to influence an outcome.
That distinction may become central to the fight.
Sorsby threw a career-high 27 touchdowns at Cincinnati in 2025 and arrived at Texas Tech as a major transfer addition for a Red Raiders team ranked No. 15 in USA TODAY Sports’ post-spring Top 25.
Now his season, and maybe Texas Tech’s ceiling, could depend on a courtroom ruling.
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