Texas Tech got its quarterback after a judge granted Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction. However, the decision is causing more headaches for the Red Raiders with backlash from across the nation.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby got the news he had hoped for Monday, as Judge Ken Curry granted him a temporary injunction in his eligibility suit against the NCAA.
Needless to say, the decision caught the media, fans and other programs completely by surprise after a case that seemed essentially cut and dry following a long line of reported violations due to a gambling addiction.
Despite the pre-conceived notions, Sorsby is now able to suit up for Texas Tech in a landmark move. The initial reactions quickly turned from shock to anger, with several other collegiate programs rallying against the move and even taking more drastic measures to show their disapproval.
Georgia and Nebraska staff were told by athletic directors to no longer schedule the Red Raiders in any sport going forward. The Big Ten was also reportedly pursuing a league-wide boycott of Texas Tech.
Now, Texas Tech usually isn't facing off with either of those programs nor many Big Ten teams, but the message is clear that those across the nation are not pleased with the move.
Closer to home, reports have surfaced that the other members of the Big 12 are vehemently opposed to Sorsby returning to the field, regardless of the injunction being granted.
According to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, he met with athletic directors from every member school on Tuesday to discuss a solution for the disagreement, which he touted as a "thoughtful and productive conversation."
The Big 12 Executive Board is set to hold a meeting of their own on Thursday, where potential sanctions could be handed down.
However, Texas Tech is allegedly prepared to combat any action from the Big 12 in the courtroom, even seeking the council of Sorsby's attorney, Jeffery Kessler.
Following the whirlwind from inside the conference and around the country, Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt broke his silence on Wednesday. In a statement released to social media, he reaffirmed Texas Tech's support of Sorsby and left some doubt to the possibility that he would even play for the Red Raiders.
"I've watched the reaction to Monday's court ruling with great respect for my colleagues across college athletics...But I also owe it to Texas Tech, and frankly to the truth, to offer a few facts that seem to be getting lost in the noise," wrote Hocutt
"Brendan Sorsby has not played a single down of football as a Red Raider. He will miss the first two games of the 2026 season under the terms of the court's ruling. What happens after that will depend in no small part, on how his recovery continues to progress."
"Texas Tech is not a party to Brendan's lawsuit. We did not file it. We did not fund it. A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction expressed his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him. Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility," Hocutt explained.
During a stop at the Houston Touchdown Club, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire echoed these sentiments.
"Brendan Sorsby is recovering from an addiction. I've sat down with this young man multiple times and the things he is going through and what he's been through is serious. So us even saying, to the point before we get to the legal part, that he could be ready Week 3 against Houston is still a stretch," remarked McGuire.
Granted, it seems unlikely that Texas Tech will not have Sorsby appear at all this season, as long as there is no new action enforced to prevent it.
One Tech source allegedly told Yahoo, "If you want to go to battle with Texas Tech, get ready: We're going to battle.''
While the collective college football landscape has lost their collective minds in the wake of the bombshell decision, there still appears to be many moving pieces in the Sorsby saga that is not suddenly wrapped up based on one ruling from a Lubbock County courtroom.
