Last week, lawyers representing Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby requested an expedited ruling from the NCAA regarding their client’s eligibility for the 2026 season.
This week, his lawyers are saying, time’s up.
Sorsby’s legal team is suing the NCAA in Lubbock District Court, Texas Tech sources tell On3.
The aim of the suit is to force the NCAA to expedite the process and obtain a final decision from the governing body on his eligibility. Sorsby has been away from the program for nearly a month after Texas Tech ruled him ineligible following the revelation of Sorsby’s extensive gambling history, including wagers on his own team while he was a backup at Indiana in 2022.
“Mr. Sorsby is currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA’s sports gambling rules. Rather than support a student-athlete’s recovery from a gambling addiction, the NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity,” the complaint reads.
The Texas Tech QB has been in a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction since April.
The penalty for wagering on your own team is an immediate and permanent loss of eligibility under NCAA rules.
In the complaint, Sorsby admits to wagering on his own team.
“Mr. Sorsby placed small bets — typically between $5 and $50 — in support of Indiana. In other words, he placed bets on Indiana to win or score more than a certain number of points, or for the quarterback to throw for more than a certain number of touchdowns or yards. He rationalized these bets as a way to feel more connected to the team, rooting for his friends and feeling like he had a real “stake” in games despite being otherwise uninvolved.”
According to NCAA rules, players may not wager on games even if they are not actively participating.
“NCAA guidelines further state that cumulative wagers greater than $800 could lead to the loss of 30% of a season of eligibility,” On3 reports. “For cumulative wagers that ‘greatly exceed $800,’ NCAA staff is supposed to consider ‘whether additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility are appropriate.’
“The quarterback placed bets across multiple states, using a range of gambling apps, including Hard Rock Bet, BetMGM, DraftKings, PrizePicks, and bet365, among others, sources said.”
For their part, the NCAA claims to have not received a request for reinstatement from Sorsby’s camp. The collegiate governing body also reiterated its stance on athletes who bet on their own team.
“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 organization noted. “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.”
If it is indeed true that Sorsby has not filed for reinstatement and the NCAA intends to remain firm in the enforcement of its prohibition on gambling, there’s a strong chance that Sorsby’s suit has a true aim, which is to merely force the NCAA to ban him so that he can apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft, which is set to take place in late July.
Further complicating matters is what Sorby’s former school knew about his gambling tendencies and when they knew it.
Texas Tech was alerted to the problems surrounding Sorsby in mid-April, weeks after the school signed him to a lucrative seven-figure NIL deal. USA Today reports that Sorsby’s former school, Cincinnati, knew of the quarterback’s compulsive gambling in August of 2025, before the start of last season.
It is not clear how the NCAA became aware of Sorsby’s gambling issues.
According to NCAA rules, athletes who meet age requirements can wager on UFC, horse racing, and NASCAR. However, even athletes of age are prohibited from betting on football, basketball, and baseball, since the NCAA hosts sanctioned championships in those sports.
In addition to betting on his own team, Sorsby also wagered on MLB games.