Judge Phillip Hays, the judge presiding over Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s lawsuit against the NCAA, has recused himself.
Hays is an alum of Texas Tech.
“Breaking: Judge in Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s lawsuit against NCAA recused himself,” Texas courts reporter Ryan Autullo wrote on X. “Judge Phillip Hays, a Lubbock native with two Tech degrees, didn’t give a reason. Replacement to be picked by administrative judge with degrees from A&M and Baylor, but not Tech.”
Sorsby has sued the NCAA in an effort to get the collegiate governing body to expedite a ruling on his eligibility for the 2026 season after revelations that he wagered on college and professional sports, hundreds of times, including at least one wager on his own team when he was a backup at Indiana.
Currently, Sorsby is on indefinite leave from Texas Tech while he seeks treatment for his gambling issues. His legal team is seeking an injunction that will allow him to play the 2026 season at Texas Tech.
However, even if the injunction is not granted, Sorsby wants a quick ruling so he can apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft in late July.
Recent comments from the NCAA cast doubt on whether the Sorby’s injunction request or expedited ruling would yield the kind of judgment he would like to see.
“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.”
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, 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.