Brendan Sorsby, who sued the NCAA to regain eligibility after he lost it for violating the gambling policy, awaits a Texas county judge’s decision, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Key Takeaways
- Lawyers for Sorsby and the NCAA argued their cases during Monday’s two-hour hearing.
- Sorsby was not in attendance.
- His attorney asked for a decision by June 15.
The quarterback’s legal team and NCAA representatives argued their cases to Judge Ken Curry during a two-hour hearing Monday, which ended with no ruling on whether to grant Sorsby a preliminary injunction allowing him to suit up for Texas Tech in 2026.
The judge didn’t offer a timeline, but Sorsby's lawyers asked Curry for a decision by June 15 so the quarterback can begin preparing for the Red Raiders' season. A ruling by the date would also allow Sorsby to meet the June 22 deadline to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft if deemed permanently ineligible for college football.
Sorsby, who wasn’t in attendance for Monday’s hearing, stepped away from Texas Tech to enter a gambling addiction rehab program in April after an investigation found he bet on the Indiana Hoosiers when he was a member of the team. He was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, which prohibits student-athletes from sports betting. Players who have wagered on their own team have lost eligibility in the past.
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Policy violations
Sorsby, who transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech this year, made thousands of online bets on college football and basketball games, the NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, tennis, Turkish basketball, Romanian soccer, and the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Sorsby placed bets totaling $90,000 over four years, court documents show. The wagers were placed through accounts of friends and family members, and he transferred at least $60,000 to a pair of friends to place bets on FanDuel, Hard Rock Bet, Underdog, and PrizePicks.
He said he made at least 2,900 bets worth $30,000 while at Indiana from June 2022 through December 2023. He wagered a total of $850 on games involving his team, with bets ranging from $1 to $114. Sorsby said he never bet on games in which he participated, which his legal team emphasized Monday.
"It became a habit for me to bet," Sorsby said in a written statement to the NCAA. "My betting became a compulsion, which made it virtually impossible to resist the constant notifications I received from betting apps. I lost complete control of my addiction. I now realize the apps controlled me and I did not control them."
Seeking reinstatement
The NCAA denied Sorsby’s request for reinstatement May 26, and he appealed May 29, the same day his lawyers filed the lawsuit. Sorsby asked the NCAA for a two-game suspension.
The plaintiff’s legal team argued Monday that the NCAA failed to meet contractual commitments from its constitution and regulations, saying the governing body didn’t take his mental health issue - a gambling disorder - into account when assessing his reinstatement.
Kessler is having a copy of the NCAA constitution and by-laws to the court reporter.
— RedRaiderSports.com (@RedRaiderSports) June 1, 2026
Kessler reading off article 1, section D titled “Principles” diving into the association’s promise to protect the mental health of student-athletes.
The NCAA responded by calling Sorsby a habitual violator who only came forward with his “mental health concern” when he got caught, according to reporters in the courtroom.
