A former Texas Tech wide receiver filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in an effort to annul a six-game suspension he received for violating sports betting rules, according to ESPN.
Roy Alexander, a six-year college player who saw three games of action at Texas Tech, submitted the complaint on Aug. 19 in Bexar County District Court in Texas.
Key Takeaways
- Alexander claimed he never impacted the integrity of games with his betting.
- The NCAA said that it was standing by its decision to suspend Alexander.
- Texas Tech recently lost starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby to a sports betting suspension.
Alexander played three years at Albany, one at Incarnate Word, one at Texas Tech, and is playing out his final season back at Incarnate Word.
The lawsuit acknowledges that Alexander disobeyed the NCAA’s sports betting regulations, but claims that the suspension that was issued represents a breach of contract.
“While Roy has taken accountability for his actions, ceasing to stop wagering on his own, the [NCAA] dealt him a six-game suspension which is wholly unreasonable in light of the conduct,” the lawsuit reads.
Texas Tech reported Alexander for illegally betting on sports from 2023-25 in January 2026. The suit acknowledges his culpability, but asserts that he did not bet on any games involving his teams and thereby did not compromise the integrity of the games.
The suit also claims that most of his bets were $12 or less and never exceeded $80, and that he stopped betting on games after reading an article posted by ESPN on the “perils of wagering” on college sports.
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NCAA won’t budge
While the lawsuit has not been settled, Alexander is hoping to procure an injunction that would prevent him from missing half of his final college campaign.
Alexander was allowed to play in Incarnate Word’s season-opening matchup with Oklahoma Panhandle State last Saturday since it was against an NAIA opponent and did not count toward postseason eligibility. He finished the game with one reception for four yards.
The NCAA told ESPN that it is committed to its sports betting regulations and does not plan on making an exception for Alexander.
“The Association stands by these rules -- which were recently upheld and supported by the majority of Division I schools -- and we will continue to defend against threats to avoid accountability and undermine these common sense standards,” the NCAA said in a statement to ESPN.
Alexander only logged three receptions for 31 yards in his Texas Tech career — all of them coming in one matchup with Kent State last September.
247 Sports had ranked him as the No. 373 player in the transfer portal during the 2025 offseason after he put up 100 receptions, 1,108 yards, and 13 touchdowns at Incarnate Word in 2024.
Brendan Sorsby all over again
This is the second time this year that Texas Tech has found itself at the center of a sports betting lawsuit. The previous incident involved quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who had transferred from Cincinnati and was expected to lead the team in its pursuit of another College Football Playoff appearance.
Sorsby admitted to placing hundreds of bets, including numerous on college football and his own team while at Indiana and Cincinnati. He contested the NCAA’s decision to rule him ineligible, like Alexander, claiming they were in breach of contract.
He initially won a temporary injunction on June 8, but parted ways with Texas Tech one week later after the NCAA and Big 12 filed lawsuits in Texas. Sorsby withdrew his lawsuit and had hoped to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, but one was never held.
