NCAA opposes Texas Tech quarterback’s injunction bid over gambling violations
Legal brief filed in Lubbock reveals scope of betting activity across Indiana and Cincinnati, as hearing approaches
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has filed a legal brief opposing an injunction sought by Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, arguing that permitting him to compete this season would force the organisation to become the first major American sports league to allow an athlete to bet on their own games. The NCAA maintains that granting the request would undermine the integrity of college athletics and set a destabilising precedent for student-athletes.
A hearing on Sorsby’s request for an injunction is scheduled for Monday in Lubbock, Texas. The legal documents reveal that the NCAA became aware of Sorsby’s gambling activity on 11 March after receiving information from an online sportsbook that had been notified by law enforcement. The governing body informed Texas Tech of its investigation on 14 April, requesting phone and betting records to determine the full scope of his sports betting activity during his time as a student-athlete.
Sorsby’s attorneys contend that his gambling behaviour was driven by a diagnosed mental health disorder, specifically gambling and anxiety disorders, for which he underwent a 35-day inpatient rehabilitation program in Arizona. They argue that the high volume of bets was a direct result of an anxiety condition that manifested in compulsive gambling, and they have asked the NCAA to treat the violations as a health issue rather than a disciplinary one.
However, the NCAA states that under existing bylaws, Sorsby’s college football career has concluded. The organisation noted that Sorsby was free to continue his playing career elsewhere, having been a top target in the offseason transfer portal and considered an NFL prospect. The NCAA asserted that it did not demand Sorsby interrupt his residential treatment program and prioritised his health and treatment before engagement with enforcement staff.
Legal filings allege that Sorsby placed at least 2,900 bets, totaling more than $30,000, while at Indiana University between June 2022 and December 2023. This included 40 bets on games involving the Hoosiers, though none on games in which he was involved or had a legitimate chance of playing. The NCAA has not found evidence of attempts to manipulate his performance or that inside information was used to place any of the bets.
While at the University of Cincinnati, Sorsby placed at least 165 bets, totaling at least $38,000, and transferred more than $60,000 to a friend to deposit in a shared sportsbook account. Cincinnati received an alert regarding Sorsby’s activity on the daily fantasy site PrizePicks on 19 August 2024, after which he spoke with the school’s compliance team and received sports wagering education.
The NCAA warned that granting the injunction would have broad-ranging ramifications, effectively sanctioning sports gambling by vulnerable student-athletes suffering from addiction. It argued that such a move would create unfair outcomes for athletes who have resisted the temptation to gamble or who have been punished under the same rules. Texas Tech was among the schools that voted in November to rescind a proposed rule amendment that would have allowed student-athletes to bet on professional sports.
