Sorsby seeks injunction to overturn NCAA gambling ban citing mental health disorder
Legal team argues gambling addiction is a medical condition, not a disciplinary violation, as court documents reveal extensive wagering history during collegiate career.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has filed for a temporary injunction in the US District Court in Lubbock, Texas, to prevent the National Collegiate Athletic Association from enforcing a permanent ineligibility penalty. The legal move comes as a hearing is scheduled for Monday in Lubbock, with Sorsby seeking to maintain his college eligibility while challenging the NCAA’s previous denial of his reinstatement request.
Court documents filed by Sorsby’s legal team disclose that the quarterback placed at least 40 bets involving Indiana University football while serving as a scout team player at the Hoosiers. These specific wagers, which ranged from $1 to $114, totalled at least $850. Sorsby acknowledged making at least 2,900 bets during his tenure at Indiana, amounting to more than $30,000, with betting on the Hoosiers ceasing two weeks before his debut against Penn State on 5 November 2022.
The documents further reveal that Sorsby used sportsbook accounts registered to family members and friends to wager approximately $90,000 over four years across Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. He transferred at least $60,000 to two friends to fund bets made on his behalf, including over $60,000 to a FanDuel account registered to his brother-in-law during his time at Cincinnati. Despite the volume of wagers, the stipulated facts submitted to the NCAA confirm Sorsby never bet on his own team in a game in which he participated.
Sorsby’s attorneys, led by Jeffrey Kessler and Scott Tompsett, argue that his gambling behaviour stems from a clinically diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorder. They contend that the NCAA should treat this as a mental health condition, citing precedent where cannabis use is handled as a medical issue rather than a disciplinary violation. Tompsett asserted that the online gambling market has evolved rapidly and that the NCAA has struggled to balance student-athlete welfare with its own monetisation of the gambling industry.
A decision in the Lubbock court could significantly impact Sorsby’s professional prospects, with the deadline to declare for the 2026 NFL supplemental draft set for 22 June. Sorsby is considered a highly anticipated prospect, potentially the most notable since Josh Gordon in 2012, with a NIL valuation exceeding $5 million. His legal team maintains that denying his eligibility in a structured environment threatens his recovery, urging the NCAA to evaluate his case based on his actual conduct and mental health status rather than hypothetical integrity concerns.
