Texas Tech reinstates Sorsby amid legal injunction and conference backlash
A Lubbock County District Court injunction halts NCAA permanent ineligibility, while Texas Attorney General threatens legal action against Big 12 sanctions.
Texas Tech has reinstated quarterback Brendan Sorsby following a court injunction that prevents the NCAA from enforcing permanent ineligibility for gambling violations. The university released a 21-minute video featuring President Lawrence Schovanec, Athletic Director Grant Stovall, and Head Coach Joey McGuire to defend the decision, framing it as a moral obligation to support Sorsby’s recovery from a clinically diagnosed gambling addiction.
Sorsby admitted to placing several thousand bets over four years, including on Indiana athletics while he was a redshirt athlete. Under NCAA rules, betting on one’s own team or athletic department is grounds for permanent loss of eligibility. However, Sorsby received an injunction from a Lubbock County District Court on Monday, preventing NCAA punishment enforcement until his full trial in February 2027.
As part of the court order, Sorsby faces a two-game suspension and must adhere to strict monitoring conditions. He reported to the athletic department’s IT services shortly after his eligibility was reinstated to have software installed on his phone to block gambling sites. He also has a custodian overseeing his finances and must continue individual and group treatments for his addiction.
The reinstatement has drawn significant criticism from other universities, with Georgia and Nebraska refusing to schedule Texas Tech in any sports. The Big 12 conference is considering sanctions, though Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has informed the conference that any attempt to sanction Texas Tech or Sorsby would be met with legal action by the state.
Sorsby completed a five-week stint at an inpatient recovery centre in Arizona before returning to the Dallas area and later Lubbock. The full trial is scheduled for two weeks after the national championship game, by which time Sorsby’s college career will have concluded. Despite the reinstatement, Sorsby has yet to participate in a real practice or play in a game since the ruling.
