Texas Tech Football: Brendan Sorsby Sues NCAA Over Eligibility

Brendan Sorsby, quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, has filed a civil lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Sorsby alleges that he was improperly deemed ineligible to play this football season due to violations of the NCAA's sports gambling rules, and that the association is unreasonably stalling his reinstatement request.

Brendan Sorsby Busted for Sports Betting

In late April, Sorsby was discovered to have placed thousands of online bets across several sports via an online app. The NCAA strictly forbids athletes from betting on college and pro sports, according to ESPN.

Sorsby agreed to enter a residential treatment program for gambling addiction as a result, a move that Texas Tech supported. He also agreed to accept all appropriate punishments for his actions which did NOT include deeming him ineligible for play in the upcoming season for Texas Tech. This, however, was how the NCAA responded, prompting Sorsby to sue the association.

Why is Sorsby Suing the NCAA?

In the official petition of Brendan Sorsby v. NCAA, he claims that all sports betting that he was involved in was never for games of which he was a part. The petition also states that "his bets did not threaten the fairness, honesty, and/or transparency of athletic competitions, or otherwise influence the outcome or athlete performance in those competitions."

Despite Sorsby accepting the reasonable discipline of his actions, he claims that the NCAA did not respond with the fairness that its constitution demands. Instead, the NCAA immediately deemed Sorsby ineligible to play for Texas Tech in the upcoming season.

On top of it all, the NCAA reportedly refused to process Sorsby's reinstatement request in a timely fashion. They requested years of bank statements, Venmo transactions, phone calls, text messages, and credit card statements that further stall the process, refusing to offer a timeline of when the reinstatement request will be processed.

Also, the June 22 NFL Supplemental Draft deadline is fast approaching which will determine if Sorsby can play football in the higher levels anywhere this year.

Sorsby stated that Texas Tech football is also impacted by this, as he was to be the centerpiece and starting quarterback in the upcoming season.

See the full TTU Red Raider football 2026 schedule starting on September 5 here.

Finally, Sorsby called the NCAA "deeply hypocritical" in his suit, claiming that the association imposes harsh gambling restrictions for the sake of integrity, yet financially benefits from it and partners with organizations that promote sports betting as a major opportunity.

Sorsby seeks but one thing: to be able to fully participate as a member of the Texas Tech football team for the 2026 season with no interference from the NCAA.

What Do You Think?

Even though Brendan Sorsby claims that all sports betting he participated in had no involvement in games that he played in, do you still think he should be barred from playing for Texas Tech in the 2026 season?

What about his eligibility to be drafted into the NFL in June? Violating rules does require punishment, but one wonders if the NCAA overstepped their response to Sorsby's sports betting, or if it was a just response.