Brendan Sorsby may let out a sigh of relief, at least for the time being, after a judge sided with the college-level football player and blocked a previous order by the NCAA to suspend Sorsby from play over his excessive gambling behavior, which saw as much as $90,000 placed on various sports wagers, including on NCAAF events.
District court judge Ken Curry, however, is only placing a temporary injunction against the NCAA, arguing that the association cannot stop the player from “practising, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”
Sorsby’s Career Is Still on the Line
The decision stems from Sorsby’s legal team successfully arguing that should the prohibition remain, the player would suffer irrevocable damage to his career, and possibly lose out on most of his opportunities as a would-be NFL player. However, the NCAA does not agree with the court’s decision.
“The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome, which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports.
The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one’s own sport.”
Sorsby has indeed breached nearly every gambling rule the NCAA has in place, with court documents detailing how he spiralled into excessive gambling, something his legal team attributes to a debilitating gambling addiction, and not an attempt to take an unfair advantage of the game in any way.
Sorsby used friends’ and family members’ names to mask his own identity and continue placing wagers, or asked third parties to place wagers on his behalf.
He also placed wagers on Hoosiers games while attending as a backup, although he never gambled on games he specifically participated in. Sorsby argued that it was a way for him to feel connected to the team.
In the days leading up to the judge’s decision, Sorsby’s team insisted that rather than support the athlete during what was a very difficult spell for him, citing his addiction, the NCAA was punishing him and potentially ending his career prospects. This argument seems to have landed with the judge as well.
He was originally ruled ineligible to play in the current college football season and denied a chance to play.
Despite his extensive betting history, however, there is no evidence that Sorsby tried in any way to enrich himself by placing wagers or performed less than his best, which is an important distinction, but one that may not mean much legally, as it would require people to take athletes on their word, while still gambling money on sports.
This Ruling Could Prove a Headache for the NCAA
The injunction, if further upheld, also creates a very specific headache for the NCAA, as how is the association to monitor and prohibit student-athletes from gambling on specific sports that are seen as ruinous to integrity if a player could argue that they would be deprived of career prospects?
However, Texas Tech has stood by Sorsby in this time of crisis, with Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec previously opposing the NCAA’s decision to deny Sorsby playing rights, and arguing that as sports gambling spreads across the nation, young men are falling prey to it.
What happens next remains to be seen, but the NCAA will most likely appeal the decision and try to have the temporary injunction thrown out.