The Brendan Sorsby saga has reached a surprising conclusion.
Sorsby and Texas Tech are parting ways amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his eligibility. ESPN’s He will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft and begin his professional career rather than continue to fight for eligibility at Texas Tech this season.
“I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,” Sorsby said in a statement on his social media account. “As my journey continues I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be both on and off the field.”
Campbell cited the upcoming June 22 deadline for Sorsby to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft as a key factor, as well as there being “no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date.” He also went on to say that the Red Raiders will not “seek the return” of any of the money paid to him through his NIL agreements.
Campbell’s statement strongly defended both Sorsby and Texas Tech throughout.
“He will be stripped of the opportunity to continue to develop as a better and stronger man, stripped of his last opportunity to compete at the highest level of college sports, and I pray that he can stay on his path to recovery,” Campbell wrote. “Brendan, while he made many mistakes that he openly admits, has also been a part of a much larger broken and predatory system, and we believe that all people deserve a second chance. It is gut-wrenching that there is no viable path to providing him with redemption at the collegiate level.”
“The Big 12 filed a legal complaint asking a federal court to protect the constitutional and contractual rights on the Conference and our member institutions to take actions expressly permitted under our Bylaws,” the Big 12 said in a statement on Monday. “The Big 12 has long spoken out about the dangers of sports wagering and remains committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition. Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics. This situation is evolving with pending legal matters and the upcoming start of the football season, and the Conference hopes for a timely resolution off these issues. The Board continues to keep all options on the table.”
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt issued a joint statement Monday evening as well.
“When Brendan’s lawsuit resulted in the granting of a temporary injunction, we found ourselves in a difficult situation,” they wrote. “With his health and wellness as our top priority, we supported him in spite of very different perspectives and opinions. Our position was challenged by many but our support for him never changed. We will continue to extend all available resources that Brendan had as a student and athlete to ensure his transition is as successful as possible.”