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After a seven-day battle that spanned multiple courts, Brendan Sorsby decided he will not play college football this season at Texas Tech.
The decision comes the same day the Big 12 filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas that sought to be given the power to sanction Texas Tech for playing the quarterback this season, even as the NCAA declared him ineligible to play.
Over the past three months, Sorsby had been embroiled in an NCAA investigation involving thousands of bets placed during his college career, with several of them being placed while he was on Indiana’s roster. These bets were flagged by law enforcement officials, who then turned them over to the NCAA.
Big 12 files lawsuit against Texas Tech seeking court approval to sanction school over Brendan Sorsby
Over these past few weeks, Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Lubbock District Court, where an injunction was granted that would have allowed him to suit up this season for the Red Raiders. Then came the reaction from across college athletics, with the Big 12 conference looking for ways it could punish Texas Tech.
Sorsby’s lawsuit is expected to be dropped Tuesday morning, sources told OutKick. The school will also continue to support the quarterback in his off-field battle against gambling addiction.
Additionally, Texas Tech officials will not seek the return of money already paid to Sorsby, with sources noting that the quarterback had already taken home a significant amount of winnings.
Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell issued a statement Monday evening confirming these details.
“Texas Tech will not seek the return of any amounts already paid to Brendan through its NIL agreements with the University,” Campbell said.
Future Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby yells during the first half of the game between the Houston Cougars and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, on January 24, 2026. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
This quickly got out of control for the Red Raiders.
The unfortunate part for everyone involved was how far Texas Tech was going in their route to potentially getting him on the field this season. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to Big 12 officials, warning them that if the conference punished the school for portraying Sorsby, the state would take them to court in return.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby of the Cincinnati Bearcats speaks to the media during Big 12 Media Days at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on July 8, 2025. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
To further complicate the situation, Texas Tech officials released a 21-minute video last week going over certain barriers that were put in place for Sorsby once he was granted an injunction.
Obviously, the video was not well received and Texas Tech officials were enduring tremendous backlash from leaders of opposing Big 12 conferences.
After the Big 12 sued, pressure intensified on Sorsby and Texas Tech
Over the past 24 hours, the conversation changed within Lubbock, as the school knew Big 12 officials were preparing to file a federal lawsuit regarding Sorsby.
Those within Sorsby’s inner circle were beginning to feel the pressure of going ahead and entering his name in the NFL supplemental draft, and not having to deal with the immense pressure that wasn’t going away anytime soon.
“I have no idea why they tried to justify this over the past week, it just didn’t make any sense. The amount of heat that young man was getting, along with what was to come, wasn’t worth it,” one Power Four athletic director told OutKIck. “Texas Tech should have made this decision on its own when it first faced the NCAA. This is why we have language in the NIL and revenue sharing contracts that also correlate to NCAA rules.
“Once the school knew the rules had been broken, this should have been the end of the conversation.”
Brendan Sorsby of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches before the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Nov. 1, 2025. (Photos by Bryan Byerly/ISI)
BRENDAN SORSBY ADMITS TO BETTING NEARLY $90,000 DURING COLLEGE CAREER AS NCAA WRESTLING HEATS UP
Texas Tech actually went overboard on this one, and the last few days that included Cody Campbell making an appearance on Dan Dakich’s show and trying to compare the situation to the fallout at Penn State with Jerry Sandusky only made things worse.
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Now, despite all the damage this has caused in recent weeks, Sorsby will move on to a professional career. In the meantime, Texas Tech will do whatever it takes to repair any kind of fractured relationship within the Big 12 that this has caused.
For Brendan Sorsby, the focus will be on his continuing battle with gambling addiction, while also preparing for life outside of college football.
