NCAA plans to end Sorsby's college career over gambling

The NCAA stated that Brendan Sorsby’s college career should end due to his involvement in gambling on his own team. In a legal brief filed in district court in Lubbock, Texas, the NCAA expressed that if a court were to grant Sorsby an injunction allowing him to compete for Texas Tech this season, it would mean the NCAA would be the first major American sports league to permit an athlete who bet on their own games to continue playing.

Sorsby, diagnosed with gambling and anxiety disorders, allegedly placed thousands of bets as a student-athlete at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. His attorneys reported that he placed at least 40 bets on games involving the Indiana Hoosiers while serving as their quarterback, totaling over $30,000. None of Sorsby’s bets directly involved him playing in those games, but included parlay bets on Indiana basketball that favored opposing players.

The NCAA acknowledged Sorsby’s attempts at rehabilitation but emphasized that its bylaws are clear: his college football career has come to an end. Despite being a potential NFL prospect and a sought-after transfer, Sorsby’s involvement in gambling has attracted significant scrutiny. His legal team argued that his gambling issues stem from a mental health condition predominantly affecting his behavior with online gambling.

According to NCAA filings, they became aware of Sorsby’s gambling activities after receiving a tip from an online sportsbook linked to law enforcement on March 11. The investigation led Texas Tech to be informed on April 14, where they were asked to provide phone and betting records, as well as to interview Sorsby. The NCAA denied claims from Texas Tech suggesting that they had delayed investigations and clarified that Sorsby was not required to interrupt his treatment for gambling addiction in order to cooperate.

Despite his ongoing treatment, Sorsby had previous alerts reported due to his gambling activities on other platforms while at Cincinnati. He is reported to have placed at least 165 bets totaling over $38,000. NCAA attorneys warned that allowing Sorsby to play this season would lead to negative consequences, potentially enabling other athletes struggling with gambling addiction to evade consequences similarly.

In November, the NCAA membership voted to rescind a proposed rule change that would have allowed student-athletes to wager on professional sports. Along with Texas Tech, schools largely opposed the proposition, reaffirming the commitment to uphold the integrity of college athletics.