Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby's eligibility for the 2026 season will be decided in a Lubbock courtroom Monday. The senior was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA after allegedly gambling on games involving his team.
Sorsby has filed a request for an injunction that would allow him to play college football while his lawsuit against the NCAA flows through the justice department. His earlier request for reinstatement was denied.
Sorsby has retained several of the highest-profile attorneys in college athletics to make his case. His primary attorney is Jeffrey Kessler, who is the litigator who negotiated the historic House v. NCAA settlement. His secondary attorney is Dustin Burrows, who serves as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
According to court filings, Sorsby admitted to placing hundreds of bets over the course of four years. The records indicate he sent money to family and friends to place bets on his behalf, including after he arrived at Texas Tech. At least 40 bets were placed on Indiana football while he was a member of the program. According to NCAA rules, players who gamble on their own team -- or school -- are subject to permanent loss of eligibility.
Following the allegations, Sorsby entered a gambling rehab facility for several weeks. He was released last week and has spent the past few days at home with family, before returning to Lubbock ahead of the hearing.
"I'm so proud of Brendan for getting help with his gambling addiction," Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. "We'll continue to support Brendan."
Lawyer defend gambling addiction
According to court filings, Sorsby's attorneys claim he suffers from a serious mental health condition that should provide extenuating circumstances for his actions. Specifically, they argue Sorsby's gambling addiction and anxiety were in part impacted by the NCAA's relationship with gambling companies.
"The NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it policies," Sorsby's legal team wrote.
The NCAA responded fervently to Sorsby's request in a filing. They claimed that it would be unprecedented for a player to be allowed to participate in game action after gambling on their own games, at any level. Sports betting is banned in every major sport. Multiple players in the NBA and college basketball have faced federal probes regarding tampering with games and performance.
Texas Tech has stood firmly by Sorsby through the process, even as he faces a lengthy process to get back on the field. This week, Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec released a lengthy public letter claiming that Lubbock would be the best place for Sorsby to help recover from his addiction, especially due to the university's addiction center.
McGuire also defended Sorsby in a statement at Big 12 meetings Thursday. He said Sorsby went home to visit family in the Dallas area, but would soon return to the university.
"I do believe that there should be consequences, but it's my opinion that he shouldn't be penalized for the rest of this year of his whole career," McGuire said. "I think when you look at what has been put out, he's been really transparent and honest with us, he's got a serious program, and I think the best place to get help is him being at Texas Tech and able to play."
Sorsby gets his day in court
On Monday, Judge Ken Curry will listen to arguments from both sides. However, he will only be deciding one matter: Whether to grant an injunction or not. He will not have the ability to adjust or change Sorsby's punishment from the NCAA.
Granting an injunction would mean that Curry believes that there's validity to the case that Sorsby is bringing against the NCAA, and that it would cause him permanent damage to not play. Denying an injunction would mean that Sorsby would not get the benefit of playing while going through the legal process. With the timeline of the case, it would de facto end his college career.
Judge Phillip Hays was initially assigned to try the case. However, the two-time Texas Tech graduate ultimately recused himself. Instead, the hearing will be presided over by Curry, a Houston law school graduate who officially retired in 2012. However, he often returns to preside over significant individual decisions.
Backup plans for Sorsby
Sorsby was rated the No. 2 player in the transfer portal and a blue-chip quarterback prospect after arriving from Cincinnati. The Red Raiders allegedly made him one of the highest-paid players in college football. If he receives a final year of eligibility, Sorsby could shape the Big 12 and national race.
As a junior at Cincinnati, Sorsby completed 62% of his passes for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He also added more than 1,000 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
If Sorsby's eligibility is denied, he could immediately decide to enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft. No player has been selected in the draft since 2019, when the Arizona Cardinals selected Jalen Thompson. The draft was held in 2023, but no players were selected.
Backup plans for Texas Tech
If Sorsby is unable to play, the Red Raiders will have a hole at the quarterback position. However, the staff remains extremely excited about the potential of backup quarterback Will Hammond, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in October.
McGuire said that Hammond remains on a nine-month timetable that could see him return to practice around Aug. 21. To give him time to ramp up, the Red Raiders project him to return around Week 3, when Texas Tech hosts Houston in a marquee battle.
"If he wasn't hurt then we wouldn't be talking about this," McGuire said. "We wouldn't have been looking for a starting quarterback. We would have been looking for probably a depth piece in that room and the money would have been allocated to other positions, but he's in a good spot. I'm really lucky to have Will Hammond."
Hammond was a blue-chip quarterback recruit out of Hutto, Texas, in the Austin area. He put up monster statistics and has already impressed in two years on campus. The redshirt sophomore came off the bench against No. 16 Utah and threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns as the Red Raiders pulled away in a 34-10 victory.
If Hammond has a setback, returner Lloyd Jones III and Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis both have live experience. Texas Tech also signed Stephen Cannon, a three-star prospect from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia.
