Lawyers for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby are preparing to request an expedited resolution to Sorsby’s NCAA eligibility status, a person familiar with the process confirmed to The Athletic. Sorsby is under NCAA investigation for alleged gambling violations, including alleged bets he placed on Indiana football while Sorsby was a member of the Hoosiers in 2022.
Sorsby applying for reinstatement with the NCAA is an expected part of the eligibility process. Discussions between Sorsby’s legal team and the NCAA on the matter were expected Friday, but official paperwork may not be filed until next week, industry sources told The Athletic. Yahoo Sports first reported Sorsby’s reinstatement request on Friday.
Sorsby, 23, recently retained prominent sports labor lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. Sorsby and Texas Tech announced on April 27 that the fifth-year senior quarterback would be taking an “immediate indefinite leave of absence” from the football program to enter a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. Sorsby is still in the treatment program, industry sources told The Athletic, and he has not yet spoken with the NCAA as part of the investigation. It is likely the NCAA would want to speak with Sorsby before making a final ruling on his eligibility status.
The NCAA and Kessler declined to comment. Texas Tech reiterated its initial statement of support for Sorsby seeking treatment.
According to updated NCAA sports betting guidelines passed in 2023, players who bet on games involving their own schools — which Sorsby is reported to have done — face permanent loss of eligibility. Separate from an eventual ruling by the NCAA, Sorsby could also pursue a lawsuit against the NCAA to reinstate his eligibility, including filing in Texas state court. There have been similar legal challenges for eligibility by college athletes in recent years, including a recent successful one by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, but none involved the gambling implications Sorsby is facing. Sorsby would have to file a lawsuit against the NCAA without involvement from Texas Tech.
Sorsby entered 2026 with one season of eligibility remaining after two seasons each at Indiana and Cincinnati. He was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal this winter and signed a one-year deal with the Red Raiders that was expected to pay him more than $4 million.
In addition to the NCAA investigation, Sorsby is under investigation by Ohio state gambling officials, the Ohio Casino Control Commission confirmed to The Athletic, and the Indiana Gaming Commission previously told The Athletic it was withholding responsive documents related to Sorsby because of a state law that shields the investigatory records of a law enforcement agency.
If Sorsby is deemed ineligible, he could also pursue entry into the NFL Supplemental Draft. If granted, the draft would take place this summer. A player has not been selected in the supplemental draft since 2019, and there is no guarantee the NFL would hold the draft if Sorsby applied.
— Matt Baker contributed reporting.
