If someone had told me what college football would look like in 2026 ten years ago, I wouldn’t have believed them. Players getting paid millions of dollars, conferences no longer being regional, and an expanded playoff? No way. Get out of town.
As crazy as it would have sounded back then, or even today for that matter, it’s all happening whether we like it or not. Times have changed, and while improvements have been made to the sport, not everything is what I would call fixed. In fact, you can make a case that it is worse.
Perhaps no better example of that is the situation with Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Brendan got caught betting on games back in his days at Indiana. He has placed over 40 wagers on his own team and, over the last four years, has wagered over $90,000. Yeah, I think he had a problem, to say the least.
After getting caught earlier this year, the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible for the 2026 season. And when Sorsby appealed that, the NCAA denied him once again.
But what did Brendan Sorsby do? He went to a local judge who granted him a temporary injunction against the NCAA that will allow him to play during the 2026 season.
The court decided that Sorsby would suffer “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” if he were not allowed to participate in college athletics while he awaits his day in court, which is set for February 8th, 2027.
The last time I checked, nobody is playing college football in February, which is very convenient for Brendan. What makes me laugh is the reason why Sorsby would suffer if he weren’t allowed to play football this season. Probable, imminent, and irreparable injury? The guy wasn’t in a bad accident; he bet on football games for crying out loud.
What Now?
Brendan Sorsby is not a victim here, and I hate that some people are trying to play that card. He’s only sorry because he got caught. It’s not like he turned himself in. Hell, if he didn’t get caught, he may be placing bets as you’re reading this.
I understand he went to rehab for gambling, and good for him. It is an issue in this country, just like drugs and alcohol as well as many other things out there. But that’s not enough to take back what he has already done.
As a college athlete, you know that gambling is a big no-no and betting on your own team is an even bigger one. And yet, he did it anyway. There are some lines you just can’t cross, and this is one of them. Not only did Brendan cross it, but he also leaped over it time and time again.
Texas Tech’s president and athletic director can say all the positive things they want, but it doesn’t change the fact of what Brendan Sorsby did. Would they be saying this if he was a backup or just another face on the team? Probably not. Or if this happened at another school, would they be ok with it? I doubt it.
You can make an argument the other way too. If Texas, or whoever else, had their star quarterback in the same spot, they would likely do the same thing. They would fight tooth and nail to get them on the field. But it’s not; it’s happening at Texas Tech, which plays in the conference I cover.
Big 12 Reaction
I am not envious of the position conference commissioner Brett Yormark is in. We all know that Texas Tech is the Big 12’s best chance at making the College Football Playoff and winning a national championship. Without Sorsby, how far can Tech go? Sure, maybe they can still win the Big 12, but could they win a playoff game without him?
But at the same time, Yormark has 15 other schools he has to worry about. And it’s clear that they aren’t happy with this whole Brendan Sorsby situation. Texas Tech is a great school, but he can’t put one school’s needs above everyone else. We already did that with Texas, and we can’t do that again.
On a bigger note, this whole situation tells me that the NCAA is absolutely powerless. The fact that they can be overruled by a local judge is crazy. If you are a college athlete and the NCAA tells you no, you can just go to your judge and get it fixed. It welcomes bad behavior with little to no consequences. And I am sorry, but once you turn 18, you are no longer a minor. If you commit a crime, you are tried as an adult and pay for your mistakes.
Does Sorsby’s case make it ok for college athletes to bet on their own games? It sure looks like it because if you don’t get punished for it, then why not do it? And where does it end? When someone starts throwing a game or point-shaving?
Forget Texas Tech; Brendan Sorsby playing college football this year after what he did is not right. It doesn’t matter who he plays for; it wouldn’t be right. But just like the NCAA, I don’t get to make that decision.
That’s what also makes this more frustrating to me as a fan. Until we can all get on the same page and play by the same set of rules, it will continue to be the Wild West. The only rule is that there are no rules. That may seem like all fun and games now, but at some point, this whole thing will come crashing down. And I have a feeling that this Brendan Sorsby situation is just the tip of the iceberg.
