The Canadian Football League will not be an option for Brendan Sorsby in 2026. In a statement shared with The Athletic by a league spokesperson, the CFL said its teams will not be permitted to negotiate with Sorsby, who is also ineligible to play at Texas Tech after violating NCAA gambling rules and was denied entry to the NFL via its supplemental draft this week.
“Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL,” the league’s statement read. “The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.”
Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech during the offseason and was expected to be the Red Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2026. However, Sorsby announced in April that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence to enter a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. The announcement came after the NCAA notified Texas Tech that it was investigating Sorsby’s gambling.
The NCAA investigation found that he had violated multiple gambling policies, including betting on his own team while at Indiana, where he began his college career in 2022, and deemed him permanently ineligible. A weeks-long legal battle followed, which appeared to end last week when Sorsby shifted his focus to pursuing a spot in the NFL.
On June 15, Sorsby announced his intention to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, a week before the application deadline. On Tuesday, the NFL denied Sorsby’s application; the league will not hold a supplemental draft this year.
“The League does not have the complete record of the NCAA’s investigation, and you did not provide any such materials with your Petition,” NFL Management Council general counsel Larry Ferazani wrote in response to Sorsby’s application. “Available information nonetheless indicates that, over the course of your collegiate career, you knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition.”
There is no indication whether Sorsby intended to explore playing in Canada. The CFL regular season began June 4, and the Grey Cup is scheduled for Nov. 15. In its letter to Sorsby, the NFL encouraged him to prepare for the 2027 NFL Draft next spring.
