Brendan Sorsby met with a group of Texas Tech officials and administrators on Sunday night in Lubbock, Texas. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt, university president Lawrence Schovanec, Board of Regents chair Cody Campbell and head football coach Joey McGuire were all there, among others. For some, it was the first genuine opportunity to speak with the quarterback since he returned to campus after a month-long stay in an Arizona residential treatment facility for his gambling addiction.
It was also the first chance to talk face to face since the fight over Sorsby’s eligibility sent college sports into a frenzy, directing vitriol at Texas Tech, rousing politicians and pushing Texas Tech into a standoff with its own conference.
None of them knew it yet, but in less than 24 hours, it would all be over, Sorsby’s college career ending in a blur of escalating pressure and an unexpected legal tactic.
The meeting capped a tumultuous week that started with Sorsby, 22, being granted a temporary injunction by a Lubbock County district court that would allow him to play the 2026 college football season despite thousands of NCAA gambling violations, including betting on his own team while he was at Indiana in 2022. Even after Sorsby admitted to the mortal sin of sports, all it took was one signature from one local court to clear his ledger and overrule the NCAA deeming him permanently ineligible.
Texas Tech was not party to Sorsby’s lawsuit against the NCAA, but its public support for his eligibility had colleagues questioning the school’s integrity and calling to boycott the Red Raiders in all sports. The Big 12 united in outrage, pitting 15 member universities against one, creating a rift with the league’s new-money agitator. How commissioner Brett Yormark would respond was under heavy scrutiny. As the conference mulled additional sanctions, Campbell threatened legal action in response, reiterated in letters from Texas attorney general Ken Paxton and Sorsby’s personal lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler. Under state law, the Texas attorney general’s office represents Texas Tech University in court.
On Sunday, Texas Tech was still behind Sorsby, with the quarterback determined to play for the Red Raiders in 2026. But some at the school were wavering, according to people briefed on the meeting in Lubbock. They, along with others The Athletic spoke to for this story, were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on a confidential matter.
The leadership believed in giving Sorsby an unprecedented second chance, but defiance was trending toward concern. The deadline for Sorsby to declare for the NFL Supplemental Draft — which he would have pursued had he not been granted the injunction — was June 22, just over a week away. Once that date came and went, there would be no fallback option for Sorsby if the Big 12 followed through with sanctions or the injunction was somehow overturned on appeal.
The anger toward Texas Tech wasn’t abating, either, and the cracks were starting to show. Attempts to change the narrative only invited more criticism, including a 20-minute video of university leaders earnestly justifying their positions.
“Everybody was weighing the situation,” said one person briefed on the meeting. “There was some surprise over the blowback.”
“It felt like there was some waffling under pressure,” said a second person briefed on the meeting.
After more than three hours, those at the meeting agreed to sleep on it and keep the dialogue open. A call between Big 12 presidents, including Schovanec, was scheduled for Monday afternoon, and could offer some clarity.
But no one anticipated what was coming Monday morning.
The Big 12 Conference filed a federal lawsuit overnight, listing Texas Tech University; Schovanec, Hocutt and other officials; and Paxton as defendants. The suit requested clarification from a federal judge that the Big 12 can sanction league members under its bylaws, which it argued are protected by the First Amendment — a direct response to Paxton’s letter.
Opinions on the lawsuit range from a litigatory masterstroke to a well-timed roadblock. Last week, it felt as if Yormark and the Big 12 were a step behind, forced to play defense as Campbell, Paxton and Kessler went on the attack. But one legal expert briefed on the Big 12’s strategy thought Monday’s lawsuit — drafted by powerhouse firm Sidley Austin — was a clever way of turning that bravado against them. The conference used Paxton’s warning letter in particular to bolster a preemptive lawsuit on First Amendment grounds, which allowed them to file in federal jurisdiction as opposed to another Texas state court. The Big 12 beat Tech to the courthouse and outmaneuvered Kessler, who has long been a thorn in the side of the NCAA.
“Checkmate,” said Tom Mars, a prominent sports attorney. Mars has battled the NCAA in court on a number of cases but was publicly critical of Sorsby being granted a temporary injunction. “(The Paxton letter) was a misstep of epic proportions to say the least because without that letter, there’s no (Big 12) lawsuit.”
Sources briefed on Texas Tech’s and Sorsby’s legal strategy pushed back on the impact of the Big 12 suit, arguing that it would eventually be ordered back to state court where the injunction ruling was made. But at the very least, by filing in federal court and making a compelling argument, the Big 12 weaponized Sorsby’s deadline to declare for the supplemental draft.
On top of that, the NCAA filed a motion to stay the temporary injunction and requested an expedited appeal on Monday in the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas. Attorneys general from Kansas and Utah joined Oklahoma in support of the Big 12. The concerns for Texas Tech and Sorsby were piling up, and time was running out.
Tech officials convened again Monday afternoon. Whatever perspectives a good night’s rest delivered had already been upended, and it was evident that the growing list of unanswered questions could not all be resolved by June 22. Even those who remained staunchly in Sorsby’s corner and believed he could beat the legal challenges had to acknowledge that there were too many unknowns. If Sorsby stayed, he’d risk Big 12 sanctions — potentially an additional suspension beyond the judge-ordered two games — or even the long shot of losing on an expedited appeal. And it wasn’t just him. The Big 12 could hit Tech with a conference championship game ban, barring the team from defending its crown if Sorsby played. Maybe more.
At some point, the juice was no longer worth the squeeze. For Tech or Sorsby.
“It wasn’t fair to the kid or his teammates to have this situation hanging over their heads,” said one involved source.
Brendan Sorsby was set to play for Texas Tech on an NIL deal that would have paid him north of $4 million. (John E. Moore / Getty Images)
By Monday evening, the decision had been made internally by Texas Tech, according to sources familiar with the process: Sorsby needed to declare for the NFL Supplemental Draft. And as much as he wanted to stay and fight, Sorsby understood the increasing difficulty of the situation.
Just before 8 p.m. local time on Monday night, McGuire addressed the Texas Tech team as news broke publicly.
“(Red Raiders) are tough enough to take any heat that might come from doing the right thing,” Campbell wrote in a lengthy statement late Monday. “Recently, the situation surrounding Brendan Sorsby has put that to the test.”
Campbell described the decision as “gut-wrenching.” A source said the discussions between McGuire and Sorsby and his family were particularly emotional.
“The decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation,” Campbell wrote. “Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future, as well as for his teammates, and our university.”
Campbell added that Texas Tech will continue providing Sorsby with recovery resources and will not seek to recoup any money Sorsby has made through NIL agreements since transferring to Texas Tech, which multiple sources told The Athletic was around $1 million. Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin of Lift Management, told a Dallas radio station that Sorsby has more than $1 million in attorney fees in addition to certain NIL deals getting taken away, including one with Adidas. His full one-year deal was expected to pay him north of $4 million for the 2026 season.
With that, weeks of college football drama came to a sudden, screeching halt.
“I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,” Sorsby said in a statement posted to his Instagram account. “As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”
There are still plenty of unanswered questions, including a supplemental draft process that is not guaranteed.
Kessler told The Athletic the temporary injunction lawsuit would be withdrawn, rendering Sorsby ineligible to play college football in 2026 and therefore eligible to apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft. Sources briefed on the process told The Athletic that Sorsby is organizing the necessary paperwork with the NFL and will await approval from the league. One source briefed on Sorsby’s NFL prospects believes there will be eight to 10 teams with some degree of interest. If he’s approved for the supplemental draft, Sorsby would likely hold a pro day workout prior to a draft date to be scheduled in July.
He’s still enrolled at Texas Tech, and if he’s not approved or goes undrafted, he could try to stay in school and continue working out and even practicing with the Red Raiders. But those details would have to get sorted out.
Sorsby is taking a lot of money off the table either way — with no one to fault but himself. Falling from a potential first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft to a mid- to late-round pick in the supplemental draft could cost him tens of millions of dollars, on top of his lost earnings at Tech. His legal issues could continue as well. There’s still an ongoing lawsuit filed against him by the University of Cincinnati, his previous school, for a $1 million buyout, though it may now be withdrawn. There’s also the possibility of criminal charges over his gambling activity. It was a federal law enforcement agency that sparked the NCAA’s initial investigation by tipping off a sportsbook that then informed the NCAA, according to court records. He’s been investigated by the Ohio and Indiana gaming commissions in recent weeks and wired money to others to make proxy bets while in Texas, where mobile sports gambling is illegal.
Regardless, Brendan Sorsby’s time in college football is done. And it leaves a deeply fractured relationship between Texas Tech and the Big 12 in its wake.
Yormark initially remained somewhat neutral on the Sorsby scandal, taking heat for it within the conference. He didn’t submit an affidavit supporting the NCAA in Lubbock County, something SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had done in the Charles Bediako eligibility case earlier this year. But Yormark ultimately leaned on his experience with referee Tim Donaghy’s betting scandal while Yormark was working in the NBA, recognizing how damaging it was to the NBA’s reputation.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Brett and Logan (Phillips), our general counsel,” said Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor, another outspoken critic of Sorsby’s injunction. “And then our presidents and chancellors for stepping up as quickly as they did. Their leadership really came through.”
Yormark may not have endeared himself to many Texas Tech supporters, but multiple league sources praised the commissioner for effectively rallying the rest of the conference through a prickly situation.
“It’s been a challenging week for both our conference and the college athletics landscape,” Yormark said in a statement on Tuesday. “The Big 12 looks forward to moving ahead as 16 strong. We wish Brendan Sorsby success in his future endeavors.”
It won’t be that simple. Tech and the Big 12 have sparred previously on tortilla tossing and Friday night scheduling, but those blew over. This one will linger, with the rapport between Yormark and Campbell notably strained. It goes both ways, too. Multiple league sources told The Athletic they believe Texas Tech should foot the bill for the Big 12’s legal fees.
“There’s a lot of hurt feelings,” said one Big 12 athletic director.
Messier still is a fast-approaching football season in which Texas Tech was the favorite to repeat as conference champions and possibly make noise in the College Football Playoff, the type of disruptor the Big 12 desperately needs.
McGuire and the Red Raiders have enough talent to win the conference even without Sorsby. But as the rest of the sport celebrates Monday night’s news, Texas Tech can only wonder what could have been — and how the saga will impact its future.
— Ralph Russo and Bruce Feldman contributed reporting.
