We’re getting a clearer picture of the types of bets Brendan Sorsby has placed while he’s been playing college football.
According to court documents obtained by ESPN on Friday, Sorsby “used sportsbook accounts registered to a family member and friends to wager approximately $90,000 over four years, and continued to gamble after transferring from Cincinnati to Texas Tech in December.
Additionally, Sorsby placed “at least 40 wagers on Indiana football and/or individual members of the team” over the course of September and October of 2022. Sorsby was a redshirt freshman with the Hoosiers that season.
The Tech transfer was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it found out about his sports betting activities. Sorsby has filed a lawsuit to get his eligibility back and Texas Tech is appealing the NCAA’s decision not to reinstate him.
The documents revealed Friday were filed by Sorsby’s attorneys as part of their effort to make him eligible in 2026. The quarterback recently completed a 35-day stay at a rehabilitation facility to address his gambling addiction. Sorsby’s attorneys are arguing that because of Sorsby’s mental health condition, the NCAA is being hypocritical thanks to its relationship with sportsbooks and gambling companies.
NCAA rules clearly prohibit college athletes from wagering on all college sports and professional sports that are also played at the NCAA level. Players who bet on their own teams can permanently lose their eligibility. Former Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers was barred from playing NCAA football again after he was found to have made bets on the Cyclones as a redshirt like Sorsby.
The 2026 season is set to be Sorsby’s final season of college football. He was one of the most coveted quarterbacks available in the transfer portal following the 2025 season and signed with Texas Tech after the Red Raiders won the Big 12 and made the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Earlier this week, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire vouched for Sorsby to be able to play football in 2026. In an open letter to campus last week, school president Lawrence Schovanec outlined the support that Sorsby will receive now that he’s back in Lubbock.
“I do believe that he made a mistake and whenever that happens I do believe there should be consequences but it is my opinion that he shouldn’t get penalized for the rest of this year or his career,” McGuire said. “I think this is — when you look at what has been put out and what he’s been really honest with and transparent with, he’s got a serious problem. And I think the best place to get help — and our president alluded to it — is him being at Texas Tech and him being able to play.”
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