Brendan Sorsby’s prospects of playing in the 2026 college football season were further diminished on Tuesday, when the NCAA allegedly rejected his request for reinstatement.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed that despite completing a 35-day inpatient rehab stint for gambling addiction at a rehab center in Goodyear, Arizona, the NCAA shut down his attempt to secure a temporary injunction to speed up a potential return to play.
The top-rated transfer portal quarterback was placed on an indefinite leave by Texas Tech in late April, because of his violations of the NCAA’s gambling policy by placing thousands of wagers dating back to his time at Indiana in 2022.
In his lawsuit against the NCAA, Sorsby dug into the details of what bets he placed during his redshirt freshman year with the Hoosiers.
“During this time, I began placing small bets on the Indiana football team, typically in amounts between $5 and $50,” Sorsby claimed in an affidavit.
Though there was no evidence that Sorsby influenced game results, the Texas native crossed the line by betting on college sports as a student athlete.
“All of these bets were in support of Indiana. In other words, I placed bets on Indiana to win a game or score more than a certain number of points or for the quarterback to throw for more than a certain number of touchdowns or yards,” Sorsby said.
Things became significantly more bizarre after a report revealed that Cincinnati was aware of Sorsby’s suspicious gambling problems, including a bet he made on a game he did not play in.
Sorsby spent two seasons with the Hoosiers before transferring to the Bearcats for the 2024 season. He had a breakout campaign in 2025, throwing for 2,800 yards and 36 total touchdowns, tying Desmond Ridder’s Cincinnati school record.
Sorsby then committed to Tech in January 2026, signing a one-year deal worth up to $4 million to assume the role of the Red Raiders’ lead signal-caller.
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec remains committed to the star quarterback, issuing a statement after the NCAA declined to reinstate him.
“Recently, the NCAA issued an initial ruling that Brendan is permanently ineligible to compete. Texas Tech will be appealing that decision. We believe that given the facts and the context of Brendan’s case, the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified.”
Sorsby addressed the NCAA’s ruling and issued a formal apology.
“If I’m blessed and fortunate enough to have the opportunity to continue my college career at Texas Tech, I know I will get the support I need, including through the school’s Center for Students in Addiction Recovery, “ Sorsby wrote in an Instagram post following the announcement.
I am deeply sorry to everyone I’ve disappointed and am committed to the hard and necessary work ahead.”
This case parallels that of former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, who was among seven players indicted in August 2023 on charges related to underage gambling via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Similar to Sorsby, Dekkers placed bets on his own college team while he was still on the roster and under the legal gambling age of 21.
Dekkers faced suspension and had his appeal for reinstatement also denied by the NCAA. After attending Iowa Western Community College for one season, he went undrafted in 2025.
He is now part of the Houston Gamblers in the United Football League.
