Brendan Sorsby is fighting for his college football career. The Texas Tech quarterback was declared ineligible by the university following an NCAA gambling investigation, but Sorsby and his legal team are taking the fight to court.
According to On3, Sorsby filed for an injunction Monday in district court in Lubbock County, Texas, seeking full eligibility for the 2026 college football season. His attorneys, Jeffrey Kessler and Scott Tompsett, are representing him in the case.
The filing takes direct aim at what his legal team calls the NCAA's "deeply hypocritical" stance on gambling, while also accusing the organization of failing in its responsibility to support his well-being. Sorsby has reportedly received treatment for gambling addiction and the lawsuit argues he would face "irreparable harm" without relief from the court.
NCAA rules prohibit athletes from betting on any NCAA-sponsored sports at either the college or professional level. Penalties can go all the way up to permanent ineligibility in serious cases and the organization has been consistent in applying those rules across the board.
NCAA Responds as Texas Tech Confirms Sorsby's Ineligibility
The NCAA said Monday, per ESPN, it had not yet received a formal reinstatement request in the case. In its statement, the organization stressed that its sports betting policies leave little room for exceptions, noting that betting involving a player's own team directly threatens the integrity of competition.
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The NCAA also drew comparisons to standards followed across professional sports leagues. Later that day, Texas Tech confirmed Sorsby had been ruled ineligible after the school, the NCAA and the player finalized an agreed-upon stipulation of facts.
The university said it plans to move quickly with the reinstatement process and made clear that supporting Sorsby's health and well-being remains the program's immediate priority.
The lawsuit leans heavily on Sorsby's clinical diagnosis of a gambling disorder, which his attorneys describe as a recognized mental health condition. The filing argues the NCAA is effectively using that diagnosis against him while continuing to operate within and profit from a college sports landscape that is deeply connected to sports betting.
His legal team is asking for declaratory relief under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, specifically requesting that the NCAA be blocked from enforcing its gambling-related bylaws in a way that would delay or prevent his reinstatement.
The suit also asks the court to rule that any NCAA decision restricting his eligibility for the 2026 season be considered invalid and unenforceable. The NCAA has not publicly ruled on Sorsby's status.
