Cincinnati alerted of Brendan Sorsby gambling issue before 2025 season

The Cincinnati athletic department was alerted in August that star quarterback Brendan Sorsby was gambling prior to the start of the 2025 season, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.

The Big 12, which includes Cincinnati, uses ProhiBet, a compliance driven app every student-athlete in the conference must download on their phone. The app notifies universities when athletes attempt to sign up for betting platforms or place prohibited wagers.

By knowing Sorsby was gambling and playing him anyway, Cincinnati could face NCAA scrutiny. Sorsby is under NCAA investigation after reportedly making "thousands" of online bets during his career, according to ESPN.

The penalty for placing prohibited bets varies, depending on which sport an athlete casts a wager. Players wagering more than $200 could face eligibility loss, with higher wagers receiving harsher penalties, especially if a player bets on their own sport or game. Sorsby appeared in 12 games for Cincinnati during the 2025 season.

When contacted by USA TODAY Sports on Monday, senior associate athletic director Zach Stipe released a statement saying, “Cincinnati Athletics has no comment at this time.”

Sorsby, the top player in this year’s transfer portal, left for Big 12 rival Texas Tech at the end of the 2025 season. The NCAA recently informed Texas Tech of metadata it acquired that showed Sorsby’s extensive and longterm betting on numerous sports, two people told USA TODAY Sports. 

The NCAA released a statement late Monday afternoon saying it won’t comment on pending or potential investigations, and that “the Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”

Sorsby began placing bets in 2022 while playing for Indiana, two people told USA TODAY Sports. He bet on Indiana to win in 2022, but not in the only game he played during his freshman season. He since has moved to an inordinate number of bets — mostly small, $1 bets — on various sports at various times. 

Sorsby has entered an addiction treatment facility, and there is no timetable on his return. 

"We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help," Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said in a statement. "Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health."

Further complicating the matter is the pending litigation between Sorsby and Cincinnati from Sorsby's transfer to Texas Tech. Cincinnati is seeking a $1 million buyout it says Sorsby owes for transferring to another school, and Sorsby filed a motion Monday to dismiss the lawsuit, saying it’s an “unreasonable and disproportionate” penalty.

Sorsby was paid $875,000 to play for the Bearcats in 2025, and said in the most recent motion that Cincinnati is using the $1 million penalty to prevent future players from transferring — despite NCAA unlimited transfer rules.

In October, the NCAA approved a proposal to allow student-athletes and athletics department staff members to bet on professional sports. It would not have changed the NCAA prohibiting student-athletes and athletics department staff members from making bets or sharing information with bettors on college sports. The initial ruling was adopted by Division I on Oct. 8 and received approval from Division II and III on Oct. 22.

But the rule change was rescinded Nov. 21, the same day the NCAA Committee of Infractions issued three infractions related to sports betting to three former players and coaches at Temple. Hysier Miller, a former Temple guard, bet on college sports, professional sports and even parlays involving the Owls.

ESPN reported Monday that Sorsby was being investigated, the timing of the report coming two days after the end of the NFL Draft, where Sorsby was a projected first round selection but chose instead to leave Cincinnati and play for Texas Tech.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.