NCAA denies Brendan Sorsby's reinstatement; future to be determined in court
Brendan Sorsby’s bid to return to college football has hit its first — and expected — roadblock.
The NCAA on Tuesday denied the Texas Tech quarterback’s request for reinstatement for the 2026 season, people close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports' John Brice. Sorsby recently completed a 35-day inpatient rehab program in Arizona for a gambling addiction that preceded his offseason transfer to the Red Raiders.
In a statement posted on his social media page on Tuesday, Sorsby announced that he completed a "residential treatment program for a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder." He also mentioned that he accepted responsibility for his behavior and knows that he "has a lot of work ahead of me."
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec confirmed in a letter addressed to the "Texas Tech Community" that Sorsby will return to campus this week, and his next opportunity for reinstatement will come at a June 1 court date in Lubbock County.
Schovanec continued in that letter that leaders in Texas Tech's athletic department have worked with Sorsby's treatment team to put forward a plan for continued treatment, monitoring, and support that "we believe is right for Brendan, for our institution, and for the integrity of college athletics."
He also mentioned that the following structure will be put into place as Sorsby returns to campus and navigates his recovery: "ongoing outpatient clinical car; participation in group and individual therapy; mentor resources; treatment for huis related anxiety disorder; active monitoring of his technological devices; installation of software to block betting sites from his devices; the appointment of a custodian to oversee his personal finances; and periodic compliance checks."
Schovanec also stated that "we believe that given the facts and the content of Brendan's case," the NCAA's ruling on Sorsby's reinstatement request "should be reversed or modified."
The NCAA and Texas Tech have not responded to USA TODAY Sports seeking comment at the time of publish.
Sorsby stepped away from the program on Monday, April 27 to enter a residential treatment program for his gambling addiction. ESPN first reported on April 27 that Sorsby placed "thousands" of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app — including ones involving Indiana games during his true freshman season as a Hoosier in 2022.
In the injunction that he filed in his lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday, May 18, Sorsby admitted to placing the bets during his freshman season at Indiana, where, for the first eight games of the 2022 season, he said he had been a member of the "scout team", according to The Athletic. Sorsby played in just one game for the Hoosiers as a reserve that season — a game on which he reportedly did not bet. He started in seven games the following season in Bloomington.
The lawsuit also mentions that Sorsby was "clinically diagnosed" with a gambling disorder, which is "a mental health condition." The injunction seeks an answer as to whether he'll be reinstated or not in order to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft by late June.
"The NCAA has refused to process his reinstatement request in a timely fashion as required by its own procedures, which typically call for review within 48 hours," the lawsuit reads. “Now, after belatedly agreeing to review his request based on stipulated facts, it has made more demands that are further stalling the process. And it still offers no timeline for a decision — all while the clock ticks toward a June 22, 2026 National Football League ("NFL") Supplemental Draft deadline that will determine whether Mr. Sorsby can play high-level football anywhere this year."
In a statement to USA TODAY Sports on May 18, the NCAA mentioned that it had not received a reinstatement request from Sorsby for this case.
The odds of Sorsby being reinstated are considered to be a long shot. NCAA sports betting protocols from 2023 state that if student-athletes bet on the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities, they will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.
The NCAA also prohibits student-athletes and athletics department staff members from betting on professional sports — a rule the NCAA briefly moved to change in October before reversing course. Sorsby violated that as well, as he wagered on Major League Baseball, UFC, tennis, Romanian soccer, Turkish basketball and even the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Texas Tech, with Sorsby or not at quarterback, is set to open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian.
Brendan Sorsby statement
Here's Sorbsy's full statement that he released on Tuesday:
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