NCAA Makes Decision on Brendan Sorsby’s Reinstatement Application As Court Hearing Looms

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby has reportedly been dealt another blow in his bid to play for Texas Tech in 2026.

The NCAA has denied Sorsby’s application for reinstatement, according to a Tuesday afternoon report from Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Thamel noted that Sorsby “has completed his 35-day inpatient rehab for his gambling addiction at Algamus in Goodyear, Ariz.” Algamus adverstises itself as one of the only live-in gambling-addiction recovery centers in the country.

Sorsby, 22, announced he would seek treatment for a gambling problem on April 27—the same day news broke that the NCAA was investigating him over thousands of bets he allegedly placed on sports in recent years.

Tuesday’s reported decision would leave Sorsby and Texas Tech in limbo

The Red Raiders plan to appeal Tuesday’s reported decision to the NCAA—university president Lawrence Schovanec said as such in a lengthy letter to Texas Tech’s student body—but that avenue is looking less and less promising for Texas Tech as the June 22 deadline for Sorsby to enter the NFL supplemental draft looms.

From an on-field standpoint, this is a nightmare scenario for the Red Raiders, who spent liberally to bring one of the most coveted transfer quarterbacks on the market to Lubbock. Sorsby racked up 27 touchdown passes against just five interceptions in 12 games for Cincinnati last year, adding nine touchdowns on the ground. Had he turned professional, it is assumed he would’ve been one of the most coveted quarterbacks in April’s NFL draft.

A potential lifeline for Sorsby and Texas Tech: a court hearing

Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby talks to coaches during the spring football game. — Brendan Sorsby is set for a June 1 court hearing as he seeks an injunction against the NCAA. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As has so often been the case for miffed athletic programs in the 2020s, the Red Raiders and Sorsby have turned to an alternate means of resolution: a court of law. Sorsby sued the NCAA on Thursday, seeking injunctive relief that would allow him to play for Texas Tech in ’26.

“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,” Sorsby said in an Instagram statement Tuesday. “I am deeply sorry to everyone l've disappointed and am committed to the hard and necessary work ahead.”

Sorsby’s lawsuit aimed to put a hearing date on the calendar before the NFL supplemental draft’s entry deadline, and he got that much at least—the hearing will take place on Monday at 9 a.m. local time.

In an affidavit attached to his lawsuit, Sorsby claimed that he bet on Indiana while on its roster in 2022 “as a way to feel more connected to the team, to root for my friends, and to feel like I had a real ‘stake’ in the games that I otherwise was not involved in.”

The quarterback played one game for the Hoosiers in ’22 and 10 in ’23, recording 15 touchdowns through the air and six on the ground before transferring to play for the Bearcats. His bets on Indiana did not include any game he appeared in, according to reports.

His case was originally scheduled to be heard by Judge Phillip Hays, who graduated from Texas Tech, before he indicated on Wednesday he would recuse himself.

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