NCAA Betting Precedent for Brendan Sorsby Already Set by Iowa Football

The biggest story in college football right now, amplified by the doldrums of the summer months leading into fall camp, is the betting scandal surrounding Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

The former Indiana Hoosier and Cincinnati Bearcat is in hot water for allegedly placing bets on games involving the Indiana Hoosiers while a member of the team, a strict no-no in college sports. Despite efforts to rejoin Texas Tech, Sorsby's reinstatement was denied by the NCAA earlier this week.

The thing is, there is a precedent for how the NCAA handles betting discipline, and it happened with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa Football Betting Scandal

Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon (99) reacts after tackling Nebraska running back Anthony Grant for a loss of yards in the fourth quarter during a NCAA football game on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. | Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Calling what happened at Iowa a "scandal" may even be a bit too vicious a term, but Iowa was at the center of a betting investigation just a few years ago in 2023.

In 2023, Iowa was hit with a betting sting that saw a handful of players involved. The one who set the precedent for gambling as a collegiate athlete is former Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon.

Shannon, like many Americans, bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team in 2023 during their run to the Final Four and NCAA Tournament National Championship appearance.

(One thing to note, there's nothing technically illegal being alleged against Sorsby, just like there was no real-world law that Shannon broke.)

It wasn't his team. It wasn't his sport. Yet, Shannon was suspended for the entire year of 2023. He and Iowa appealed the suspension, yet it was denied. His career as an Iowa Hawkeye was over. The NCAA brought down the hammer and made an example of this case.

But now there's plenty of ambiguity surrounding Sorsby.

The NCAA Betting Precedent for Brendan Sorsby

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby looks on during the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Shannon and the Iowa Hawkeyes are going to be punished for a bet on an entirely different sport, where is the logic that this same decision, if not even more severe punishment, shouldn't be applied to Sorsby for placing bets on a team he was actively a member of?

None of us is naive enough to ignore the hundreds, if not thousands, of active NCAA athletes who are placing bets as we speak. Be it through friends or family members or false aliases, it is happening. There is no putting that genie back in the bottle.

That said, the NCAA isn't likely to change after a lesser infraction than what Sorsby allegedly committed earned a season-long, career-ending suspension for Shannon?

Is it right or fair to end Sorsby's collegiate career for gambling? That's another discussion for another day, that each person has the right to feel however they may on it.

But the standard has already been set by the NCAA. It's not likely to change.

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