Brendan Sorsby’s Scandal Highlights How Dumb Ohio State’s TattooGate Was

TattooGate caused the Ohio State Buckeyes to lose Jim Tressel. Brendan Sorsby's scandal underscores how wildly stupid that era of college sports was.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel listens as Gov. Mike DeWine delivers the final State of the State address of his second term at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on March 10, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In December 2010, Ohio State quarterback Terrell Pryor traded Big Ten championship rings, jerseys, game equipment and awards for tattoos and cash at a local establishment in Columbus.

This caused a massive controversy, as Ohio State was found to have covered up the situation where Pryor received improper benefits from his student athlete status as a quarterback with the Buckeyes.

The modern NIL era changed all of that. In July 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy allowing student athletes to monetize their own name, image and likeness without losing their amateur status.

Fast forward to 2026, where a Texas judge gave Brendan Sorsby an injunction to continue playing college football despite an admission that he placed 40 bets on games that he was rostered for during his freshman year at Indiana.

Sports betting is obviously a big dealbreaker in the world of college and professional athletics. Sorsby broke the golden rule, but was set to continue his college football career. Earlier this week, Texas Tech announced a mutual split with their controversial quarterback as Sorsby filed paperwork to enter the supplemental NFL Draft following this fallout. 

But the entire situation magnified how dumb TattooGate was.

Sure, it was a different era.

There was a strict policy against college football players using their name, image and likeness to generate extra revenue. It’s why Reggie Bush lost his Heisman trophy. It’s why Pryor was suspended five games in the NFL for the infraction from his college football career after being selected in the supplemental draft.

But losing a legendary head coach in Jim Tressel, who resigned during the TattooGate scandal, for such a minor situation feels so petty in retrospect.

Whether we like it or not, sports oftentimes aren’t the perfect example of role models. College football and the NFL have seen countless cases of domestic abuse and serious crimes. 

But trading some autographed gears for tattoos? That’ll cost you a legendary coach and a one-year postseason ban. What happens if you place 40 bets, willingly breaking the golden rule in sports? You’re technically still eligible. 

2010 wasn’t a tremendously long time ago, just 16 years. It’s amazing at how quickly the landscape of college sports has shifted since then. 

According to Sorsby’s lawyer, the Cincinnati Bearcats had knowledge of Sorsby’s bets before the news became public. Where’s the postseason ban? Where are the coach resignations?

Ohio State football has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the NIL world. Even though the Buckeyes don’t break the bank like other programs around college football, they’re able to use financial resources to stay competitive in recruiting and the transfer portal.

Overall, NIL has been a positive in helping Ryan Day’s Buckeyes remain a powerhouse in the college football landscape. But as time goes on, we’ll look back on TattooGate as one of the dumbest scandals in sports history.