Brendan Sorsby's Decision Highlights a Growing Problem in College Football

College football has a major issue, and it was on full display on Monday.

Brendan Sorsby Wins Key Legal Battle

Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted an injunction against the NCAA, clearing the way for him to play football this upcoming season.

The injunction prevents the NCAA from disciplining him for violating its rules over sports gambling. Sorsby will be suspended for two games, which was a penalty offered by his attorneys.

Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it was discovered he had bet around $90,000 on college and pro sports over a four-year span. That included 40 bets involving the Indiana Hoosiers when he was a freshman there in 2022. Texas Tech made an appeal for reinstatement on Friday, but it was denied.

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby runs with the ball during the spring football game. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NCAA Has a Bigger Problem

The NCAA's rules prohibit athletes from betting on sports, and athletes who bet on their teams face permanent ban. Sorsby's attorneys argued that the NCAA ignored its own rules by failing to consider Sorsby's well-being when it ruled him ineligible.

They described his gambling history as a mental health issue that the NCAA is obligated to support and not punish. That is what was granted by a judge.

The NCAA will likely appeal the ruling; however, the case may not be decided until after Texas Tech plays this season. That would make any formal legal ruling not matter if it comes after the season.

Can the NCAA Still Enforce Its Rules?

This is just another example of a major issue that is facing college football. The issue is that if the NCAA punishes players, they file for an injunction, and in some cases, they win the injunction and are granted eligibility. The issue is, if the NCAA cannot enforce its rules, then why is it even here?

This incident isn't like the ones involving Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss or Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke, who lobbied for an extra year due to inconsistent NCAA rulings. This is a situation that once seemed cut and dry. You gamble on your team, you are gone.

For reference, it was just three years ago that Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers was ruled ineligible after placing nearly $3,000 in bets. He never played Division-1 football again. Sorsby placed $90,000 in bets and is set to play college football this year as of now.

College Football Needs a CBA

This situation is exactly why college athletics must have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). A CBA would mean the players would need to become university employees, be under contract and form a players' union.

Exactly how professional sports operate. As of now, college football is straight chaos. A big reason for that is that there are no rules. Even the rules like not being allowed to gamble on your team are being overturned in the court system.

That is why a CBA needs to happen. Because if a CBA happens and a players' union agrees to it, then the players no longer will have these kinds of cases. The judge will simply refer back to the agreed-upon CBA and dismiss the case.

This ruling also opens up another major issue for college athletics. It has now given the blueprint to any player who is accused of gambling. This is the blueprint for getting out of the punishment and maintaining your eligibility. Allowing athletes to gamble without punishment is a slippery slope.

Right now, going the full professional sports route is the only thing that can save college athletics, because college sports are like a professional league with no guidelines, and that will ultimately cause their downfall if it isn't fixed soon.

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