NCAA Makes Punishment Decision on Cincinnati Following Brendan Sorsby Controversy

The NCAA's investigation into Brendan Sorsby's gambling habits was one of several hot-button topics in the 2026 college football offseason.

Texas Tech signed the former Cincinnati starting quarterback as its replacement for Behren Morton in January. After the conclusion of spring football, reports surfaced that Sorsby had checked himself into a rehabilitation facility in order to treat his addiction, which included large volumes of smaller wagers on Indiana football during his time with the Hoosiers.

The Red Raiders fought hard against the NCAA to give Sorsby a chance to play this fall. At one point, Sorsby won a temporary injunction against the NCAA in a district court that allowed him to play for Texas Tech after serving a two-game suspension.

However, Sorsby ultimately decided to declare for the NFL's supplemental draft at the end of June.

Texas Tech was easy prey for potential NCAA punishment if it played Sorsby, but a lesser-discussed party in this controversy was Cincinnati. In July, the NCAA sent a letter of inquiry to the Bearcats regarding any knowledge of Sorsby's gambling problem.

On Wednesday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the NCAA does not plan to punish Cincinnati for playing Sorsby in 2024 and 2025.

How could the NCAA have punished Cincinnati?

Scott Satterfield and his staff were the ones who recruited Sorsby from the NCAA transfer portal in the 2024 offseason as their next starting quarterback. If they had known he was gambling, they could have faced severe punishments from the NCAA.

Vacated wins are a common although somewhat dated NCAA punishment for wrongdoing. Scholarship reductions and postseason bans are more hurtful to programs than vacating wins; recruits and transfers are more likely to turn elsewhere if they lack the opportunity to compete for a championship or are required to walk on at a program.

As for coaches, they can be suspended for multiple games for knowingly playing a player who gambled on a game. More severe penalties for coaches include show-cause penalties, which prevent them from taking jobs elsewhere for an extended period of time.

Is Indiana in line for any NCAA punishment?

Brendan Sorsby in Indiana's 2023 game against Ohio State. — Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Brendan Sorsby (15) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Sorsby admitted to placing the majority of the bets while he was the Hoosiers' backup quarterback, something he said made him feel more connected with the game while on the bench.

Despite the fact that the wagering occurred there, Indiana is the least punishable of the three programs Sorsby was a part of. Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati in the 2024 offseason, the same offseason the Hoosiers parted ways with head coach Tom Allen, so Curt Cignetti and his staff have no association with Sorsby.

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