The Brendan Sorsby nightmare case continues.
On Monday, the NCAA filed its formal appeal in the eligibility case, arguing that Sorsby’s eligibility is not a legal issue but rather one determined by agreed-upon bylaws from NCAA members.
The organization is asking for an expedited resolution to the appeal, after Texas judges originally set the trial for Feb. 8, 2027, two weeks after the college football season ends.
“The season will be over, the ‘temporary’ relief will have become permanent, and this lawsuit will have delivered to Sorsby everything he sought,” the NCAA said in its filings.
The NCAA is seeking a trial by Aug. 28, 2026, one day before the start of the college football season.
The appeal is in response to a temporary injunction that Judge Ken Curry granted to Sorsby against the NCAA after it ruled him permanently ineligible for admitting to wagering $90,000 on professional and college sports, including on his own team while at Indiana.
The injunction allowed the Texas Tech quarterback, who has sought help for gambling addiction, to play after a two-game suspension.
“The injunction obliterates the status quo,” attorneys for the NCAA wrote. “It destabilizes nationwide policies that protect competitive integrity. … It invites others across the country to challenge NCAA decisions in court — as shown by recent rulings that are already citing this case as precedent. And it teaches all athletes that when you break the rules and receive discipline, the solution is not to take responsibility, but to find a different umpire.”
The Big 12 also filed a lawsuit against Texas Tech on Monday, seeking to bar the school and the state attorney general from preventing the league from sanctioning the Red Raiders if they play Soresby during the 2026 season.
Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned the league about putting any sanctions on Texas Tech.
“The Big 12 has long spoken out about the dangers of sports wagering by student-athletes and remains committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition,” the Big 12 board of directors said in a statement later on Monday. “Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
