Brendan Sorsby has made another attempt to secure his final season of college football after his legal team filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an injunction, reported Fox News. The 22-year-old, who admitted to gambling on games involving his former school during that period, is seeking reinstatement for the upcoming season so he can play the final year of his college career.
The incident comes after Sorsby was previously declared “ineligible for competition.” The NCAA launched an investigation into player wagers he made during his tenure with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2022 and found he violated NCAA sports gambling rules. According to Reuters, the plaintiff filed the lawsuit in Lubbock County District Court in Texas on Monday, accusing the NCAA of “deeply hypocritical.”
“The NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices,” the lawsuit mentioned. Sorsby has reportedly been undergoing treatment for his condition at an inpatient facility since late April.
The NCAA’s gambling policy prohibits any student-athlete from placing bets on any NCAA-sanctioned event. Gambling, especially betting on one’s own team, carries penalties, including permanent bans. Attorney Jeffrey Kesler, who is representing Sorsby, argued in favor of the injunction by pointing to what he described as “straightforward facts.”
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According to him, the Red Raiders quarterback placed bets using only publicly available information and never wagered against his own team or teammates. He also said Sorsby neither used nor shared inside information, nor attempted to manipulate any games. “The NCAA’s own robust, real-time integrity-monitoring systems confirm this,” Kesler said.
Brendan Sorsby’s defensive arguments to favor injunction
However, Sorsby admitted that he did place bets on his own team while at Indiana University, describing them as small wagers, “typically between $5 and $50”, made in support of Indiana. His defense argues that he viewed the bets as a way to feel more connected to the team, cheer on his friends, and have a personal “stake” in games despite not being directly involved. It also noted that once he was named the backup quarterback in 2022, he stopped betting on any Indiana football games.
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Soursby’s petition also claims that the NCAA would not be harmed by allowing the quarterback to play his final year, but that any delay in making a decision could harm his career. The complaint states that Soursby only has until June 22 to make a decision regarding the NFL Supplemental Draft, and the NCAA is delaying the process. “The NCAA has refused to process his reinstatement request in a timely fashion as required by its own procedures, which typically call for review within 48 hours,” the complaint read.
Now, the decision rests with a judge in Lubbock, who will determine whether the arguments presented are enough to grant Sorsby an injunction and allow the Texas Tech University quarterback to play in 2026.
