Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby files suit vs. NCAA in an attempt to play football in 2026

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby officially filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday as he seeks to play college football in 2026, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

The former Cincinnati QB has been seeking treatment for a gambling addiction. Per NCAA rules, Sorsby could be banned from the upcoming season — his final year of eligibility — for betting on sports. Sorsby placed a bet on Indiana when he was a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers in 2022. According to the NCAA rulebook, an athlete can lose permanent eligibility when placing a bet on his or her own team.

According to ESPN, Sorsby’s suit admits that he is “currently ineligible” to play for Texas Tech because he violated the NCAA’s gambling rules. Sorsby has made numerous small-dollar bets in recent years. Athletes are prohibited from betting on professional sports as well, provided those sports are also sanctioned by the NCAA. The NCAA moved to allow athletes to bet on pro sports late in 2025, but schools pushed back on the idea and overturned the initiative to keep the pro betting ban in place.

The suit also reportedly says the NCAA’s position on sports betting is “deeply hypocritical” and that Sorsby’s gambling disorder is a mental health condition that is “clinically diagnosed.”

Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech was one of the most significant of the offseason. The Red Raiders moved to add the experienced quarterback after losing to Oregon in the College Football Playoff. Tech used the transfer portal well in 2025 as it won the Big 12 for the first time and adding Sorsby — on an NIL deal reportedly worth north of $4 million — is the team’s latest effort to compete for a national title.

Last season’s starter, Behren Morton, is out of eligibility. Will Hammond has been set to be Sorsby’s backup, but he’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered a season ago while he started in place of an injured Morton.