A Lubbock County (Texas) judge has granted Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby a “temporary injunction to play football for the Red Raiders in 2026” after the NCAA had ruled him ineligible “for placing bets on Indiana football games” while he was redshirting at the school in 2022, according to Nick Bromberg of YAHOO SPORTS. Sorsby had sued the NCAA for the right to play despite having admitted to “placing bets on Indiana and his teammates while he was on the bench.” The NCAA “will likely appeal the ruling.” Sorsby will miss TTU’s first two games of the year -- vs. Abilene Christian and at Oregon State -- “as a condition of the injunction” (YAHOO SPORTS, 6/8). ESPN.com reports the ruling from District Judge Ken Curry stated that Sorsby “demonstrated he will suffer a ‘probable, imminent and irreparable injury’” if he does not play this year. The NCAA responded in a statement, “The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome -- which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports” (ESPN.com, 6/8). Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger cites sources as saying that the NCAA “plans to file an appeal in the Sorsby case.” Several administrators believe that “conferences and/or schools should file an amicus brief in support of the NCAA’s appeal as part of the filing” (X, 3/8).
CRITICAL BLOW TO NCAA: THE ATHLETIC’s Justin Williams notes Monday’s decision, should it hold up on appeal, “represents a critical defeat for the NCAA amid a situation that has garnered a ton of interest from media and fans.” The NCAA has suffered “previous high-profile defeats in court, including eligibility cases and local rulings, but a loss here would signal an inability to enforce clear-cut gambling rules” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/8).
STATEMENT: In a statement posted to X, NCAA President Charlie Baker said, “There is no better example of why targeted intervention from Congress is necessary. When you have schools and deep-pocketed supporters willing to look the other way on the glaring integrity threat of betting on your own team - and judges whose rulings effectively strip away our ability to stop them - only Congress can equip the @NCAA to apply this common sense rule to everyone fairly and consistently. The Protect College Sports Act would empower the NCAA to enforce rules including the gambling restrictions - it’s needed now more than ever” (X, 6/8).
