A Texas judge granted Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby a preliminary injunction Monday that blocks the NCAA from enforcing its ruling of permanent ineligibility against him, potentially clearing the way for him to play for the Red Raiders this fall.
Judge Ken Curry ruled that Sorsby's attorneys demonstrated he would suffer irreparable harm if barred from playing in 2026. As a condition of the injunction, Sorsby will sit out Texas Tech's first two games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State and must continue counseling and treatment for diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorders.
The NCAA declared Sorsby permanently ineligible after determining he had wagered approximately $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years, including 40 bets on Indiana football games during his freshman season in 2022. The organization denied Texas Tech's reinstatement appeal Friday.
"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," the NCAA said in a statement. "The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity."
Sorsby's lead attorney Jeffrey Kessler framed the two-game suspension as a fair resolution.
"Brendan gets to devote himself to his team and the education of athletes on the dangers of gambling addiction," said Kessler. "He will continue his treatment, miss two games, and there is no injury to the competitive integrity of the NCAA. It is what we proposed and what the NCAA should have accepted."
Sorsby has acknowledged placing at least 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 during his two years at Indiana, at least 165 bets totaling $38,000 during two seasons at Cincinnati, and additional wagering after transferring to Texas Tech in January. He completed a 35-day inpatient rehabilitation program in Goodyear, Arizona in May.
The NCAA is expected to appeal, though the timing of any formal judicial resolution could extend beyond the 2026 season, rendering a ruling moot. The organization's president Charlie Baker called for congressional intervention, citing the Protect College Sports Act as necessary legislation.
Sorsby, a 6-foot-3 senior, threw for 7,208 yards and scored 82 total touchdowns at Indiana and Cincinnati and was ranked the top transfer quarterback this offseason. He faces a June 22 deadline to decide whether to enter the NFL supplemental draft. Texas Tech opens its season September 5 against Abilene Christian.