Brendan Sorsby on joining Texas Tech football team
Brendan Sorsby on joining Texas Tech football team
New Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby placed more than 10,000 wagers and at one point averaged 20 bets a day, national college sports site On3 reported on Wednesday, April 29.
The On3 report cited unnamed sources who had reviewed betting data linked to Sorsby since 2022. They found Sorsby had “placed bets across multiple states, using a range of gambling apps, including Hard Rock Bet, BetMGM, DraftKings, PrizePicks and bet365, among others.”
Sorsby transferred to Tech in January after playing for Indiana in 2022 and 2023 and for Cincinnati in 2024 and 2025. ESPN reported on Monday, April 27, that Sorsby is the focus of an NCAA investigation for gambling, which could affect his remaining year of college eligibility. Simultaneously, the Tech athletics department announced that Sorsby is taking indefinite leave from the program and entering an inpatient treatment facility for a gambling addiction.
ESPN’s report says Sorsby is alleged to have bet on Indiana during the 2022 season while he was a member of the team. He was a true freshman that year and played in one game while redshirting. However, NCAA rules say athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports involving their own school can face permanent loss of eligibility.
According to NCAA guidelines updated in 2023, lesser but significant penalties are spelled out, depending on the degree of violation.
For an athlete wagering on his or her own sport at another school, the loss of 50% of one season can be considered. For all other wagering-related violations such as betting on pro sports, the cumulative dollar value comes into play. Cumulative bets of more than $800 lead to loss of 30% of a season, and those totaling $501 to $800 trigger a penalty of 20% of a season.
The rules say, “For cumulative wagering activities that greatly exceed $800, NCAA reinstatement staff are directed to consider whether additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility, are appropriate.”
NCAA rules allow athletes of legal age to wager on some pro sports, but not ones in which the NCAA sponsors a championship. On3’s reporting found that Sorsby had wagered small amounts on balls and strikes at Cincinnati Reds games.
USA TODAY Sports reported on Monday that the Cincinnati athletics department was alerted in August about Sorsby’s gambling activity.
After Sorsby transferred to Tech, Cincinnati filed a lawsuit seeking what it says is a $1 million buyout on a multi-season agreement he had with the program. Sorsby and his attorneys on Monday filed for a dismissal of the suit.
