The legal battle around the future of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has begun to take shape.
First up is an attempt to reinstate his NCAA eligibility. His lawyers requested an expedited resolution to that process, per Ross Dellinger of Yahoo Sports, seemingly with an expectation of being denied as they have also informed the NCAA of an “imminent” legal challenge.
Then there is Texas Tech, who gave Sorsby a $6MM NIL deal to transfer in from Cincinnati. The school has formed their own legal team to represent their interests (via Dellinger’s colleague, Charles Robinson), which include protecting their investment in Sorsby and getting it back if he is deemed ineligible.
Given the gambling allegations against Sorsby, escaping punishment of some sort seems impossible. But he and Texas Tech could push for a settlement with the NCAA that forces him to take a suspension but leaves him eligible for part of the 2026 season.
If the NCAA will not play ball, then Sorsby and Texas Tech may face off for his NIL money. The 22-year-old will then turn his attention to the NFL, who would have to approve his entrance into the supplemental draft. The league has done so in the past for players dealing with college eligibility issues, but increased scrutiny around their partnership with the gambling industry may require them to take a harder line. Sorsby could then pursue legal action against the NFL from an antitrust angle, a speciality of his lead attorney, Jeffrey Kessler.
Analysis of the situation has frequently referenced former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who lost his college eligibility for accepting money for autographs. The NFL accepted him into the supplemental draft, but suspended him for the first five games of his career. The league could treat Sorsby similarly to deliver him some kind of punishment while also permitting him to continue his football career.
The kid screwed up. Now he wants to take everyone to court. How about actions have consequences. How about this kid isn’t owed anything from the NCAA or the NFL. He made his bed. Let him lay in it.
That’s not the way the world works. Actions have consequences, yes, but it’s up to the legal system to determine those consequences, not you.
It is up to the legal system to determine guilt or innocence, and then to impose a proper punishment if guilt is found.
He is 100% guilty, the punishment he has been handed down is more than fair.
The judicial system should not be used to allow guilty people to get off on technicalities or threat of lawsuits and lost money. That is morally wrong, and it is exactly why the judicial is so corrupt and flawed now.
I am all for second chances, but do your time and actually learn from your mistakes. You should not be able to buy your innocence, nor pay your way to get your punishment reduced.
He fully participated in this knowing the consequences. He is a grown man, and now should have to face up and deal with it.
Those who gamble on sports typically are banned from said sport, so even if there is little legal consequence, the NFL can still ban him from playing. To suggest he can only be held accountable by the legal system is inaccurate.
I mean, I agree with you that he did something extremely stupid and he should have to face the consequences for it, but this is also him asking to find out the consequences.
The balls on this guy