Brendan Sorsby, the Texas Tech University quarterback who last week was checked into a residential gambling addiction treatment program, has retained a lawyer to fight for his NCAA eligibility.
According to ESPN, Sorsby is under investigation by the NCAA for his violation of the organization’s student-athlete gambling rules.
Sorsby's decision to seek treatment came in the wake of the discovery of Sorsby making thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app. Sorsby bet on Indiana University football while redshirting for the Hoosiers as a true freshman in 2022, a season in which he played in a single game as a reserve. The bets in 2022, according to sources, were on Indiana to win and none came in a game in which Sorsby appeared.
Related: Texas Tech Quarterback Brendan Sorsby to Enter Gambling Addiction Program
Sorsby’s legal representation, Jeffrey Kessler, was one of the lead attorneys for the House vs. NCAA case, and has a long record of success in cases against the NCAA. Kessler also represented Tom Brady during the infamous “deflate gate” case following the 2015 AFC Championships.
With high-profile legal representation on call, Sorsby’s case now stands to set a precedent for the NCAA and sports gambling. As Fox News stated, “It’s now potentially a courtroom fight over whether one of the most expensive quarterbacks in the transfer portal can play this season.”
Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from the University of Cincinnati for a reported NIL payment of more than $5 million. That transfer resulted in another lawsuit for Sorsby, as the University of Cincinnati sued him for a $1 million NIL exit fee.
The NCAA has not made a public statement on Sorsby’s eligibility status as its investigation is still ongoing. However, in a statement made following the announcement of the rules violation, the NCAA said, “Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations. However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”
