For months, Texas Tech and the Big 12 were locked in a messy legal fight over quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his NCAA gambling suspension. Now that court battle is officially over. The Big 12 has dropped its federal lawsuit against the school, but it is using this moment to send a tough warning to every other team in the conference.

The drama started after the NCAA permanently banned Sorsby for placing thousands of sports wagers. Sorsby took the fight to a local Lubbock County court, which granted a ruling allowing him to play. Seeing its authority challenged, the Big 12 responded by taking the entire matter to federal court in June to protect its power to enforce eligibility rules.

That federal case has now been pulled back. Speaking on the resolution, a Big 12 spokesperson confirmed to On3 that the dispute was handled out of court, stating, “The Big 12 Conference and Texas Tech have resolved this matter internally. We are moving ahead together as a Conference, 16 strong.”

The conference’s legal action followed a warning from Paxton’s office, which cautioned the Big 12 against imposing sanctions on Texas Tech for having Sorsby on its roster and allowing him to play during the 2026 season. The Big 12 believed that Paxton and Texas Tech were violating the conference’s First Amendment rights by threatening consequences.

While the case never moved forward in court, it was still a bold move by the Big 12, as the conference went up against an attorney general. Ultimately, the gamble paid off, as the conference put Sorsby under pressure to make a quick decision: remain at Texas Tech and continue fighting for his eligibility or enter the NFL supplemental draft before the summer deadline.

Faced with mounting legal pressure, Sorsby eventually withdrew his state lawsuit against the NCAA, accepted his permanent ineligible status, and left the Texas Tech program in June.

To make sure no other school tries a similar move, Big 12 university leaders unanimously passed a brand new rule. Moving forward, if any member school, including Texas Tech, goes to court to challenge conference eligibility decisions or NCAA enforcement, that school will have to pay every single dollar of the Big 12’s legal fees. It is a clear “play by our rules or pay up” warning for every program in the league.

However, despite that, sources close to the sensitive matter told On3 that Texas Tech has yet to pay the legal fees. With everything now resolved, the situation appears to have finally settled after one of the biggest dramas stretched from last season to the present day.

That said, while the drama has settled, Brandon Sorsby has come forward to share his side of the story about his gambling addiction.

Brendan Sorsby Reveals the True Depth of His Gambling Addiction

After months of drama, Brendan Sorsby has come forward to give his side of the story, discussing his experience in The Program, a four-part Paramount+ documentary series about Texas Tech football that premiered Friday.

“I know how quickly things can go wrong,” Sorsby says in the documentary. “Everything can get ripped from you.”

Before his college career began, Sorsby had already started gambling, making trips from his hometown of Denton to Oklahoma after turning 18, where gambling was legal. The Texas Tech QB further revealed that he expanded into sports betting during his time at Indiana and Cincinnati before eventually transferring to Texas Tech.

“I couldn’t watch sporting activities without wanting to have something at stake, wanting to have some skin in the game,” Sorsby said, according to The Athletic.

As per the court records, Sorsby placed more than 9,000 bets totaling at least $90,000 during his college career, including at least 40 wagers involving Indiana football while he was a member of the Hoosiers.

“Whenever I got to Tech, same deal. Making more money than I ever made in my life, no reason to gamble. And yet I still did it,” Sorsby says in the documentary. He described himself as “chasing a dopamine hit” and said people around him at Texas Tech did not know about his gambling problem.

After everything fell apart, Sorsby tried to redeem himself through the courts, but the Big 12 was totally against him playing college football anymore. He then tried to become part of the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft, but it was never held. Now, he is looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, and yes, he regrets his decisions.

“In my head, I’m thinking I just threw everything I’ve worked for my entire life out the window,” Sorsby said. “Like, it’s over.”