One month ago, Brendan Sorsby was not sitting in quarterback meetings or throwing passes during workouts. Instead, the former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback was inside an inpatient treatment program battling a gambling addiction that had already turned into one of the biggest controversies in college football this offseason. Now, Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec has made the university’s position crystal clear.

“Recently, the NCAA issued an initial ruling that Brendan is permanently ineligible to compete. Texas Tech will be appealing that decision. We believe that given the facts and the context of Brendan’s case, the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified,” Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec said in a statement. “Our values include Students and People First, Integrity, and Resilience. Brendan’s case calls for all three.

“As a generation of college athletes faces the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college-aged men in particular. The NCAA’s stated mission includes ‘fostering [student-athletes’] lifelong well-being’, and they have claimed.
Their goal is to promote a ‘culture of care’ for student athletes’ mental health.”

Even after the NCAA ruled Sorsby permanently ineligible, Texas Tech still plans to support him and appeal the decision. In a public letter to the university community, Schovanec also said the school would welcome Sorsby back to campus after treatment and continue helping him through recovery. According to reports, Sorsby completed an inpatient treatment program for gambling addiction and anxiety disorder before returning to Texas Tech. 

Schovanec explained that the school worked with Sorsby’s treatment team to create a detailed recovery plan. That plan includes therapy, outpatient care, monitoring his devices, blocking betting websites with software, financial oversight, and regular compliance checks. The details made the situation feel heavier than a regular NCAA punishment story.

Before all of this happened, Sorsby had become one of the biggest names in the transfer portal. He first played for Indiana and later for Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech. Reports said his NIL package at Texas Tech could be worth around $4 million to $5 million. That number has changed how many people view him. Fans no longer talk about him like a normal college quarterback; they discuss him more like a major investment.

“Last week, Brendan Sorsby completed an intensive inpatient treatment program for a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder—a meaningful step forward in what will be a long recovery,” President Lawrence Schovanec said in his letter. “This week, we will welcome Brendan back on campus. We share this update because transparency with our community is not optional; it is foundational to who we are.”

According to reports, Sorsby allegedly placed thousands of bets, including wagers on Indiana teams, while he was at the school. Some of those bets were reportedly small amounts, like $5 or $10. Not just that, Sorsby presented the gambling thing as a major problem for him. He admitted to placing bets on Romanian soccer games, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, and MLB games. But NCAA rules around gambling are strict, especially when a player bets on sports connected to his school.

Brendan Sorsby opens up about his gambling addiction

Sorsby has completed a dedicated 35-day rehab program at Goodyear, Arizona, and he was clearly getting ready to lead the Red Raiders under center. But with the college sports regulator barring him from playing football, Texas Tech has only backup QB Will Hammond on its roster, which is infused with more than $30 million in investment. And since the new era of college football has forced teams to build ‘one-year rentals,’ it all goes down the drain if Sorsby doesn’t win an appeal. That’s partly the reason the Red Raiders might be appealing the NCAA’s decision.

“While I accept responsibility for my behavior and know that I have a lot of work ahead of me, for the first time in many years, I feel more free, and no longer fully at the mercy of my addiction,” Brendan Sorsby said yesterday. “I know recovery from addiction is a long road, and I hope that my experience has, in even some small way, reduced the stigma associated with speaking up about addiction and getting help.”

Compared to Sorsby, who was Cincinnati’s QB1 last season, Hammond just had 680 passing yards last year with three interceptions. He did rush for 299 yards, but given the program’s decision to get a transfer QB ahead of him, it suggests he might be far from the talent the team expects from its QB this year. That’s precisely why this joint Texas Tech and Sorsby battle against the NCAA becomes important.

To achieve that, Sorsby has already filed a lawsuit, seeking an injunction against the NCAA’s decision at a court in Lubbock County.