The urge to play for top teams and big price tags is making holes in college football. Just weeks after Dabo Swinney’s “tampering” plea, the Cincinnati Bearcats find themselves in the middle of a lawsuit against Brendan Sorsby. But this time, they are not after the player but the amount they invested, as Bearcats sue Texas Tech’s QB after he fails to pay the $1 million transfer amount.

Cincinnati sued its former quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, in federal court, claiming that he broke his NIL contract when he transferred to Texas Tech. His move came in without paying the $1 million exit fee that he agreed to pay within 30 days of leaving the program. He signed a two-year deal with the team, which was set to expire on December 15, 2026, but now that he has moved to another team, he has to pay the amount.

“In his lucrative NIL agreement with Cincinnati Athletics, Brendan Sorsby committed to stay and play for two seasons as a proud Bearcat representative,” Cincinnati’s official statement read. “He also agreed that if he left the university before that time, he would pay the university a specific amount for the substantial harm that his breach would cause.”

It’s not like Cincinnati is trying to hold him back and forcing him to stay with the team, as Duke did with Darian Mensah. They just want their money back. This buyout deal applies only if he transfers to another team, not to the NFL.

Before filing the lawsuit, the university reached out to Sorsby’s representatives, who “advised that Sorsby refuses to pay the university anything.” That’s where the problem began. Now, in return, his representatives are saying that the Bearcats’ move is wrong, as they already paid him $873,800 for a season he played in fully with them. So, taking that money back is sending a wrong signal to all other players who will fear signing any deal in the future.

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Is Brendan Sorsby’s lawsuit highlighting a major flaw in college football?

Tampering is making life tough for coaches and teams who are willing to make an impact on the game. Brendan Sorsby’s case highlights the dark side of it. In this new revenue-sharing era, colleges are forced to share the cap with players, but that just gives them an upper hand. But Cincinnati played it right by including a buyout clause so that even if they lose their player the money is still with them.

This isn’t the first case that resulted in a nasty lawsuit between schools and their players. First up was quarterback Demond Williams of the Washington Huskies, who made his portal move just days after signing a contract with them. The result? The Huskies sued him, but later, even he decided to stay with the team, as his move would have cost him $4 million.

This incident shows how lightly players take their transfer moves and switch schools as if it means nothing. So, when Dabo Swinney was asking for strict rules, he wasn’t making jokes. Sorsby initially came in from Indiana to Cincinnati as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. He earned $1.5 million from the team last year, and now that he has made his move to another team, the Bearcats are taking back their investment in him.