CFL bars – The Canadian Football League says it will not register a contract for former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby and will not allow teams to add him to their negotiation lists, citing serious allegations involving gambling. The decision removes one possible
For Brendan Sorsby, the offseason ended with a clear line drawn in Canadian football. The Canadian Football League said it will not let teams sign the former Texas Tech quarterback for the 2026 season, effectively shutting the door on what had been one of his remaining options.
In a statement. the league said. “Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL.” It also called the allegations “serious and concerning. ” adding: “At this time. the CFL will not register a contract for him. and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.”.
The ruling arrives at a moment when the 2026 CFL season is already underway. The league said the season began earlier this month and runs through mid-November.
Under CFL eligibility rules. American players can be added to a team’s roster through the annual draft. which occurred this past April. or through an open tryout. If a prospective American player is not taken in the draft. a franchise can sign him. or it can place him on a team’s “negotiation list. ” which gives that team exclusive rights to his signing.
By refusing to register any contract and blocking teams from adding Sorsby to their negotiation lists, the CFL removed that exclusivity and denied franchises a route to bring him in.
Sorsby’s situation also narrowed because of earlier decisions in the football pipeline. He renounced his final year of college eligibility, and the NFL opted not to hold a supplemental draft. With the UFL season complete, the remaining opportunities described in the coverage point to the junior college level.
That would put him on a path that mirrors the one taken by another quarterback. Current New Orleans Saints quarterback Hunter Dekkers was suspended indefinitely for gambling while at Iowa State and finished his college career at Iowa Western Community College.
The CFL’s action follows a longer trail of allegations. Sorsby was under NCAA investigation for allegedly gambling on his own team’s games while a backup at Indiana. and for continuing to gamble on sports in violation of NCAA bylaws while at Cincinnati. He transferred to Texas Tech this past offseason and was seen as one of the biggest additions in the Power Four.
Now, the league’s message is straightforward: regardless of the roster mechanisms teams typically use to bring in American quarterbacks, the CFL says Sorsby won’t be eligible to land in 2026.
Brendan Sorsby CFL Canadian Football League Texas Tech quarterback gambling allegations NCAA investigation 2026 CFL season negotiation list Hunter Dekkers