Texas Tech says it will appeal the NCAA’s decision not to reinstate quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility after he admitted placing chronic bets during his time at Indiana and Cincinnati and completed an in-patient program for gambling addiction.
Brendan Sorsby’s next chance on the field is heading back into the NCAA’s courtroom.
Texas Tech announced Tuesday that it will appeal the NCAA’s decision not to reinstate the eligibility of the quarterback. The ruling comes after Sorsby admitted to placing chronic bets during his tenure at Indiana and Cincinnati and after he recently completed an in-patient program for gambling addiction.
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec framed the appeal as a matter of health and institutional support. “Brendan himself has been open about his struggle with severe gambling addiction. and we believe his vulnerability deserves to be met with the full weight of this institution’s support. ” Schovanec said. “Our foremost priority in contemplating Brendan’s future with Texas Tech is his continued health and wellbeing.”.
Sorsby transferred earlier this year from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, a move that now sits behind the NCAA’s eligibility decision.
Schovanec used the school’s appeal to draw a wider line between how legalized sports betting is expanding and how gambling addiction can spread among college-aged men. “As a generation of college athletes face 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. ” he said. He pointed to the NCAA’s stated mission. arguing it includes “fostering [student-athletes’] lifelong well-being. ” and claimed the NCAA’s goal is to promote a “culture of care” for student athletes’ mental health. Schovanec added that gambling addiction is a clinically recognized behavioral disorder, as defined in the DSM-5.
At the center of Sorsby’s legal challenge is a dispute over what he and his lawyers view as inconsistency. In the court filing challenging the NCAA’s handling of his case. the argument is that the NCAA’s push to monetize legalized gambling while also maintaining strict rules for players who engage in otherwise legal activities amounts to hypocrisy.
Sorsby’s lawyers also point to a contrast in how the “stewards of the various sports” are positioned. The filing argues that those involved are not required to “stuff their pockets with gambling cash. ” noting that they have chosen to do so. It also argues that those groups have chosen to take a “do as we say. not as we do” stance toward players who bet while playing. The filing describes that stance as wrong. even while acknowledging that. in the ongoing Wild West era of sports betting. it can be “perfectly legal.”.
The appeal puts Texas Tech back on the offensive after Sorsby’s admission of chronic betting and his recent treatment—facts that the school says should weigh heavily in how any future eligibility decision is made.
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