By Justin Williams and Chris Vannini
-The Athletic
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will take an “immediate indefinite leave of absence” from the football program as he enters a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction, the school announced Monday. The NCAA is investigating Sorsby’s gambling, industry sources told The Athletic.
Sorsby, a fifth-year senior, transferred to Texas Tech in January as one of the most coveted players in the portal after two seasons at Cincinnati. Texas Tech said it is committed to supporting Sorsby through his recovery process, but there is no announced timetable for Sorsby’s treatment or his return to the Red Raiders.
“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” coach Joey McGuire said. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”
Industry sources confirmed an ESPN report saying that Sorsby bet on Indiana football in 2022 while he was a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers. Sorsby’s gambling continued since then, according to sources, but the full extent is not yet clear.
Industry sources told The Athletic that Sorsby placed a significant number of wagers in recent years — hundreds, maybe thousands. The overwhelming majority were for small dollar amounts on various sports, including live bets at Cincinnati Reds games or on UFC matches, the latter of which is allowable under NCAA rules as long as the athlete is of legal betting age, because UFC is not a sport in which the NCAA hosts a sanctioned championship.
In response to a public records request from The Athletic for items related to Sorsby, the Indiana Gaming Commission said it was withholding responsive documents because of a state law that shields the investigatory records of a law enforcement agency.
According to updated NCAA sports betting guidelines passed in 2023, players who bet on games involving their own school face potential permanent loss of eligibility. That also applies if they engage in activities to influence the outcome or knowingly provide information to people involved in sports betting.
Betting on one’s own sport involving another school could cost a player 50 percent of one season of eligibility. Betting more than $800 on pro sports could cost a player at least 30 percent of a season, with lesser penalties for a lower dollar amount. Last October, all three NCAA divisions passed a rule change allowing players and staff to bet on pro sports, but the rule was rescinded a month later when more than two-thirds of Division I schools voted to rescind the change.
“Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” the NCAA said in a statement Monday. “However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”
Sorsby only has one year of eligibility remaining. If he returns to football but is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, he could choose to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, which typically takes place in July or August. Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was selected in the 2011 Supplemental Draft after facing suspension by the NCAA over the Ohio State tattoo/memorabilia scandal.
-The Athletic
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will take an “immediate indefinite leave of absence” from the football program as he enters a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction, the school announced Monday. The NCAA is investigating Sorsby’s gambling, industry sources told The Athletic.
Sorsby, a fifth-year senior, transferred to Texas Tech in January as one of the most coveted players in the portal after two seasons at Cincinnati. Texas Tech said it is committed to supporting Sorsby through his recovery process, but there is no announced timetable for Sorsby’s treatment or his return to the Red Raiders.
“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” coach Joey McGuire said. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”
Industry sources confirmed an ESPN report saying that Sorsby bet on Indiana football in 2022 while he was a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers. Sorsby’s gambling continued since then, according to sources, but the full extent is not yet clear.
Industry sources told The Athletic that Sorsby placed a significant number of wagers in recent years — hundreds, maybe thousands. The overwhelming majority were for small dollar amounts on various sports, including live bets at Cincinnati Reds games or on UFC matches, the latter of which is allowable under NCAA rules as long as the athlete is of legal betting age, because UFC is not a sport in which the NCAA hosts a sanctioned championship.
In response to a public records request from The Athletic for items related to Sorsby, the Indiana Gaming Commission said it was withholding responsive documents because of a state law that shields the investigatory records of a law enforcement agency.
According to updated NCAA sports betting guidelines passed in 2023, players who bet on games involving their own school face potential permanent loss of eligibility. That also applies if they engage in activities to influence the outcome or knowingly provide information to people involved in sports betting.
Betting on one’s own sport involving another school could cost a player 50 percent of one season of eligibility. Betting more than $800 on pro sports could cost a player at least 30 percent of a season, with lesser penalties for a lower dollar amount. Last October, all three NCAA divisions passed a rule change allowing players and staff to bet on pro sports, but the rule was rescinded a month later when more than two-thirds of Division I schools voted to rescind the change.
“Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations,” the NCAA said in a statement Monday. “However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”
Sorsby only has one year of eligibility remaining. If he returns to football but is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, he could choose to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, which typically takes place in July or August. Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was selected in the 2011 Supplemental Draft after facing suspension by the NCAA over the Ohio State tattoo/memorabilia scandal.