Texas Tech has criticized the NCAA for not adapting to the era of widespread sports betting, yet the college was one of those that voted against relaxing the organization’s strict anti-gambling rules. Now that star QB Brendan Sorsby has fallen foul of those rules, it is appealing for leniency.
The NCAA denied Sorsby’s request to be reinstated as eligible for the 2026 season this week. Sorsby responded by filing a lawsuit against the organization.
And the player has the backing of his school. Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec wrote a letter of support for the 22-year-old who has confessed to having a gambling addiction.
Sorsby Deserves Support, Says Texas Tech President
Sorsby completed a 35-day rehab program last Friday. On his return home, he posted a statement on Instagram thanking those who continue to support him.
“With the support of my coaches, teammates and the university, I’m looking forward to returning to campus in Lubbock,” he wrote.
In his letter addressed to the Texas Tech Community, Schovanec said Sorsby deserves the college’s full backing.
“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,” wrote Schovanec.
He added that Texas Tech will appeal the NCAA decision to make Sorsby permanently ineligible to compete in college football.
NCAA Has Not Adapted To New Era
Schovanec also laid part of the blame on the NCAA, stating, “The NCAA bylaws governing Brendan’s case have not adapted to the era of widespread legalized sports betting that this generation of college athletes now has to navigate.”
However, Texas Tech was one of the colleges that voted to rescind a relaxation of the NCAA’s strict no-gambling policy last year.
In October, the NCAA approved a rule change that would have allowed student-athletes and athletics department staff to wager on professional sports.
Less than a month into the new regulations, member schools, including Texas Tech, voted to reverse the rule change and go back to full-scale prohibition of all gambling.
Sorsby Would Be Banned Under Any Rules
Even if student-athletes had been allowed to gamble on pro sports, it would not have saved Sorsby. In his complaint against the NCAA, he admits that he began gambling in high school.
His betting intensified when he got to college, resulting in “thousands” of bets placed on everything from Turkish basketball to Romanian soccer games, the MLB draft, and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
He also admits to betting on his own team when playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. He claims that his betting was a “compulsion” and says he “did not place bets for the purpose of making money.”
With the bets on Indiana, he said he wagered on his own team to win to ‘feel closer’ to his team. “I rationalized placing those bets as a way to feel more connected to the team, to root for my friends, and to feel like I had a real ‘stake’ in the games that I otherwise was not involved in,” Sorsby said.
In any sports league, betting on matches involving a player’s own team would result in a ban, as noted by the NCAA.
“When it comes to betting on one’s own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk,” the NCAA stated. “Every sports league has these protections in place, and the NCAA will continue to apply them equally because every student-athlete competing deserves to know they’re playing a fair game.”
Sorsby claims that the bets were part of his addiction and did not risk the integrity of the sport. It should therefore be distinct from other recent NCAA betting scandals, such as basketball players engaging in a point-shaving scheme.
Sorsby ‘Needs More Than A Slap On The Wrist’
In his recent Instagram post, Sorsby said, “I am deeply sorry to everyone I’ve disappointed and am committed to the hard and necessary work ahead.”
ESPN’s Rece Davis said he believes the college student deserves to be punished and does not indulge the excuse given for betting on Indiana.
“I’m sympathetic toward the addiction aspect of it, because it’s the dopamine rush, and the desire to have skin in the game,” Davis said on the latest episode of ESPN’s College GameDay Podcast. “I thought the feeling and connection to the team by betting on them fell a little flat in terms of his argument, saying that he bet on Indiana because he wasn’t playing and he wanted to feel closer to them. That fell flat to me.”
“While having sympathy for the situation, your behavior still has consequences about what you might sacrifice,” Davis continued. “To me, betting on your team is beyond the pale. No matter how minute it was. While there might be some aspect where you may have some grace to let people work their way back because gambling has become so prevalent in our society, maybe there’s a defined path back as opposed to the lifetime ban. But, it probably needs to be more than a slap on the wrist.”
Coach Wants A Lenient Punishment
Unsurprisingly, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire was more aligned with Schovanec than Davis. He praised Sorsby for getting treatment for his gambling addiction and urged leniency in his punishment.
“We’re here to support Brendan. I do believe that he made a mistake, and whenever that happens, I do believe there should be consequences,” McGuire said. “But it’s my opinion that he shouldn’t be penalized for the rest of this year, or his career.”
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt similarly called on others to help Sorsby rather than hand out a life-changing punishment.
“There’s penalties for everything that you do, and we would accept that and expect that, but at the same time, let’s help this young man who has been very vulnerable and has admitted to some wrongdoings,” Hocutt said. “Let’s give him a second chance and help him.”
A hearing in the case Sorsby has brought against the NCAA will take place in the Lubbock County court on Monday.
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