What Brendan Sorsby's lawsuit against NCAA means for Texas Tech college football eligibility

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is currently being investigated by the NCAA for breaking its gambling rules, but the quarterback still hopes to return to the field.

Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA as he seeks to retain his final year of college football eligibility this year. Even if he loses his case, Sorsby wants the NCAA investigation to be wrapped up soon so he can make plans to move to the next stage of his career.

Sorsby is currently away from Texas Tech to get treatment for gambling addiction, but if he is deemed eligible, that time away could impact his success. Here's a breakdown of Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA.

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Brendan Sorsby lawsuit against NCAA

Brendan Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA as he seeks a temporary injunction in order to play during the 2026 college football season. Sorsby's hope is to get clarity sooner rather than later so he can make a decision regarding potentially entering the NFL supplementary draft.

The lawsuit aims to make Sorsby eligible to play this year and asks to preclude the NCAA from enforcing its bylaws.

"The relief is narrow: one student-athlete and one senior season," the lawsuit says, via ESPN. "The NCAA will suffer no cognizable harm from letting Mr. Sorsby play football while this case proceeds. But if this Court does not act, no future judgment can give Mr. Sorsby what the NCAA will have taken from him."

Sorsby's lawsuit argues that the quarterback suffers from a gambling addiction and that the NCAA doesn't actually care about his wellbeing.

"The NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices," the lawsuit says.

Sorsby is currently away from Texas Tech as he has checked into a residential treatment facility to treat his gambling addiction. The quarterback adds that the more he is away from Red Raiders practices, the more it harms his personal and professional development.

"If I cannot practice with the team, it will be severely detrimental to my mental health and my development as an athlete," Sorsby said in the affidavit. "Without access to coaching, teammates, and on-field repetitions, I cannot develop the chemistry and skills necessary to start at quarterback in the 2026 season -- and each additional day away compounds that harm. These developmental opportunities cannot be replaced or replicated."

According to the lawsuit, Sorsby offered to take a two-game suspension and work with the NCAA to help educate the public on gambling addiction. However, Sorsby argues that the NCAA hasn't shown urgency to work with him, ultimately hurting his potential timeline.

Sorsby asked the court to make a decision prior to June 22, which is the NFL's deadline for players to enter the supplementary draft.

The NCAA responded to Sorsby's lawsuit with a statement.

"The NCAA has not received a reinstatement request for this case," it said, via Pete Thamel. "The NCAA generally doesn't comment on pending reinstatement requests, but the Association's sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions. 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."

MORE: Will Brendan Sorsby enter the NFL supplemental draft

Brendan Sorsby gambling investigation

The NCAA is investigating Sorsby for betting on sports while he was an active NCAA athlete. That includes him betting on Indiana football while he was a member of the team in 2022.

Sorsby admits to this in the lawsuit but claims he always bet on the Hoosiers, and he did not use inside information to try to make money.

"My bets were purely intended to make me feel more connected to the game and my teammates and to give me more of a reason to root for my teammates," Sorsby said in the lawsuit. "Because the Indiana football team was not a very strong competitor in 2022, I lost most of the bets I placed."

Sorsby also admitted to placing "hundreds" of bets on college football, Major League Baseball, and even doubles tennis tournaments. The NCAA prohibits active athletes from gambling, with punishments depending on the severity of the situation.

DeCOURCY: Who to blame if Brendan Sorsby's college football career is over?

Will Brendan Sorsby be eligible for Texas Tech in 2026?

Since Sorsby bet on Indiana as a member of Indiana's football team, he is at risk of losing his eligibility for the 2026 season. While Sorsby hopes the lawsuit can lead to him playing for Texas Tech in 2026, at the very least he wants this case to be settled soon so he can decide on his next career move.