LUBBOCK, Texas – The legal battle surrounding Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby intensified Monday as both the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA launched new court actions aimed at preventing the Red Raiders from benefiting from a recent injunction that restored the quarterback’s eligibility despite a gambling scandal.
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The developments came hours before reports surfaced that Sorsby plans to enter the NFL supplemental draft, a decision that could alter the immediate stakes of one of the most closely watched eligibility disputes in college athletics.
The filings represent a dramatic escalation in a dispute that has become one of the most consequential eligibility cases in recent college sports history.
Big 12 and NCAA escalate legal actions
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 20: General view of NCAA headquarters exterior on January 20, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
What we know:
Hours after publicly reaffirming its commitment to protecting the integrity of competition, the Big 12 filed a federal lawsuit seeking confirmation of its authority to sanction Texas Tech if the school allows Sorsby to play during the 2026 season.
The lawsuit names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office warned last week that any effort to punish Texas Tech for complying with a court order could expose the conference to legal liability.
Later Monday, the NCAA filed an emergency appeal seeking to overturn a temporary injunction granted by a Lubbock County judge that restored Sorsby’s eligibility. The organization is asking a Texas appeals court to resolve the matter before the start of the season, arguing that allowing Sorsby to compete while litigation continues would undermine the NCAA’s gambling rules and enforcement authority.
Texas Tech QB Plans to Enter NFL Supplemental Draft
The official football for the National Football League, with the signature of new commissioner Roger Goodell, sits within the NFL logo painted on the field prior to a game on November 26, 2006 between the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Redskins
On Monday night, ESPN reported that Sorsby plans to enter the NFL supplemental draft. The supplemental draft, first held in 1977, allows eligible prospects whose circumstances changed after the regular NFL draft to enter the league through a separate summer selection process. The NFL has not held a supplemental draft since 2023.
The Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt and university President, Lawrence Schovenec issued this statement shortly after Sorsby declared.
Dig deeper:
The Big 12’s lawsuit signals growing concern among conference members that allowing Sorsby to compete could damage confidence in the league’s competitive integrity.
Conference officials contend they retain the right to impose penalties, including fines or postseason restrictions, if Texas Tech fields a player whose participation is viewed as contrary to conference interests.
Big picture view:
Paxton’s office has taken the opposite position, arguing that punishing Texas Tech for complying with a valid court order could violate state and federal law. His warning came after reports that conference leaders were discussing possible sanctions against the university.
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Texas AG warning Big 12 about sanctioning Texas Tech following recent court order regarding Brendan Sorsby
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to leaders of the Big 12 Conference stating that any effort to sanction Texas Tech following a valid court order regarding QB Brendan Sorsby would be a violation of federal and state law and expose the conference and its members to antitrust liability.
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The dispute has evolved beyond a traditional eligibility case and into a broader debate over who ultimately controls governance and discipline in college athletics, courts, state officials, conferences or the NCAA.
Inside the NCAA’s ban on Sorsby
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – JANUARY 24: Future Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby shouts during the first half of the game between the Houston Cougars and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena on January 24, 2026 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo b
The backstory:
Sorsby, a transfer quarterback who previously played at Indiana and Cincinnati, admitted to extensive sports gambling activity during his college career.
Court records indicate he placed more than 9,000 wagers totaling at least $90,000 and made bets involving Indiana football while he was a member of the program. The NCAA permanently declared him ineligible under its gambling rules.
Earlier this month, Judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby a temporary injunction preventing the NCAA from enforcing that penalty while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. Under the order, Sorsby would have remained eligible after serving a two-game suspension to begin the season.
Texas Tech defends Sorsby, citing gambling addiction treatment
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – APRIL 17: Brendan Sorsby #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes during the Texas Tech Spring Game at Jones AT&T Stadium on April 17, 2026 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images for ONIT)
What they’re saying:
Texas Tech has publicly defended Sorsby, arguing that he suffers from a diagnosed gambling addiction and has undergone treatment.
University officials, including President Lawrence Schovanec, Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt and football coach Joey McGuire, released a nearly 21-minute video last week outlining the school’s support for the quarterback and the safeguards they said were implemented to monitor his recovery.
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Texas Tech University Athletics’ top leadership released an unprecedented 21-minute video defending quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s court-ordered return to the field, framing his permanent NCAA gambling ban as a matter of recovering from a medical addiction.
The other side:
The NCAA argued in its appeal that the injunction improperly overrides rules adopted by member institutions and threatens the consistency of enforcement standards.
The association also warned that delaying a final ruling until the currently scheduled 2027 trial date could effectively grant Sorsby the relief he seeks before the courts ever decide the merits of the case.
NFL Supplemental Draft could render the NCAA case moot
What’s next:
The future of the legal fight may now depend on whether Sorsby follows through with entering the NFL supplemental draft and whether an NFL team selects him.
If he joins the NFL, the immediate controversy over his participation at Texas Tech could become moot. However, the NCAA’s appeal, the Big 12’s lawsuit and the broader questions surrounding conference authority and judicial intervention in eligibility decisions may continue to be litigated long after Sorsby’s playing future is resolved.
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