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Prior to 2026, all North Texas football fans needed to know about quarterback Brendan Sorsby was that he was a local guy making big waves as one of the top college football players in the country. The 2022 Lake Dallas graduate was on his way to Texas Tech, a team that played in last year’s college football playoffs, and he was likely going to be playing on Sundays in the NFL in the near future.
But that was in January. By the time March was over, Sorsby was making national headlines for allegedly breaching his contract with his former school and, most explosively, admitting to making thousands of wagers on a variety of sports, including games involving teams he was a member of. Few athletes highlight the modern dilemma college athletics faces, where some athletes can make millions of dollars while the NCAA or major conferences seem almost helpless to enforce guidelines.
For now, Sorsby is a QB without a team, as his time with Texas Tech ended before it really began. Here’s a timeline of how Sorsby got to this point.
2022: Sorsby redshirts at the University of Indiana, bets on games
Sorsby joined Indiana as a late signee after the program hired Walt Bell as offensive coordinator. He redshirted his first year, sitting behind Connor Bazelak on the depth chart. Sorsby appeared in one game that season, although he has stated he did not place a bet on that specific game. Investigators have alleged Sorsby placed as many as 40 bets on Indiana football and players from the team during that season.
2023: Sorsby takes over as Indiana’s starter, bet totals rise
Sorsby finished his second year in Bloomington with 1,587 passing yards, 19 total touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of 10 games and seven starts. Sorsby has admitted that by the end of 2023 he placed $30,000 in bets dating back to 2022, although his 2023 wagers allegedly involved sports and teams outside of the school he was playing for at the time.
2024: Sorsby transfers to University of Cincinnati, uses new account for wagers
Sorsby transferred to the University of Cincinnati, emerging as one of the Big 12’s top quarterbacks in short order, throwing for 2,813 yards and 18 touchdowns. The NCAA alleges that he wagered more than $60,000 using a FanDuel account registered to his brother-in-law during his time in Cincinnati, beginning in 2024.
2025: Sorsby excels, continues placing impermissible bets
Sorsby’s stock continued to rise during his second season in Cincinnati, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, given annually to the best QB in college football. According to the NCAA investigation, Sorsby continued placing bets on sports throughout 2025, bringing his alleged total wagers to $90,000 through his college career. As of July 2026, there haven’t been any allegations thus far that he placed any bets on Cincinnati Bearcats football.
December 15, 2025: Sorsby enters the transfer portal
Coming off his best season, Sorsby entered the transfer portal as the No. 1-ranked target in the class, drawing interest from Indiana, Virginia Tech and others.
January 4, 2026: Sorsby commits to Texas Tech, lands massive NIL deal
Sorsby chose Texas Tech University, reportedly netting a name, image and likeness (NIL) package worth around $5 million.
February 25, 2026: Cincinnati sues Sorsby
In a federal court filing, the University of Cincinnati accused Sorsby of breaching his NIL contract with them by refusing to pay a $1 million exit fee tied to his transfer to Texas Tech. Because his gambling was unknown to the public at this time, this was the first controversy Sorsby and his representatives faced.
March 11 – 14, 2026: NCAA gets a tip, opens investigation
An NCAA investigation into Sorsby’s alleged gambling began after a tip from an unnamed online sportsbook flagged Sorsby’s betting activity. Sorsby has admitted to using FanDuel, but it is unclear if that platform called in the tip.
April 27, 2026: Texas Tech makes statement, Sorsby enters rehab
Texas Tech announced Sorsby would take a leave of absence to enter a residential treatment facility for a gambling addiction. While a specific date and location have not been provided, it was later reported that the QB completed a 35-day inpatient program for gambling addiction.
May 6, 2026: State gambling regulators open probes
Gaming commissions in both Ohio and Indiana launched investigations into the Sorsby allegations.
May 22, 2026: NCAA denies reinstatement, Sorsby sues
The NCAA denied Sorsby’s reinstatement for the 2026-27 season after Texas Tech declared him ineligible a few days prior. After hiring an attorney, the QB sued the NCAA over what he noted was a “deeply hypocritical” stance on gambling.
June 8, 2026: Judge grants Sorsby an injunction, backlash ensues
A federal judge ruled Sorsby had shown the potential for a “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” and blocked the NCAA from keeping him off the field. Although the judge allowed a two-game suspension to be imposed, the NCAA responded by claiming the decision could lead to further destabilizing consequences. Athletic directors from other schools publicly expressed their disagreements as the Big 12 sought another injunction to allow the conference to impose punishment.
June 23, 2026: The NFL declines to hold supplemental draft
The league reportedly had decided not to hold a summer supplemental draft prior to Sorsby applying for admission into one. After initially threatening to pursue legal avenues against the NFL, Sorsby and the league reached an agreement that he would instead prepare for the 2027 NFL draft.
June 26, 2026: CFL blocks him from playing
Just days after his chances of playing in the NFL this year were dashed, the Canadian Football League announced that its teams were not permitted to sign Sorsby, citing concerns over integrity and fairness.
July 15, 2026: Report links Ken Paxton to Sorsby scandal
In June, Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton threatened legal action against any schools or conferences that suggested they might refuse to play Texas Tech in the future due to the Sorsby case. According to a July report by the Texas Tribune, Texas Tech chair and billionaire mega-booster Cody Campbell donated $275,000 to Paxton one day before Paxton made his remarks about the case.
