DALLAS — Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby discussed the gambling addiction that ended his college career in a Paramount+ docuseries premiering Friday. Justin Williams of The Athletic viewed advance copies of the four-part series and published Sorsby’s comments Thursday.
It marked Sorsby’s first public comments on the case since his April leave of absence.
Sorsby grew up in Denton and played at Lake Dallas High School in Corinth. He told the documentary he began gambling at 18 and would drive into Oklahoma from North Texas to make legal wagers. He said it eventually became hard to watch sports without wanting “some skin on the game,” according to The Athletic.
Court Records Show More Than 9,000 Bets
Court filings from Sorsby’s eligibility case show more than 9,000 bets and at least $90,000 wagered over four years. At least 40 of those bets were on Indiana football while Sorsby was with the program. The filings also say he sent money to relatives and friends to place wagers for him, including after his transfer to Texas Tech.
Texas Tech said April 27 that Sorsby was leaving the program temporarily to enter residential treatment for gambling addiction. He spent 35 days in inpatient treatment. The NCAA opened its investigation that day, while gaming regulators in Indiana and Ohio began their own inquiries.
The NCAA denied Sorsby’s request for reinstatement in May. He then challenged the decision in court.
On June 8, Lubbock judge Ken Curry granted a temporary injunction that allowed Sorsby to remain eligible for 2026 after a two-game suspension. His return under the order would have come against Houston in the Big 12 opener. The Big 12 then filed its own action in federal court. Sorsby eventually dropped his lawsuit and left Texas Tech.
His next attempt was to reach the NFL. Sorsby petitioned for entry into a 2026 supplemental draft on June 16. One week later, the league told Sorsby and all 32 teams that no supplemental draft would be held.
Another option disappeared June 26, when the Canadian Football League said Sorsby would not be allowed to sign with a club or appear on a negotiation list.
Sorsby later reached an agreement with the NFL and NFL Players Association before June ended. Under the settlement, he is eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft but cannot sign an NFL contract before that draft is completed.
NCAA Closes Its Cincinnati Inquiry
This summer, the NCAA closed its inquiry into Cincinnati and found Sorsby committed a Level III violation, the school told the Cincinnati Enquirer. Indiana and Texas Tech were not penalized. Cincinnati is still pursuing damages over what the school says was a breach of Sorsby’s name, image and likeness contract when he left for Lubbock.
Sorsby started two seasons at Indiana and two at Cincinnati. In 2025, he completed 207 of 336 passes for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also ran for 580 yards and 9 touchdowns and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.
In 2024, Sorsby completed 249 of 389 passes for 2,813 yards, 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He ran for another 447 yards with 9 touchdowns.
After the 2025 season, ESPN put Sorsby at No. 1 in its transfer portal rankings and reported he was expected to make more than $5 million at his next school.
Cody Campbell Addresses The Big 12 Fight
Cody Campbell, the chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, was also interviewed for the series. Campbell played offensive line at Texas Tech and later spent time with the Indianapolis Colts. He also co-founded the Matador Club, Texas Tech’s NIL collective.
Campbell said in the documentary that Texas Tech handled the situation with integrity. He added that it could have been “handled much more privately,” according to CBS Sports.
Texas Tech Opens Against Abilene Christian
The Texas Tech Red Raiders went 12-2 last season, won the program’s first Big 12 title with a 34-7 victory over BYU and lost 23-0 to Oregon in the Orange Bowl in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The 12 wins set a school record. Joey McGuire is 35-18 in his fifth season in Lubbock.
Quarterback Will Hammond now takes over the offense. McGuire recently told Hammond that questions about quarterback were part of the reason Texas Tech entered the season ranked where it did, as Dallas Sports Journal reported.
Texas Tech opens Saturday at home against Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. CT on FS1. The Red Raiders go to Oregon State on Sept. 12 for a 6:30 p.m. CT game on CBS.
Paramount+ releases “The Program: Texas Tech” on Friday.
