Big 12 files lawsuit seeking injunction to enforce bylaws against Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech
By Andrew Olson
Published:
A week after Brendan Sorsby was granted an injunction allowing him to play college football in 2026, the Big 12 is seeking an injunction of its own to prevent the Texas Tech quarterback from playing.
The Big 12 filed a lawsuit on Monday. The conference asks for an injunction that would allow the league to enforce its bylaws. If so, the conference could sanction Texas Tech for playing Sorsby in any Big 12 games, citing league rules against collegiate sports betting activity.
Here's the crux of the Big 12's filing. "A declaratory judgment that the First Amendment protects the Conference’s right to invoke its authority under its Bylaws to sanction TTU related to its handling of
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 15, 2026
the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU… pic.twitter.com/wkCuGUygxw
Also core to the Big 12 filing, as request for Injunctive Relief:
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 15, 2026
"A preliminary injunction and a permanent injunction barring Defendants from seeking to deter, coerce, prevent, or punish the Big 12 for exercising its rights under its Bylaws to sanction TTU related to its… https://t.co/smgyCwrMbM
A district court judge in Lubbock County granted an injunction allowing Sorsby to play in 2026, noting the NCAA could not stop Sorsby from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”
As part of the district court ruling, Sorsby is set to serve a 2-game suspension against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. He’s currently set to play again in Week 3 against Houston, but an injunction for the Big 12 could block that from happening. The Red Raiders host Sam Houston in Week 4 before playing Big 12 opponents for the remaining 8 games of the regular season.
Sorsby was found to have gambled on Indiana while he was a quarterback with the Hoosiers. He is reported to have placed at least 40 bets on the Hoosiers. His gambling continued after his transfer from Cincinnati to Texas Tech. Sorsby has reportedly wagered over $90,000 over the past 4 years.
In April, Sorsby spent time in a gambling rehabilitation center.
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Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
