Big 12 athletic directors took part in a conference call Tuesday with Commissioner Brett Yormark to address the situation around Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby and the court ruling that restored his NCAA eligibility for the upcoming season.
The temporary injunction issued Monday by a Texas district court prevents the NCAA from enforcing its ban of Sorsby. The transfer QB had been ruled ineligible for what will be his final college season after he acknowledged years of gambling that included at least 40 bets on his own team while a freshman at Indiana.
Since NCAA rules call for a permanent loss of eligibility for any player who wagered on his own team, the judge’s decision sent shockwaves through college sports, including in Texas Tech’s own league.
Yormark said there was a “thoughtful and productive conversations” with the athletic directors as “we continue to work through the broader implications of this situation.”
In a statement without getting into specifics, the commissioner said many of the ADs voiced their opinions.
“We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group, and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference,” he said.
Next will be a meeting of the league’s executive board, when there is expected to be a discussion to present options, but no immediate action is expected then. The full board of directors, made up of presidents and chancellors from the league’s 16 members, is expected to meet next week.
Part of the injunction from the 99th District Court against the NCAA includes a two-game suspension for Sorsby. He would miss games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State, but eligible to return when the Red Raiders play their Big 12 opener at home Sept. 18 against Houston.
The NCAA is appealing to a higher Texas court.
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Sorsby made thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports that were worth at least $90,000 while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. Those bets include the ones he made while a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022, though none were on games in which he played that season.
“I think that’s the unpardonable sin,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Tuesday. “And I think everyone in America grew up knowing that was the unpardonable sin when it comes to sports and gambling.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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