Texas Tech’s president strongly defends Brendan Sorsby after NCAA ruling

As Texas Tech football quarterback Brendan Sorsby was denied his 2026 eligibility by the NCAA after his gambling scandal, the school has fired back and defended the 22-year-0ld. With the Texas Tech football star completing rehab treatment after the gambling scandal, school president Lawrence Schovanec has released a statement defending Sorsby.

With Sorsby completing a 35-day inpatient treatment program at Algamus, which is a gambling rehab facility in Goodyear, Arizona, Schovanec would fire back at the NCAA for denying his 2026 eligibility. In a letter released on Tuesday announcing Sorsby’s return to campus, he would speak on how the “NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified” and be consistent with their thoughts on handling student-athletes’ mental health.

“As a generation of college athletes face the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college-aged men in particular. The NCAA’s stated mission includes “fostering [student-athletes’] lifelong well-being”, and they have claimed their goal is to promote a “culture of care” for student athletes’ mental health,” Schovanec wrote.

Texas Tech football’s Brendan Sorsby dealing with impacts of scandal

Speaking more about the recent news regarding the Texas Tech football quarterback in Sorsby, Schovanec would bring up the widespread popularity of sports betting, especially with student-athletes being around it. He would quote people within the NCAA who say they should have a “harm reduction approach” to gambling, with the implication that denying Sorsby’s eligibility is antithetical.

“The NCAA’s own Chief Medical Officer has called for a ‘harm reduction approach’ in dealing with problem gambling so that student-athletes can ‘seek support without fear of impacting their eligibility.’ The NCAA’s own policies and procedures for reinstatement call for ‘reaching an outcome that considers the well-being of the involved student-athlete.’ We are asking that the NCAA follow their own stated principles in this case. Ignoring these facts in this ruling puts the letter of their rules ahead of the spirit of their mission,” Schovanec wrote.

It remains to be seen what the ruling of the appeal will be and if Sorsby plays for the Red Raiders.

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