Judge grants Brendan Sorsby injunction to play CFB in 2026

In an unprecedented ruling, Lubbock County (Texas) judge Ken Curry has granted Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction to play college football in 2026.

The ruling comes in a legal battle between Sorsby and the NCAA that began after he was ruled ineligible to play next season for placing sports bets on the Indiana Hoosiers while on the team in 2022.

Additionally, Sorsby has allegedly placed nearly 9,000 sports bets totaling over $90,000. Despite this, Sorsby was granted the injunction to play next season.

“This court finds that applicant has demonstrated that he will suffer a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury if this court does not issue this temporary injunction because he will be unable to participate as a member of Texas Tech University’s 2026 football team.”

Sorsby completed a stint in a rehab facility that specializes in gambling addiction.

He is set to serve a two-game suspension to start the season as part of the injunction conditions. It’s likely that the NCAA will appeal Monday’s ruling and a statement was quickly released.

“The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports,” the statement read.

“The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one’s own sport.”

Sorsby’s legal team argued that the NCAA did not take his mental illness into account when ruling him ineligible to play.

The NCAA’s stance was that it had treated Sorsby’s fairly, but that the penalties for the gambling violations were vital to the integrity of college sports.

This legal battle likely isn’t over just yet, but it sets a dangerous precedent when a player can place dozens of bets on his own team and somehow return to play.

James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker

About the Author Published Jun 8, 2026

JAMES PARKER

James Parker is a sports reporter and writer for Ball Exclusives. With a bachelor's degree earned at the age of 19, he’s spent years working as a sports journalist, including an award-winning stint at The Appalachian. He has never used AI for his work in any way, shape or form.