Sorsby’s Temporary Injunction the Latest Example of How Broken College Athletics Is

The college sport ecosystem has always been a little broken, but it perhaps has never felt as broken as it does right now.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA on Monday that helps clear a path for him to play in 2026. That ruling comes after Sorsby was declared ineligible for betting on college sports, including 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman with the Hoosiers.

The injunction would still see Sorsby miss two games of the 2026 season. The Red Raiders open the year with games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Conveniently, that suspension ends just before the Red Raiders are set to host what is expected to be a solid Houston squad in the teams’ Big 12 opener.

Major League Baseball’s all-time hit leader was blackballed from the game after a gambling scandal. But in college football, it’s a quick two-game slap on the wrist.

Here was the court’s attempt to put lipstick on this pig:

“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, including Texas Tech’s 2026 Football season and:

“1. Benefit from the elite coaching, training resources, camaraderie, and regimen that only being a member of a Division I college football team can provide,

“2. Build the skills necessary to maximize his own success during the college football season,  as well as that of Texas Tech’s football team and each of its players, and

“3. Make an informed decision regarding whether to enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft.”

Hyperbolic comparison incoming — If a guy got in trouble for robbing a bank, a judge would not rule that because he is now behind bars, he doesn’t have the opportunity to make more bank robbery money and thus must be set free. That’d be insane, right?

And all this isn’t to say that Sorsby’s life should be ruined forever. If he needs help, I hope he continues to get it. But actions have consequences, and what precedent does this set moving forward? Is betting on your own team a two-game suspension now? That’s 25% of a second-half targeting penalty.

Cover 3’s Tom Fornelli put it like this, and it’s something I certainly agree with.

Brendan Sorsby isn’t a victim. pic.twitter.com/BMaa31t5SQ

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 1, 2026

To even be so bold as to challenge this shows that the NCAA has no power anymore. That might sound like I’m dunking on the NCAA (which lends itself plenty of reasons to get dunked on), but it isn’t. What is the NCAA supposed to do when it makes a ruling and then a court comes over the top and says, “Nahhh.”

So, is everyone eligible all the time now?

Former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers was suspended for a similar ordeal back in 2023 and never played Division-I  college football again. Closer to home, OSU grabbed Iowa transfer receiver Arland Bruce IV out of the transfer portal in 2023, but he was also caught up in that Iowa investigation and never played a down for the Cowboys. Turns out, all they needed was a better lawyer/judge.

It feels like anyone who goes to court seeking some sort of eligibility would get it based on this Sorsby ruling and the wording in it. There still hasn’t been official word on Iman Oates’ eligibility for the 2026 season. If the NCAA rules against him, OSU should find a way to clone him and put four Iman Oateses on the field Game 1.

I’ve seen a lot comparing gambling problems to drinking problems. I don’t have either, so perhaps this is just generally something I should step away from. But, I will note that the rapid development in the online gambling space makes gambling much more accessible. Upon unlocking your phone, you’re a few taps away from being able to gamble on a sporting event. Unless you have a creative phone case, your phone (something you almost always have on you) isn’t going to turn into a drink of some sort. So, this’ll be something that the NCAA or whatever entity is in charge of college sports needs to get ahold of as it pertains to protecting young athletes from themselves.

Lastly, in some ways this story has the ridiculous charm to it that only college athletics could provide. This feels like Eric Dickerson rolling up to school in that Gold Trans Am — where everyone knows exactly what’s going on, but the sport is so Wild West that no one can do anything about it.

For better or worse, this is the type of story that only college athletics can provide, but the more stories like this pop up, the more it feels like the whole system is nearing some boiling point.