Report: Big 12 ADs Have ‘Serious’ Talks about Not Playing Texas Tech Following Sorsby Ruling

Outside of Lubbock, Texas, it doesn’t sound as if many in the college sports ecosystem are pleased with a Monday ruling.

In case you missed it, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA to regain eligibility for the 2026 season after initially being deemed ineligible by the NCAA following a gambling investigation.

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger has been in contact with some higher-ups around the college athletics space, including in the Big 12, where there have apparently been serious talks as to not play the Red Raiders in 2026. OSU is set to host the reigning Big 12 champs on Nov. 14.

“It’s f****** bulls***,” Kansas State AD Gene Taylor told Yahoo. “I know the kid has a problem. Well, get well and focus on your problem. It is absolutely devastating for him to be able to play when every other sport, no matter the level, deems an athlete ineligible or they are punished severely for betting on their team.”

Another anonymous Big 12 AD told Dellenger it was the “lowest point in my time in college sports” and that Tech “should be ashamed of itself.”

You could see why others in the space would push against Monday’s ruling, given the precedent it sets that gambling on your own team (Sorsby reportedly made bets on Indiana while he was with the Hoosiers) could come down to a two-game suspension.

Before Monday, gambling had been a hardline issue as it pertains to athletes’ ability to play, going back to Pete Rose and even more recently when former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers got in some trouble for a similar case and had to close his college career at the junior college level. But in this era where everyone has found out the NCAA has no power to enforce just about anything, challenging such a ruling in court — a court in the Lubbock area, no less — you can get by just about anything, it seems.

“There is no better example of why targeted intervention from Congress is necessary,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. “When you have schools and deep-pocketed supporters willing to look the other way on the glaring integrity threat of betting on your own team — and judges whose rulings effectively strip away our ability to stop them — only Congress can equip the NCAA to apply this common sense rule to everyone fairly and consistently. The Protect College Sports Act would empower the NCAA to enforce rules including the gambling restrictions – it’s needed now more than ever.”

Update: Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Releases Statement

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark released the following statement on the matter on Monday afternoon:

“The ramifications of today’s ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I’ve been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled meetings with our Conference ADs and Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.”