Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby Will Play in 2026 Football Season

Following a court ruling, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be allowed to play in this upcoming season after a battle with sports gambling almost locked him out of eligibility.

Sorsby will receive a two-game suspension before he is fully eligible to play the rest of the season.

Temporary Injunction for Sorsby

This is not a final judgment. The 99th Judicial District Court is simply allowing Sorsby to play this season while they wait for the final judgement.

Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt issued the following the statement:

As we have said before, we do not believe that the circumstances of Brendan’s case warranted permanent ineligibility. As he returns to our football program, we remain committed to supporting Brendan's recovery and ensuring his compliance with the court’s order. A comprehensive support structure, including clinical care, monitoring, and compliance checks, will remain fully in place for the duration of Brendan’s time as a student at Texas Tech.

Brendan Sorsby, back in late April, was discovered to have placed thousands of online bets across several sports via an online app, sparking a response from the NCAA.

The NCAA attempted to deem Sorsby ineligible to play in the 2026 season, prompting the quarterback to file a lawsuit against the association where he claimed that he should be able to play since none of the bets he placed ever influenced his performance or that of Texas Tech University.

The District Court gave three reasons as to why Sorsby will "suffer" if he is not allowed to play this season as he waits for his final judgment:

• He won't benefit from the elite coaching and training resources provided by a Division 1 college football team
• He can't build the necessary skills for maximizing his success during the football season
• He wouldn't be able to make an informed decision as to whether he will enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft

Requirements for Sorsby

As a result of the temporary injunction order, the NCAA must allow Sorsby to practice, play, and participate with Texas Tech's football team for the 2026 season.

This temporary injunction is only in effect while Sorsby follows up on his part of the agreement. This means he must continue his counseling for gambling addiction and he cannot play in the first two games of the 2026 football season.

Any breach from Sorsby resulting in him violating this temporary injunction will allow the NCAA to apply for emergency relief from the injunction. If this were to happen, Sorsby could be fully prohibited from the entire season.

Red Raider Football Schedule

Texas Tech football kicks off their 2026 season on September 5 as they host Abilene Christian. Their Thanksgiving game is also scheduled already where they will face TCU.

You can see the full game schedule from the Texas Tech Athletics website.