Ex-college athlete sues NCAA over lifetime ban for $90K sports betting spree
A legal battle between former college athlete Brendan Sorsby and the NCAA is set to unfold in a Texas courtroom. The hearing, scheduled for Monday, May 22, follows Sorsby’s lawsuit against the organisation after he was ruled ineligible for sports wagering violations. The case centres on his extensive betting history while playing for Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech universities. Sorsby’s gambling activities began early in his college career. During his time as a freshman at Indiana in 2022, he placed at least 40 bets on Hoosiers football games. Over an 18-month period, from June 2022 to December 2023, he made roughly 2,900 bets totalling over $30,000 while at Indiana alone.
His betting continued after transferring to Cincinnati, though he avoided wagering on the Bearcats. Later, at Texas Tech, he sent around $5,000 to others to place bets on his behalf. In total, Sorsby admitted to making thousands of bets amounting to at least $90,000, including $60,000 deposited into a shared FanDuel account through a friend. The NCAA declared Sorsby ineligible after he acknowledged his gambling activities. Texas Tech initially requested his reinstatement, but the NCAA denied the appeal on May 22—the same day the lawsuit was filed. A month earlier, on April 27, the university announced Sorsby was taking an indefinite leave of absence to seek treatment for a gambling addiction.
The lawsuit will now proceed in Lubbock County, Texas, with the hearing taking place on May 22. The outcome could impact Sorsby’s future in college sports and set a precedent for how the NCAA handles similar cases. The case also highlights the broader issue of sports betting among student athletes.
