Anonymous Big 12 coach emphatic that Brendan Sorsby will not play at Texas Tech: 'It's over'

Brendan Sorsby‘s uncertain future as Texas Tech‘s quarterback has dominated college football headlines over the past month amid an ongoing NCAA investigation into past gambling activities. Sorsby’s sordid story took a new turn this week when he filed suit Monday seeking a judicial injunction against the NCAA ruling him ineligible due to his admitted gambling addiction.

Whether he ultimately receives that injunction remains in doubt, especially after Wednesday’s news that the Lubbock County judge assigned to the case had recused himself, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. The judge, Phillip Hays, is reportedly a noted Red Raiders fan as well as a Lubbock native with two degrees from Texas Tech, all of which could represent a considerable conflict of interest.

The Red Raiders formally declared the 22-year-old Sorsby ineligible earlier this week and filed reinstatement paperwork with the NCAA. But while Sorsby continues his reinstatement fight, there are some around the Big 12 that expect he will never see the field in a Texas Tech uniform.

“[Sorsby] is not gonna be able to play, no matter what they say,” an anonymous Big 12 coach reportedly told Athlon Sports. “There’s no way because once you open Pandora’s Box, it’s over.”

The anonymous quote was part of a section titled “Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026” from its Athlon Sports’ 2026 College Football Preview magazine, which is on shelves now. Athlon Sports’ annual season preview magazine is generally must-see Summer reading for college football fans, due in large part to some of its compelling anonymous quotes. Make sure to purchase your own copy here.

Sorsby’s legal challenge is viewed as an attempt to expedite the NCAA investigative process in hopes of learning his potential fate ahead of a June 22 deadline to declare for the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. Sorsby recently retained noted antitrust lawyer and NCAA nemesis Jeffrey Kessler, who was among the lead attorneys in the landmark Alston v. NCAA and House v. NCAA cases over the past few years, both of which resulted in significant losses for the NCAA and ushered in widespread changes to college athletics.

In the meantime, Sorsby is currently taking an “indefinite leave of absence” from the Red Raiders program while he seeks counseling for an admitted gambling addiction, Texas Tech announced April 27. Sorsby allegedly placed more than 10,000 bets since 2022, including some on Hoosiers football games when he was a true freshman at Indiana, according to Nakos. He also allegedly placed several live wagers at multiple Cincinnati Reds games while he attended Cincinnati between 2024-25. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech this offseason as one of the most sought-after players in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

NCAA guidelines from 2023 on sports betting say: “Student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”