Big 12 files legal challenge in Brendan Sorsby drama

The Big 12 Conference filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Texas Tech and the Texas attorney general as the saga over quarterback Brendan Sorsby's eligibility continues.

The Big 12 is seeking a judgment that will allow it to enforce its bylaws against Texas Tech if the school allows Sorsby to play, despite his violations of NCAA rules against gambling.

Those bylaws include a provision to allow the Big 12 to sanction a school if a "supermajority" of conference members vote to do so, according to a copy of the 47-page complaint obtained by Front Office Sports.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court's Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, and names Texas attorney general Ken Paxton and Texas Tech as defendants along with the school's chancellor, president and athletic director. Sorsby is not named as a defendant.

Last week, a Texas state court granted Sorsby a temporary injunction to be eligible for the 2026 season after the NCAA originally ruled him ineligible.

The NCAA reached that decision after court documents filed by Sorsby's legal team showed the quarterback placed at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while a member of the program in 2022 and 2023. In all, he wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27.

In Monday's filing, the Big 12 is asking the court to clarify that it has the authority to establish and enforce its own eligibility rules.

"This action is not an attempt to challenge that Injunction, and this Court is not being asked to make any determinations related to Sorsby's eligibility to play college athletics or to the Conference's right to sanction Sorsby as an individual," the complaint said.

"The Injunction is a court order directed at the NCAA, governing the NCAA's enforcement of its own Bylaw 12.9.4.2 against Sorsby. Whatever the Injunction requires of the NCAA, it does not address the issues of the Conference's separate and independent governance authority over its Member Institutions."

The 15 Big 12 athletic directors, excluding Texas Tech, met last week and unanimously expressed their opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders. Big 12 university presidents were scheduled to meet Monday to discuss potential sanctions.

Sorsby threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the past two seasons at Cincinnati. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

--Field Level Media