Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions

Field Level Media|published: Fri 19th June, 21:52 2026

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

The Big 12 is not ready to close the book on the Brendan Sorsby case, even after the Texas Tech quarterback moved to leave college football behind.

The conference's presidents and chancellors have not withdrawn the federal lawsuit filed earlier this week, with lingering questions about Sorsby's NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences from the legal fight, a Big 12 source told ESPN. The league's board of directors is expected to meet early next week to discuss its options.

"We don't know the answer to those questions," the source said. "We haven't done anything different at this point. We're going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active."

The Big 12 filed suit Monday in the Northern District of Texas, looking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would allow the conference to use its bylaws to potentially discipline Sorsby. Hours later, Sorsby moved toward the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, a step needed for him to be declared ineligible in college by Monday's deadline.

Sorsby admitted to violating NCAA rules by placing thousands of bets, including 40 on Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers' roster. The NFL still has to approve his application for the supplemental draft, which has not produced a selected player since 2019.

The Big 12 could also revisit whether Texas Tech should be responsible for the costs associated with the dispute. One Big 12 athletic director said the issue is less about punishment and more about whether the entire league should absorb legal fees from a case that other schools did not start..

--Field Level Media