HOUSTON – Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is standing behind quarterback Brendan Sorsby as backlash continues to grow following a court ruling that allows the former Cincinnati standout to continue his college football career despite gambling violations.
Speaking Wednesday at the Houston Touchdown Club’s annual Red Raider luncheon near the Galleria, McGuire addressed the situation publicly for the first time since the ruling.
Rather than focusing on the legal battle, McGuire emphasized Sorsby’s ongoing recovery from a gambling addiction.
“Brendan Sorsby is recovering from an addiction. He’s recovering,” McGuire told attendees. “I’m sitting down with this young man multiple times. The things that he is going through and what he’s been through are serious.”
OUR FIRST REPORT: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby granted injunction in gambling case, cleared to play in 2026
McGuire added that even expectations of Sorsby returning to the field by Week 3 of the season may be premature.
“Us even saying to the point, before we get to the legal part, that he could be ready Week 3 against Houston is still a stretch, because guess what? He’s still recovering,” McGuire said.
The controversy has quickly become one of the biggest stories in college football after Ken Curry, a Lubbock County judge, granted Sorsby a temporary injunction Monday, allowing him to play during the 2026 season while his legal challenge against the NCAA moves forward.
In granting the temporary injunction, Curry wrote that Sorsby faced “probable, imminent, and irreparable injury” if he were prevented from participating during the 2026 season.
The ruling drew criticism from across the collegiate sports world, including within the Big 12 Conference, where athletic directors have reportedly expressed frustration with the decision and Texas Tech’s handling of the situation.
Gambling violations led to NCAA suspension
Sorsby, one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the transfer portal before transferring from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, was ruled ineligible earlier this year after an NCAA investigation into his gambling activity.
According to court documents, Sorsby wagered nearly $100,000 over a four-year period and placed bets involving the Indiana Hoosiers while he was a member of Indiana’s football program in 2022.
The quarterback later sought treatment for gambling addiction, spending more than a month at rehabilitation facilities, including a treatment center in Arizona.
The judge’s ruling allows Sorsby to participate in the 2026 season but requires him to sit out Texas Tech’s first two games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
Under the current order, Sorsby would become eligible to make his Texas Tech debut in the Red Raiders’ Big 12 opener against Houston on Sept. 18 in Lubbock.
NCAA plans to appeal
The NCAA has indicated it intends to appeal the ruling, though that process could take months to resolve.
The case has sparked a national debate over athlete eligibility, gambling-related discipline and the role courts should play in NCAA enforcement decisions.
For now, Sorsby remains eligible to play later this season, though McGuire made it clear the quarterback’s recovery remains the program’s top priority.