Texas Tech QB Sorsby Has Trial Set After 2026 Season

LUBBOCK, TX — A Texas court has scheduled Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA for Feb. 8, 2027 — just two weeks after the end of the 2026 college football season.

The trial date was set Monday by the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, the same day Judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby a temporary injunction that could allow him to play for Texas Tech this upcoming season despite an NCAA ruling declaring him ineligible for sports wagering violations.

The NCAA appealed Curry's ruling Monday to the Seventh District Court of Appeals in Amarillo.

The NCAA's appeal will be heard by the Seventh District Court of Appeals, whose four justices — Chief Justice Judy Parker and Justices Lawrence Doss, Alex Yarbrough and Laura Pratt — are all graduates of the Texas Tech School of Law.

The case has drawn national attention and sparked concern across college athletics after Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of wagers on college and professional sports while attending Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech.

The NCAA ruled Sorsby ineligible after determining he wagered approximately $90,000 over four years, including 40 bets involving Indiana football during his freshman season in 2022. The organization denied Texas Tech's appeal for reinstatement on Friday.

Some conference athletic directors have publicly questioned whether member schools should compete against Texas Tech if Sorsby plays this season.

Big 12 officials spent Tuesday discussing potential responses to Curry's ruling. Conference commissioner Brett Yormark said athletic directors held a "thoughtful and productive conversation" regarding the broader implications of the case and indicated discussions would continue.

According to ESPN, no immediate action is expected from the conference. The Big 12 executive board is scheduled to meet Thursday to review options, with a full board discussion expected next week.

College sports attorney Thomas Mars said the conference could still discipline Texas Tech if it chooses to use a player deemed ineligible by the NCAA.

"There is no question that the Big 12 could impose draconian sanctions on Texas Tech," Mars told ESPN.

Under Big 12 Bylaw 3.6, the conference may sanction member institutions for conduct deemed materially adverse to the conference's interests. Potential penalties include postseason bans, restrictions on television appearances, limits on revenue distributions, and recruiting or scholarship restrictions.