Brendan Sorsby fallout: Georgia, Nebraska boycott future games against Texas Tech
Athletic department leaders in Georgia and Nebraska have instructed coaches and athletic administrators not to host Texas Tech in any future athletic contests after the game. Brendan Sorsby’s controversial eligibility decision.
“We don’t sit down [Texas Tech] we’re moving forward,” Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen told CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson.
On Monday, retired Lubbock judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby a temporary injunction against the NCAAallowing him to play through the 2026 season. Sorsby will sit out Texas Tech’s first two games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State, but is eligible for the Big 12 opener against Houston on Sept. 18.
The court ruled that Sorsby would face “probable, imminent and irreparable harm” if he is not allowed to participate in college athletics this season while his gambling case works its way through the legal system. At the beginning of this year, the NCAA ruled Sorsby permanently ineligible after admitting he bet thousands over four years, including more on his own team when he bet in Indiana.
Georgia and Nebraska sent memos to staff urging a freeze on the draft, including language giving specific instructions on how to proceed if current draft negotiations were to continue with the Red Raiders.
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks criticized Texas Tech’s decision to play Sorsby after the decision.
“True integrity means holding your program accountable when things go wrong, not buying into the traditional law or rushing to local court to break the rules,” Brooks wrote Monday night.
The Big Ten is expected to discuss a league-wide mandate against scheduling the Red Raiders in the future, according to a report from ESPN.
ESPN also reports that the Big 12 is mulling its next step and “defining a process for dealing” with the Sorsby decision, starting with a Tuesday call involving the league’s athletic directors.
“The ramifications of today’s decision are significant and could have a significant impact on all of college athletics, causing great concern among our members,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told ESPN. “I have been talking to our key stakeholders and have scheduled meetings with the ADs and conference bodies this week. We are in touch again [NCAA president] Charlie Baker also expects the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation.”
TCU athletic director Mike Buddie and Kansas State AD Gene Taylor both told ESPN that many Big 12 schools are nervously entertaining the idea of not playing Texas Tech in 2026.
“We expect to have conversations around that,” Buddy told ESPN. “We’re all expecting it, but it hasn’t been officially discussed yet.”
Coaches, ADs heard from Sorsby’s order
Across college football, athletic directors, coaches and conference officials are grappling with the consequences of a decision that many believe could set a precedent for years to come. What began as an isolated case has become a national talking point, with administrators questioning whether the NCAA is equipped to deal with the growing challenges surrounding gambling, player conduct and institutional accountability — and frankly, if the NCAA has all the power as an arm of the law at all.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan called Sorsby’s actions “a clear violation of NCAA policies and guidelines,” and warned they could cause permanent damage.
“As someone who grew up reading about the ‘Black Sox Scandal,’ and seeing what happened to Pete Rose and just understanding how bright this line seems to be in all of American sports, I’m surprised there would be a question in the courts that this is acceptable,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told ESPN. “That’s not a judgment on the young man. That was just a basic tenet of American sports, that if you’re going to participate, you can’t gamble, especially on your team.”
