Big 12 teams have discussed the possibility of refusing to play against Texas Tech in light of Monday’s court decision granting quarterback Brendan Sorsby eligibility.
At a recent Big 12 meeting, teams discussed whether it would be appropriate to play the Red Raiders if Sorsby was allowed to play despite violating the NCAA’s anti-gambling rules. Those discussions are likely to gain more urgency now that this situation has come to pass.
“We’ve had some serious conversation about it,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “There is still a lot to be discussed. We aren’t scheduled to play them this year, but it’s something we have to look at from a college football perspective. This is greater than the Big 12.”
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks argued that there need to be “serious conversations” about not playing Texas Tech in any sport to avoid bringing the integrity of college sports further into question.
The outcry comes in response to Judge Ken Curry’s decision to grant Sorsby an injunction to restore his eligibility and impose a two-game suspension for violating gambling rules. Sorsby wagered over $30,000 over a two-year period while playing for Indiana, including at least 40 bets on his own team. Sorsby, who has been diagnosed with a gambling and anxiety disorder, continued betting after transferring to Cincinnati and later Texas Tech, utilizing friends’ accounts for additional wagers on other sports.
The NCAA sought to make Sorsby permanently ineligible due to a blatant violation of the organization’s rules regarding gambling. Needless to say, they are not happy that a court stepped in and essentially destroyed their authority on that front going forward. Rival schools aren’t either, and they are clearly considering refusing to play a school that, in their mind, will field a player who should not be allowed to play.
