Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has warned the Big 12 Conference that any attempt to sanction Texas Tech University for allowing quarterback Brendan Sorsby to participate during the 2026 football season could violate state and federal law and expose the conference and its member schools to significant legal liability.
Paxton’s office sent a letter on behalf of Texas Tech to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark and Board of Directors Chairman Douglas Girod following a June 8 temporary injunction issued in Sorsby v. NCAA. The order bars the NCAA from preventing Sorsby from practicing, playing, or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team during the 2026 season, subject to certain conditions, including a two-game suspension.
Texas Tech is not a party to the lawsuit, but the attorney general’s office said it had been informed that the Big 12 and some member institutions were considering sanctions against the university for continuing to support Sorsby as a student-athlete while complying with the court order.
In the letter, the Office of the Attorney General argued that any conference punishment would amount to an unlawful agreement among competitors designed to disadvantage Texas Tech.
The office warned that sanctions could expose the conference and its members to antitrust claims and potential damages exceeding $200 million, including losses tied to football revenue, recruiting, alumni contributions, and legal fees.
The letter also cautioned that any action affecting Texas Tech’s scheduled games could lead to breach-of-contract claims. It further stated that interference with sponsorship agreements, ticket commitments, or other business relationships could expose the conference to tortious interference claims.
“Texas Tech acted consistent with a lawful court order and no athletic conference has the right to punish a member institution for respecting the judicial process,” Paxton said. “Antitrust laws exist to prevent exactly this type of illegal coordinated effort to harm a competitor. Any attempt by the Big 12 to sanction Texas Tech for honoring the results of a lawsuit it was not a party to would carry serious legal consequences.”
The dispute stems from Sorsby’s ongoing legal battle with the NCAA. A Texas court granted the quarterback a temporary injunction allowing him to play during most of the 2026 season while the case proceeds. Under the order, Sorsby must serve a two-game suspension.
According to court filings, Sorsby admitted to placing sports wagers during his college career, including bets involving Indiana football games while he played for the Hoosiers. He has stated that he never wagered against Indiana or its players.
“To be clear, I never placed any bets ‘against’ Indiana or against any players on the team,” Sorsby said in an affidavit, per The Dallas Express. “I never used any non-public information that I knew about the team in deciding what bets to place.”
Sorsby also described struggling with a gambling addiction.
“In retrospect, by the end of my freshman year at Indiana, I was truly addicted to gambling,” Sorsby said, according to court filings. “I began placing hundreds of bets on anything and everything, including non-major doubles tennis tournaments and the Major League Baseball draft.”
The NCAA has defended its position, saying its gambling rules are necessary to protect competition.
“The Association’s sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions,” the organization said, DX reported. “When it comes to betting on one’s own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk. Every sports league has these protections in place, and the NCAA will continue to apply them equally because every student-athlete competing deserves to know they’re playing a fair game.”
The controversy has generated opposition from some athletic administrators around the country. Discussions about possible actions against Texas Tech have reportedly taken place within the Big 12 and among schools in other conferences.
Texas Tech officials have maintained that their focus is on supporting Sorsby’s recovery and complying with the court’s ruling.
“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said, per DX. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person.”
McGuire later emphasized that the university was not involved in filing the lawsuit.
“None of this is OK,” McGuire said, the San Antonio Express-News reported. “We were not a part of this lawsuit in any way. We did not pay for his lawyer. This was not Texas Tech taking the NCAA to court. What we did was support our player that is an addict.”
Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt said the university was not attempting to manipulate Sorsby’s eligibility status and urged broader discussion about similar cases.
“I understand the frustration,” Hocutt said. “This situation is hard, it is new, and there is no perfect answer. The system we’re operating within is binary, but the situation is not. We are open to ongoing conversations about how to best handle these issues as an industry going forward. We will continue to be transparent in our decision-making. Most importantly, we will keep doing what we have always done, put our students first.”
Sorsby also expressed appreciation after the injunction was granted.
“I’m very grateful for the endless support I have received throughout this entire process,” he said, per DX. “I am also grateful for the chance to rejoin my teammates. This opportunity comes with the responsibility to remain focused on my personal growth, the ability to learn from this experience, and to be able to use my situation to help others going forward.”
The NCAA has indicated it plans to appeal the ruling, while Texas Tech has stated it will continue supporting Sorsby as the legal proceedings move forward.
Texas Tech Raiders leadership posted a video on social media explaining their position on Sorsby’s case.
