Quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was permanently banned from NCAA competition due to sports betting violations, will not be finding a professional football home in Canada either.
The Canadian Football League announced Friday that the 22-year-old will be barred from signing with any CFL team or being added to any team’s negotiation list.
Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of wagers over the course of his college career, with the total reaching nearly $90,000. That included at least 40 bets placed on Indiana football games during his freshman year there in 2022, though none of those bets involved games in which he personally played for the Hoosiers.
Following his permanent NCAA ban, Sorsby sought entry into the NFL through the league’s supplemental draft process, but the NFL informed him on Tuesday that it would not be holding a supplemental draft this year.
According to a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL instead advised Sorsby to focus his efforts on potentially entering the league through the standard draft process in 2027. The NFL has not conducted a supplemental draft since 2023.
In a formal statement, the CFL made clear where it stands: “Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL. The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning.”
The league added, “At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.”
Sorsby had been scheduled to hold a workout for NFL teams on July 10. His NCAA ban came after he transferred earlier this year from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, where the gambling activity came to light.
After completing a month-long residential treatment program for a diagnosed gambling addiction — which contributed to the thousands of bets he placed — Sorsby took legal action against the NCAA and secured a court-ordered reinstatement to college play. That decision sparked significant backlash directed at Texas Tech, ultimately leading Sorsby to pursue a professional football career instead.
