The Texas Attorney General’s office has issued a warning to the Big 12 Conference, threatening potential legal action if the league sanctions Texas Tech over quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility situation.
Conference athletic directors, excluding Texas Tech’s representative, gathered on Tuesday and reached a unanimous decision opposing Sorsby’s participation with the Red Raiders. Conference presidents convened Thursday, and a complete board session is set for Monday as the Big 12 considers its next steps.
A Texas district court judge issued a temporary injunction this week, preventing the NCAA from declaring Sorsby ineligible. The NCAA’s initial ruling came after legal documents revealed the quarterback made approximately 40 wagers on Indiana football games during his time with that program in 2022 and 2023. Court filings showed he bet roughly $90,000 across four years and began addiction treatment on April 27.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark released a statement Thursday saying, “Shortly before the start of today’s Big 12 Executive Board meeting, the Conference received a letter from the Texas Attorney General’s office notifying the Conference of potential legal action from Texas Tech if the Conference pursues certain actions under its Bylaws. We are taking time with our legal counsel to understand the concerns of the state and will meet again with the full Board next week.”
“We moved forward with our Executive Board today in preparation for our full Board meeting on Monday. We had a good and informative discussion. Sentiment among the Executive Board was no different from what we heard from the ADs earlier this week,” Yormark added.
The NCAA has petitioned the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo this week, requesting an “accelerated appeal” to overturn the temporary injunction that reinstated Sorsby’s playing eligibility.
