Texas Tech Ad Addresses Controversy After Judge's Brendan Sorsby Ruling: 'i Understand The Frustration'

Texas Tech’s diversion head has issued a connection that seems to beryllium an effort to region nan assemblage from a judge’s arguable determination allowing Red Raiders backmost Brendan Sorsby to play successful 2026 contempt his prohibition by nan NCAA for wagering connected assemblage sports.

In a connection posted to societal media connected Wednesday, Kirby Hocutt makes it clear that nan assemblage is offering its afloat support to Sorsby during his betterment from gambling addiction. Hocutt besides wants it to beryllium known, however, that “Texas Tech is not a statement to Brendan’s lawsuit.”

“We did not record it. We did not money it,” Hocutt wrote. “A young man successful curen for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his ineligible correct to activity a remedy successful court, and a judge agreed pinch him. Our domiciled has been to support his recovery, not to technologist his eligibilty.”

Sorsby spent 2 years astatine Indiana and 2 astatine Cincinnati earlier transferring to Texas Tech this offseason for a reported multimillion-dollar deal. Court records show he has admitted to betting connected Hoosiers shot games he was not participating successful while a freshman backup backmost successful 2022.

According to NCAA guidelines, student-athletes who stake connected their ain games aliases connected different sports astatine their schoolhouse could “potentially look imperishable nonaccomplishment of collegiate eligibility.”

Texas Tech, which plays successful nan Big 12 Conference, was informed of an NCAA investigation into Sorsby’s gambling activity successful March, according to tribunal records, and nan schoolhouse later declared him ineligible according to nan association’s bylaws. The NCAA has since denied 2 petitions from Texas Tech to person Sorsby’s eligibility reinstated.

In a suit revenge past period successful Lubbock County District Court, Sorsby’s attorneys requested that he beryllium declared eligible for squad activities because nan NCAA “failed to comply pinch its contractual commitments” to nan fifth-year elder arsenic a student-athlete and truthful “is precluded from enforcing its gambling bylaws against Mr. Sorsby to contradict aliases withhold his reinstatement.”

On Monday, Judge Ken Curry granted a impermanent injunction allowing Sorsby to participate successful his last twelvemonth of eligibility — pinch definite conditions, which see sitting retired nan first 2 games of nan play — while nan matter plays retired successful court. The last proceeding has been scheduled to statesman Feb. 8, aft nan extremity of nan assemblage shot season.

Curry stated successful nan ruling that Sorsby would “suffer a probable, imminent and irreparable injury” if he missed retired this play connected nan “elite coaching, training resources, camaraderie, and regimen that only being a personnel of a Division I assemblage shot squad tin provide.”

Hocutt said successful a connection Monday: “As we person said before, we do not judge that nan circumstances of Brendan’s lawsuit warranted imperishable ineligibility.”

Many group astir assemblage shot disagree. The diversion departments astatine Nebraska (Big Ten Conference) and Georgia (Southeastern Conference) instructed their teams to debar scheduling games against Texas Tech.

The Big 12 “had a thoughtful and productive speech pinch our diversion board [Tuesday] arsenic we proceed to activity done nan broader implications of this situation,” commissioner Brett Yormark said successful a statement.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that Big Ten officials are expected to talk a prohibition connected playing Texas Tech successful immoderate sport.

Hocutt’s astir caller connection addresses specified responses to nan controversy.

“To my colleagues: I understand nan frustration,” Hocutt wrote. “This business is hard, it is new, and location is nary cleanable answer. The strategy we’re operating wrong is binary, but nan business is not. We are unfastened to ongoing conversations astir really to champion grip these issues arsenic an manufacture going forward.

“We will proceed to beryllium transparent successful our decision-making. Most importantly, we will support doing what we person ever done, put our students first.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.