Sorsby Details Gambling Habit That Led to NCAA Ban
David Genge Published 28/09/2026
Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby outlined in vivid detail his gambling habit that led to the NCAA banning him. Sorsby pulled back the curtain on his gambling addiction in clips that are part of the new Paramount+ documentary ‘The Program: Texas Tech. During his days as an NCAA QB with the Indiana Hoosiers, Cincinnati Bearcats, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, Sorsby says he made over 9,000 wagers worth in excess of $90,000. They included bets that he made on Indiana football games when he was a member of the Hoosiers.
When an NCAA investigation revealed his gambling habit, senior Sorsby was banned for the 2026 football season, effectively ending his NCAA career.
Sorsby made approximately 40 bets on Hoosiers NCAA games while a student at Indiana
Long before his gambling addiction came under public scrutiny, Sorsby was hooked. He lived to bet on sports.
"I definitely liked gambling," Sorsby said during the show, according to reporting by CBS Sports. "I couldn't watch sporting activities without wanting to have something at stake.
"I gambled throughout my time at Indiana, gambled through my time at Cincinnati. Whenever I got to Tech, same deal. I made more money than I've ever made in my life, but still did it, just chasing the dopamine hit.
"That's where you lose yourself. I made some mistakes, especially early on, betting on my own team, which everybody knows."
Sorsby squandered a $5 million NIL deal with Texas Tech
Sorsby entered the transfer portal after last season. Moving from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, he signed a $5 million NIL deal with the Red Raiders. But that didn't stop his need to gamble.
"I still did it, just chasing the dopamine hit," Sorsby said. "No reason at all to gamble. That's where you lose yourself."
Sorsby explained that his gambling habit first developed when he was a senior in high school. Along with friends, they would cross the Texas-Oklahoma border to visit Winstar World Casino and gamble.
As a freshman at Indiana in 2022, Sorsby estimated that he made about 40 bets on the Hoosiers. At Texas Tech, he doled out some $5,000 to friends to make bets on games for him.
Sorsby regrets his court battle with the NCAA
Originally, after he was issued his NCAA ban, Sorsby went to court and won a temporary injunction that would have allowed him to play for Texas Tech this season.
When the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference counter-sued, and some schools suggested that they'd remove Texas Tech from their schedule, Sorsby backed off, opting to accept his NCAA punishment.
"What he does not want to do is put this team in a situation where we play all year long and the Big 12 sanctions us to where we can't go to the Big 12 Championship, and by extension, not go to the playoff," Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said to the team. "Brendan Sorsby does not want to do that. So he's going to step away, and it sucks."
In retrospect, Sorsby feels a sense of guilt for all the trouble his gambling addiction has created for his former school and teammates.
"I have a ton of remorse and a ton of regret for the things that I've done in the past," Sorsby said. "Just for my coaches and teammates and those guys, and then all the backlash that we faced -- they're having to face all the scrutiny and backlash as well."
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
+9
- 20+ sports available for wagering
- Pre-match and in-play betting
- Unique features like live streaming and boosted odds
Bet $10 Get $365 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose
Find out more on bet365's website
- Over 20 sports
- Extensive betting markets
- Live betting feature
New Users – Get $250 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 5 days
+6
- Deep market coverage across major U.S. sports and leagues
- Same Game Parlay builder is fast and easy to use
- Live betting interface updates quickly with real-time odds