Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has received a temporary injunction against the NCAA that allows him to play for the Red Raiders in 2026. A Texas judge issued the preliminary injunction, halting NCAA enforcement of his sports wagering ineligibility ruling.

Judge Ken Curry granted the order Monday, finding that Sorsby would face “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” if he could not play. The injunction prevents the NCAA from barring him from practicing or competing this fall, though Sorsby will miss Texas Tech’s first two games under terms proposed by his own lawyers.

The NCAA had ruled Sorsby ineligible after determining he wagered roughly $90,000 on professional and collegiate sports across four years. That total included 40 bets related to Indiana football during his freshman year with the Hoosiers in 2022. The organization denied Texas Tech’s appeal for reinstatement on Friday before the court intervened.

Curry sided with Sorsby in what was described as another unprecedented ruling against the NCAA. The decision arrives during a period of multiple legal challenges affecting the association’s authority to enforce its rules.

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In a Monday statement, Sorsby expressed appreciation for support during the case. “I am also grateful for the chance to rejoin my teammates,” he said. “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.”

NCAA officials stated they will appeal the ruling. However, the timing of any judicial proceedings could place their resolution after Texas Tech completes its upcoming season. The Red Raiders open Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian.

“The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports,” the organization stated. It added that while the NCAA supports student-athlete mental health, it still must defend against actions “that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity.”

NCAA president Charlie Baker later expanded on that stance in a post on X, saying “there is no better example of why targeted intervention from Congress is necessary.” He referenced the “glaring integrity threat of betting on your own team” and said the Protect College Sports Act would provide the NCAA authority to enforce gambling restrictions evenly.

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Curry, a retired Tarrant County judge, found that Sorsby’s legal team demonstrated a probable right to relief on claims of breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and breach of fiduciary duty. Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, is nearly 300 miles from Lubbock, and Curry has no degrees from Texas Tech.

The injunction requires Sorsby to sit out Texas Tech’s contests against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. It also mandates that he continue counseling and treatment for diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorders. His attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, said the outcome was “a just result” and stressed that Sorsby “will continue his treatment, miss two games, and there is no injury to the competitive integrity of the NCAA.”

During a two-hour hearing in Lubbock County District Court last week, Kessler argued that the NCAA disregarded its own bylaws by failing to consider Sorsby’s mental health when ruling him ineligible. NCAA attorney Taylor Askew countered that the organization had factored that element into its decision and maintained that mental health challenges do not excuse rule violations.

Sorsby has admitted to placing at least 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 while at Indiana and another 165 bets worth at least $38,000 during his two years at Cincinnati. After moving to Texas Tech in January, he continued sports wagering and acknowledged sending more than $65,000 to friends for bets placed on his behalf.

The NCAA became aware of his gambling in March and informed Texas Tech of its findings on April 14. Sorsby departed Lubbock at the end of April and completed a 35-day inpatient rehabilitation program at Algamus in Goodyear, Arizona, for gambling and anxiety disorders.

Judge Curry’s ruling also gives Sorsby time to decide whether to enter the NFL supplemental draft, with a reported deadline of June 22. According to statements from his attorneys, this decision period is safeguarded by the injunction.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 235 pounds, Sorsby had been regarded as a potential first-round prospect for the 2027 draft prior to revelations of his betting. ESPN ranked him as the No. 1 transfer quarterback this offseason after he totaled 7,208 passing yards and 82 touchdowns across his tenures with Cincinnati and Indiana.

Texas Tech, which captured the Big 12 championship and reached the College Football Playoff in 2025, could begin its schedule without Sorsby under center. If he serves the two-game suspension, Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis could start, with Will Hammond continuing recovery from a torn ACL suffered last October.

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