Texas Tech has faced intense backlash from athletic directors, media and fans across the country in the wake of a court ruling that made Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby eligible for the 2026 season. On Wednesday, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt broke his silence on the matter, issuing a statement supporting Sorsby and the school's decision to keep him in the program.
"To my colleagues: I understand the frustration," Hocutt's statement reads. "This situation is hard, it is new, and there is no perfect answer. The system we're operating within is binary, but the situation is not. We are open to ongoing conversations about how to best handle these issues as an industry going forward. We will continue to be transparent in our decision-making. Most importantly, we will keep doing what we have always done, put our students first."
The decision
On Monday, a Lubbock judge sent college athletics into a spiral when he granted Sorsby an injunction against the NCAA that will allow him to play in the 2026 season despite admitting to gambling, including bets placed on his own team while at Indiana.
As part of the decision, Sorsby will sit out the first two games of the season against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. However, he will return for the Big 12 opener on Sept. 18 against Houston.
The court decided that Sorsby would suffer "probable, imminent and irreparable injury" if he were not allowed to participate in college athletics while his case proceeds through the legal system. Specifically, the judge ruled that Sorsby would lose access to high-level training and the ability to maximize his athletic potential, thereby complicating his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft.
Sorsby was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA after admitting to placing thousands of bets over four years, including multiple on his own team while redshirting at Indiana. NCAA rules hold that any player who gambles on their own team or another in their athletic department will not be allowed to participate in college athletics.
The fallout
Georgia and Nebraska athletic directors have already vowed not to schedule Texas Tech moving forward, and the Big Ten reportedly wants a conference-wide moratorium on playing the Red Raiders in any sport. The Big 12 held a call with athletic directors on Tuesday to address the situation, during which several drastic measures were reportedly suggested, according to CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello.
"Leaders are preparing for war if Tech plays Sorsby this season," Marcello wrote. "The ideas pitched to me over the last two days have left my jaw on the floor. Blue-sky thinking? These feel more like nuclear winter."
— Kirby Hocutt (@kirbyhocutt) June 10, 2026
Hocutt's response
Hocutt claims Texas Tech had no part in the lawsuit that granted Sorby his eligibility. Instead, Hocutt said, the Red Raiders have focused on supporting Sorsby in his recovery from gambling addiction.
"Texas Tech is not a party to Brendan's lawsuit," Hocutt said. "We did not file it. We did not fund it. A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him. Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility."
Hocutt also took exception to those calling Texas Tech's integrity into question, as the program didn't dismiss Sorsby as soon as it became aware of the severity of Sorsby's gambling. Hocutt maintained that the Red Raiders are upholding their standard of integrity by ensuring Sorsby gets the help he needs.
"I've heard the word 'integrity' used a great deal in the last 48 hours," Hocutt said. "As someone who has dedicated his career to college sports, I, too, believe integrity is central to our industry's success. I also think integrity applies on more than one front. The integrity of sport matters. So does the integrity of how we treat a 22-year-old who sought help, entered residential treatment, and is working every day toward recovery. Those two things don't have to be in conflict."
What happens next? A West Texas standoff?
Hocutt didn't commit to any future action in his statement, claiming the school's next move would be "taking it one day at a time."
"We'll evaluate his recovery, compliance and readiness as we go," Hocutt said. "We are watching closely, we are deeply committed to his progress and well-being, and we are not operating on blind faith. We are operating on a comprehensive clinical and compliance structure that we committed to before the court ruled in Brendan's lawsuit against the NCAA and that Brendan committed to as a condition of his return to our football program."
Texas Tech could pursue legal action should other schools attempt to exclude the Red Raiders or hinder their schedule, according to Marcello.
I'm told Texas Tech would consider legal action if athletic programs and/or conferences try to exclude them from competition or hinder their scheduling.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) June 10, 2026
Hocutt's statement, as well as Texas Tech's reported actions, signal the Red Raiders are potentially gearing up for a fight and don't intend to cave easily to pressure from other schools -- in or out of the Big 12. With what looks like a line drawn in the red dirt of West Texas, we may be in for a standoff. We'll have to wait and see who blinks first.
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