After being ruled eligible to play for Texas Tech this upcoming season, Brendan Sorsby is forgoing his college career and applying to enter the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. We previously wrote about the Sorsby saga and his reinstatement. However, a week after a judge ruled that Sorsby would be eligible to continue playing football for Texas Tech, the Big 12 filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas[1] seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to punish Sorsby for sports betting.
In a “landmark case,” the Big 12 sued one of its members seeking to prevent Texas Tech from “deter[ring], coerc[ing], prevent[ing], or punish[ing] the Big 12 for exercising its rights under its Bylaws to sanction [Texas Tech] … including if [Texas Tech] fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity.”
The Big 12’s lawsuit came in response to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office demanded that the league refrain from exercising its governance authority.[2] In support of the Big 12, the attorneys general of Kansas, Utah, and Oklahoma published letters that were addressed to the Big 12 commissioner backing the conference’s lawsuit against Texas Tech.[3]
Once the Big 12 filed its lawsuit, Sorsby was given a choice: continue with the litigation, risking Texas Tech facing penalties and sanctions, or withdraw the lawsuit and apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft.[4]
With a June 22 application deadline, Sorsby decided to withdraw his lawsuit — making him ineligible to continue his college career — and apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft.[5] Traditionally, the NFL Supplemental Draft provides a pathway for players who are no longer eligible to play college football to be selected by an NFL team, with that team forfeiting a corresponding pick in a future draft.[6]
It remains to be seen whether an NFL team will take a gamble on Brendan Sorsby. But for now, Sorsby’s collegiate career is officially over.
[1] The Big 12 Conference, Inc. v. Paxton Jr., in his official capacity, et al., 3:26-cv-01966 (N.D. Tex. June 14, 2026)
[2] Hours before Sorsby’s NFL decision, Big 12 sued Texas Tech, ESPN (June 15, 2026, 11:15 AM), https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49072316/big-12-files-suit-vs-texas-tech-texas-ag-brendan-sorsby.
[3] Ross Dellenger, Brendan Sorsby saga ends after Big 12’s ‘devastating’ legal complaint in the middle of the night, Yahoo Sports (June 16, 2026, 12:26 AM), https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/brendan-sorsby-saga-ends-after-big-12s-devastating-legal-complaint-in-the-middle-of-the-night-042618638.html.
[4] Id.
[5] NFL Network: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby to apply to enter NFL supplemental draft, NFL (June 15, 2026, 9:26 AM), https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-network-texas-tech-qb-brendan-sorsby-plans-to-enter-nfl-supplemental-draft; Pete Thamel, Source: QB Brendan Sorsby applies to enter NFL supplemental draft, ESPN (June 15, 2026, 9:03 PM), https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49077466/texas-tech-transfer-qb-brendan-sorsby-plans-enter-nfl-supplemental-draft.
[6] Id.