Sports betting has become one of the biggest businesses in the United States since it was legalized by the Supreme Court eight years ago. Since 2018, Americans have legally wagered more than $650 billion, according to Boardroom.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Most sports bettors use parlays to score extra cash flow. For one star collegiate quarterback, however, sports betting has likely cost him his football career.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that despite completing a 35-day inpatient rehab stint for gambling addiction at a rehab center in Arizona, the NCAA has blocked the Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby's request for reinstatement to play for the 2026 season.
Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati over the offseason, placed bets on Indiana while he was a member of the Hoosiers in 2022. Per NCAA rules, players who bet on their own team can permanently lose their eligibility.
Sorsby was placed on indefinite leave by Texas Tech in April. He allegedly placed thousands of bets with the Hoosiers.
Texas Tech Plans to Appeal NCAA Ruling
Despite his legal trouble, Tech still wants the top-rated quarterback to return to the Red Raiders and plans to appeal the NCAA's ruling.
"Recently, the NCAA issued an initial ruling that Brendan is permanently ineligible to compete," Tech president Lawrence Schovanec wrote. "Texas Tech will be appealing that decision. We believe that, given the facts and the context of Brendan's case, the NCAA's ruling should be reversed or modified."
The upcoming season marks Sorsby's final year of college eligibility. He is due $4 million in NIL.
