Judge grants temporary injunction clearing Brendan Sorsby to play for Texas Tech in 2026

A Lubbock County district judge on Monday granted Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction against the NCAA, clearing the Texas Tech quarterback to participate for the 2026 season while his lawsuit plays out. The ruling came June 8, with Judge Ken Curry ordering that the NCAA cannot prevent Sorsby from practicing or playing for the Red Raiders during ongoing legal proceedings. The injunction also preserves an early-season cost for Sorsby, who will miss Texas Tech’s first two games, a penalty that his attorneys had proposed during the case.

The court’s decision includes conditions aimed at keeping Sorsby in treatment and under monitoring related to gambling and compulsive behavior. According to the terms described in coverage of the ruling, Sorsby must continue individual clinical counseling and take part in peer support through Gamblers Anonymous or a similar program. He also must continue treatment focused on the underlying anxiety described by his legal team as a primary driver of his gambling. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in connection with the ruling that a comprehensive support structure, including clinical care, monitoring, and compliance checks, would remain in place for Sorsby during his time at the school.

The eligibility fight stems from the NCAA’s determination that Sorsby violated its sports-wagering rules. In court filings discussed in coverage, Sorsby acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets totaling at least $90,000 across multiple schools, including 40 bets on Indiana when he was a freshman. The NCAA’s view, as described in the dispute, is that wagering on one’s own team triggers permanent loss of remaining eligibility under its rules. Sorsby’s case has also been tied to mental-health treatment, and he completed a monthlong residential program in Arizona during the NCAA’s investigation, according to accounts provided in the proceeding.

Texas Tech had previously outlined its support plan after Sorsby completed inpatient treatment in late May. In a May 26 message to the Texas Tech community, President Lawrence Schovanec said leaders had worked with Sorsby’s treatment team on a plan built around ongoing outpatient clinical care, group and individual therapy, a mentor resource structure, treatment for related anxiety, and active monitoring steps. The plan described included device and technology controls, software intended to block betting sites, a custodian role overseeing Sorsby’s personal finances, and periodic compliance checks.

For Texas Tech, the injunction arrives with the season opener less than three months away. Coverage of the ruling placed Texas Tech’s first game on Sept. 5 at home against Abilene Christian, and the timing matters because quarterback depth and preparation generally settle early in the fall camp cycle. Sorsby is not a newcomer to major-college football, either. Texas Tech’s own signing recap described him as a highly experienced transfer who entered 2026 among the most seasoned quarterbacks in college football, with 31 career starts and production across his stops at Indiana and Cincinnati.

The immediate picture, though, is still unsettled because Monday’s ruling is temporary. The NCAA can appeal, and the underlying lawsuit over Sorsby’s eligibility and the NCAA’s authority will continue through the courts. Texas Tech also remains managing a specific, front-loaded challenge, since the first two games will be played without Sorsby even with the injunction in effect. What to watch next is whether the NCAA escalates the appeal quickly and whether the court-ordered treatment, peer support, and compliance conditions are reported as continuing through the season’s early weeks.