As of right now, it looks like the Texas Tech Red Raiders are able to get their starting quarterback on the field for this season. Brendan Sorsby was able to get a pretty significant legal win over the NCAA in the form of a temporary injunction, which will allow him to play this season. Or at least most of it.
There are a few conditions though.
This is far from being the punitive decision that many outside of Lubbock were wanting to see imposed upon the former Indiana and Cincinnati quarterback for his history of gambling that dated back to his time with the Hoosiers and Bearcats. But, he’s not just getting to go on the field without having to make some major changes.
Here’s what Sorsby needs to do to be able to play for Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders this season.
Here’s what Brendan Sorsby has to do to be able to play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders this season
First, there’s a two game suspension.
Sorsby is not able to just go play for Texas Tech at the start of the year. He won’t be able to face off against the Abilene Christian Wildcats or the Oregon State Beavers, but he will be back and available when Texas Tech returns to Lubbock to open Big 12 play against the Houston Cougars.
That’s probably going to be upsetting to some folks in the Bayou City.
Beyond the suspension for the first couple games of the season, Sorsby also has to continue seeking treatment and taking accountability for his gambling addiction. Arguably, this is the most important part of this process for him. Rehabilitation and continued improvement and growth.
Here’s a summary of exactly what is specifically identified for Sorsby that he must do to play for Texas Tech:
- Individual clinical counseling with a credentialed provider to focus on “relapse prevention, cognitive restructuring, and anxiety management.”
- Peer support through either Gamblers Anonymous or a comparable group.
- Treatment for “Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety.”
- “Athlete specific recovery resources and mentorship."
- Missing Texas Tech’s first two games of the season
- Compliance reporting with the NCAA on a monthly basis
That’s from the judge. That’s what the honorable Ken Curry is requiring of Sorsby to be able to play for the Red Raiders. But that’s not the entirety of what Texas Tech has previously outlined that it will do with its quarterback here.
In a previous statement where Texas Tech’s university president fired back at the NCAA for its decision to keep Sorsby from seeing the field, Lawrence Schovanec made it clear that the Red Raiders would be doing the following to support him in his recovery:
- Outpatient clinical care
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Mentor resources
- Anxiety disorder related treatment
- Monitoring of his technological devices
- Requiring a custodian of his finances
- Software installation to prevent access to gambling sites on his devices
- Compliance checks
There’s a lot of overlap in what Schovanec has outlined and what Curry is requiring, but it’s interesting to see Texas Tech’s president specifically detail what the Red Raiders are doing to help Sorsby as they work to provide a structured path forward for him.
Again, that's not a punitive decision for the former Hoosier and Bearcat quarterback. That's going to make some folks mad, but it's what the Red Raiders are willing to do to help Sorsby now that he's in Lubbock.
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