K-State AD blasts Brendan Sorsby eligibility ruling that rocked college football
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State AD Gene Taylor called the ruling that restored Sorsby’s eligibility “f—ing bull—.”
- The NCAA declared Sorsby permanently ineligible for wagering on games involving his team.
- Brett Yormark said he’s consulting Big 12 stakeholders and scheduled meetings this week.
Many across college football were disappointed Monday when a judge granted Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby an injunction to play for the Red Raiders next season despite wagering on several games that involved his own team.
Gene Taylor was one of them.
In fact, the Kansas State athletic director was more upset than just about anyone when Sorsby was able to regain his college eligibility.
“It’s f—ing bull—,” Taylor told Yahoo Sports.
Sorsby has acknowledged in court documents that he placed dozens of bets on college football games that involved his own team, dating back to his time at both Cincinnati and Indiana.
The NCAA declared him permanently ineligible after he was caught gambling on his own games. But Sorsby successfully sued and regained his eligibility in court from a Texas judge. The NCAA will appeal that decision.
Still, Taylor is clearly not in favor of the Sorsby ruling.
“I know the kid has a problem,” Taylor told Yahoo Sports. “Well, get well and focus on your problem. It is absolutely devastating for him to be able to play when every other sport, no matter the level, deems an athlete ineligible or they are punished severely for betting on their team.”
He went on to say that Big 12 teams have “had some serious conversation” about not playing Texas Tech while Sorsby is on the active football roster.
K-State and Texas Tech are not scheduled to play this season.
“It’s something we have to look at from a college football perspective,” Taylor said. “This is greater than the Big 12.”
Utah athletics director Mark Harlan also expressed disappointment in the situation.
“As with many around the country,” he told ESPN, “I am disheartened by the injunction issued today in the Brendan Sorsby matter, which will allow him to compete this fall despite clear violations of NCAA policies and ethical guidelines. We are all committed to supporting student-athlete well-being, but we also must have a definitive path forward that preserves the most basic tenets of competitive integrity in our industry.”
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark spoke out on the matter, as well.
“The ramifications of today’s ruling are significant,” Yormark said, “and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I’ve been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled a meeting with our Conference ADs and our Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.”