College Football Has a Gambling Scandal

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was expected to be in contention for the Heisman next season. Instead, it's not clear whether he will take a single snap because of what Dan Wetzel at ESPN calls college football's "biggest modern gambling scandal." The fifth-year senior has taken a leave of absence from the team and entered a gambling rehab program, reports the Athletic. The move comes as the NCAA reportedly investigates his betting activity on games going back to his days as a freshman at Indiana.

Both the Athletic and a separate ESPN story quote sources saying that Sorsby began making small bets on his own team's games at Indiana in 2022. He is not alleged to have tried to influence any game's outcome—the Indiana bets were always on the Hoosiers to win, and he did not bet on games in which he appeared, according to ESPN. But the stories allege Sorsby went on to make hundreds or perhaps thousands of bets on various sports since then via a gambling app.

NCAA rules allow for permanent loss of eligibility if an athlete bets on games involving their own school, and they also penalize betting on other schools in their sport. Sorsby was on track to make about $5 million this season at Texas Tech thanks to name, image, and likeness deals. If ruled ineligible, he could pursue the NFL supplemental draft. His leave comes as he also fights a $1 million buyout lawsuit from Cincinnati over a revenue-sharing deal he allegedly breached by transferring, a case that could have broader implications for similar agreements.