In a 20-plus-minute video released Thursday night, Texas Tech officials defended their integrity and reiterated their support for Brendan Sorsby amid widespread criticism from the rest of the Big 12 Conference and other corners of college sports to the likelihood of the quarterback playing for the Red Raiders this fall.
Athletic director Kirby Hocutt -- appearing in the video alongside football coach Joey McGuire, university president Lawrence Schovanec and Grant Stovall, Texas Tech's senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health and wellness -- said he understood why his AD colleagues had spoken out against the school allowing Sorsby to play this fall.
A message to the Texas Tech community from our leadership. pic.twitter.com/MpbXtNJakp
— Texas Tech Red Raiders (@TechAthletics) June 12, 2026
On Monday, Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction by a Texas judge that cleared the way for him to play in 2026 despite being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for widespread sports wagering, including 40 bets involving Indiana football while he was a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022. The NCAA has appealed the injunction. Sorsby does have to sit out the Red Raiders' first two games, against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
Several Big 12 ADs have voiced their opposition to playing Texas Tech this season, and the league's presidents met Thursday and will again meet next week to discuss potentially sanctioning the school for allowing Sorsby to play even with the judge's ruling.
"There's no reason whatsoever to question the integrity of our athletics department, or the competitive product that we put on the fields or on the courts each and every time that we go out," Hocutt said. "Integrity of the game is sacred, and that's why we've gone to such great lengths to ensure the monitoring and the compliance measures are in place for Brendan's return."
In the video, the Texas Tech officials detailed Sorsby's addiction, his long journey to recovery and why they believe the team environment is the best place for him. Hocutt said he has met with Sorsby several times since the quarterback returned to Lubbock from a 35-day in-patient rehab program after being diagnosed with gambling and anxiety disorders.
"He's made mistakes and he looked me in my eye this morning, again, and reassured me that he has done nothing to jeopardize the integrity of a game that he's competed in," Hocutt said. "He has not given information about a game that he's competed in, he has not jeopardized the competition or affected the outcome of any game he's competed in."
Stovall outlined the conditions for Sorsby's return to campus and the team, including software being installed on his cellphone and other devices that monitors activity and prevents him from accessing online wagering platforms. Sorsby also is participating in outpatient clinical care and individual and group therapy at Texas Tech.
Hocutt said Sorsby came to the athletic facility immediately after the injunction was granted to meet with Texas Tech's information technology and compliance staff and have the monitoring software installed on his phone.
"It's day by day," McGuire said. "We have a long time before we have to think about when he's going to play football again. We have a long time to continue to work with him to help him with this addiction. ... I'm glad he's back."
Hocutt noted that Texas Tech was not involved in Sorsby's legal process to seek the injunction but deemed it "legitimate" despite strong criticism of the decision.
"It was a judge that is not from Lubbock, Texas. It was a judge that actually lives 300 miles from Texas Tech University," Hocutt said. "The judge heard the arguments and ultimately made the ruling. A lot of people don't agree with that ruling, and that's their right, but it was a legitimate legal process that he received an injunction."
McGuire said the injunction being granted removed "a huge weight" from Sorsby's shoulders, while adding that the quarterback's parents contacted him amid social media backlash.
"It was like, 'We didn't expect all of this. Are y'all OK? We don't want this on your university,'" McGuire said. "... I told them, 'Let's take a deep breath. Let's all work through this together. We have your son's best interest at heart.'"
Schovanec acknowledged that Sorsby "made a mistake" but Texas Tech is unwavering in its support of him.
"Mistakes have consequences," Schovanec said. "At the same time, here's a young man with a dream and a vision to pursue a career. We felt not to have the opportunity to pursue that career, given the circumstances and the evolving changes in this world that these athletes face, was unfair and unjust."
