Texas Tech will appeal Brendan Sorsby's eligibility ruling

Texas Tech, which was recently derided by Tom Brady as a “glorified community college” (yes, comedy is hard), is taking on the overseer of the college football community.

Via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the school’s president said Tuesday that it will appeal the NCAA’s decision not to reinstate the eligibility of quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Sorsby has admitted to placing chronic bets during his tenure at Indiana and Cincinnati. He recently completed an in-patient program for gambling addiction.

“Brendan himself has been open about his struggle with severe gambling addiction, and we believe his vulnerability deserves to be met with the full weight of this institution’s support,” school president Lawrence Schovanec said. “Our foremost priority in contemplating Brendan’s future with Texas Tech is his continued health and wellbeing.”

Sorsby transferred earlier this year from Cincinnati to Texas Tech.

“As a generation of college athletes face the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college aged men in particular,” Schovanec said. “The NCAA’s stated mission includes ‘fostering [student-athletes’] lifelong well-being,’ and they have claimed their goal is to promote a “culture of care” for student athletes’ mental health. Gambling addiction is a clinically recognized behavioral disorder, as defined in the DSM-5.”

As Sorsby’s lawyers have argued in the court filing challenging the NCAA’s handling of his case, there’s a strong element of hypocrisy that flows from the NCAA’s efforts to monetize legalized gambling while also creating strict rules regarding players who engage in otherwise legal activities.

The stewards of the various sports aren’t required to stuff their pockets with gambling cash. They have chosen to do so. And they also have chosen to take a “do as we say, not as we do” stance as to those who play the games. It’s wrong but, in the ongoing Wild West era of sports betting, it’s perfectly legal.