The NCAA has long been criticized for its handling of players, for being choosy about when to drop the hammer and lenient when they feel like it. A perfect example of this is the curious case of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
For decades, athletes entered college as amateurs, playing with the promise of free education and the ambition to take their game to the pros. The only problem with that is that college sports are extremely intriguing to the masses and bring in a lot of revenue, to which the players do deserve a share of, but it is an extremely slippery slope.
Scott Van Pelt Slams Court’s Ruling on Brendan Sorsby
Earlier today, a judge in a Lubbock district court ruled in Sorsby’s favor, making him eligible to play for Texas Tech in 2026. The decision came after the quarterback admitted to placing thousands of bets, including on Indiana, while he was still with the program. The NCAA was adamant that he would never be able to play again, but the court allowed Sorsby to continue his college football career.
Long-time ESPN analyst Scott Van Pelt took issue with the court’s decision and voiced his displeasure on X. “There really aren’t any rules,” he wrote. “You just go to court. If it fails, go to court again until a judge says you’re all set. Want a 7th year? Sure, broke rules? Ahhhh, it’s fine. There AREN’T any rules.”
This incident is a far cry from the NCAA being able to vacate wins and awards from teams unopposed, and give teams “death sentences”, which essentially would withhold their recruiting efforts for a period of time, to make sure they felt the wrath.
There really aren’t any rules. You just go to court. If it fails, go to court again until a judge says you’re all set.
Want a 7th year?
Sure
Broke rules?
Ahhhh, it’s fine.
There AREN’T any rules.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) June 8, 2026
Now in the NIL era, the NCAA seems to have less power. Still, in situations involving the integrity of the game, the court and judges should be more open to unbiased intervention to help ensure the game is played the right way and that those abusing the system are kept out.
With the rise of the issue of athletes wagering on their own sports, breaking an unwritten rule that, prior to sportsbooks being legal, was a non-issue, now players are not being held accountable for breaking the rules that are in place to avoid this from ruining the integrity of the game by local courts.
The court’s decision in Sorsby raises questions about whether a school’s influence on the town is enough to sway judges from granting cases due process, and, if so, what alternatives are available. Of course, you don’t want cases involving a school’s team in the hands of rivals or people who would stand to benefit from them suffering punishment.
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But the law is supposed to be above bias, influence, and exceptions; when it is not, it sets an extremely dangerous precedent that they are above persecution.
Now that Sorsby will play for Texas Tech after serving a two-game suspension, he has a chance to build on his draft stock, as he was already viewed as a potential first-round pick. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 88.2 last year, ranking 10th in the nation.
