Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec issued a strongly worded letter of support to the entire Red Raiders community Tuesday, May 26, in the wake of the NCAA’s denial to reinstate the collegiate eligibility of quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
In Schovanec’s letter, a copy of which was obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the Texas Tech president said the university community was welcoming Sorsby back to campus following his completion of a gambling-addiction in-patient recovery period.
The NCAA cannot speak on the status of eligibility reinstatement requests.
USA TODAY Sports has learned that Sorsby has a court appearance Monday, June 1, as he seeks injunctive relief against the NCAA.
Sorsby has been under investigation for what were alleged and he has not admitted were widespread wagers on a variety of sports that included bets on Indiana while Sorby was a member of the team.
“Last week, Brendan Sorsby completed an intensive inpatient treatment program for a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder – a meaningful step forward in what will be a long recovery,” Schovanec wrote in the letter. “This week, we will welcome Brendan back on campus. We share this update because transparency with our community is not optional; it is foundational to who we are.
“We want to be clear with you about what we believe, and why. 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. Our foremost priority in contemplating Brendan’s future with Texas Tech is his continued health and wellbeing.
“To provide the continued treatment, monitoring and support we believe Brendan needs, leaders in our athletics department have worked with Brendan’s treatment team to put forward a plan that we believe is right for Brendan, for our institution, and for the integrity of college athletics. That plan is comprehensive, thoughtful, and built to sustain his long-term recovery at Texas Tech and beyond.”
When Sorsby and his legal team filed for injunction earlier this month, the NCAA at that time pointed to the unambiguous language regarding the future eligibility of athletes who gamble either on NCAA sports at their school or their specific team.
“The NCAA generally doesn’t comment on pending reinstatement requests, but the Association’s sports betting rules are clear, as are the reinstatement conditions,” the NCAA said in its May 18 statement. “When it comes to betting on one’s own team, these rules must be enforced in every case for the simple reason that the integrity of the game is at risk. Every sports league has these protections in place, and the NCAA will continue to apply them equally because every student-athlete competing deserves to know they’re playing a fair game.”
The NCAA has further highlighted these penalties – adopted three years ago by NCAA membership – as it pertains to gambling on NCAA athletics, from individual and-team specific punishment to other measures:
“Betting on own individual performance or own team:permanent loss of eligibility,” per the NCAA. “(Betting on another individual or team at the athlete’s school): One year of ineligibility and loss of one year of eligibility.”
In layman’s terms, a student-athlete who admits or is found to have gambled on a team or individual at the athlete’s institution must sit out for one year of competition and also loses one of the athlete’s current four years of eligibility.
However, in its Tuesday later, Texas Tech made clear it was not yet done fighting for Sorsby’s potential return to college football for a final season and what would be his first with the Red Raiders. Sorsby began his career at Indiana, transferred for two years to Cincinnati and then exited the Bearcats program for the reigning Big 12 Champion Red Raiders in January. Cincinnati has filed suit against Sorsby alleging breach of contract in a separate matter stemming from Sorsby’s exit from the program.
“Over the past month, we have given careful and deliberate thought to what is right – not only for Brendan’s recovery, but for his future as a student-athlete and a member of this community,” Schovanec wrote. “Recently, the NCAA issued an initial ruling that Brendan is permanently ineligible to compete. Texas Tech will be appealing that decision. We believe that given the facts and the context of Brendan’s case, the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified. 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. 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.
“The NCAA’s own Chief Medical Officer has called for a “harm reduction approach” in dealing with problem gambling so that student-athletes can “seek support without fear of impacting their eligibility.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Tech president blasts NCAA over Brendan Sorby eligibility