The sports betting scandal engulfing Texas Tech and transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby has shocked the college football world and ignited debates about everything from what Sorsby’s punishment should be to the future of the NCAA. But the story should be sparking a larger conversation about the growing epidemic of sports betting in American society.
Sorsby first broke into the headlines last year following a breakout season for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, where he completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. He then hopped in the transfer portal, eventually signing with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in January.
In late April, Sorsby announced that he was entering residential rehab for gambling addiction – the same day reports surfaced that the NCAA was investigating the 22-year-old for betting. Subsequent details revealed that Sorsby wagered an eye-popping $90,000 over the past four years, including on teams he was playing for at the time. Sorsby made those bets through accounts he controlled in others’ names or by sending money to friends to bet for him.
By any metric, this should’ve been an open and shut case – Sorsby clearly violated every rule against player gambling, including committing the cardinal sin of betting on his own team. The NCAA quickly ruled him ineligible for the upcoming season.
But Sorsby and a team of clever lawyers filed an injunction with a local district court, arguing that, as ESPN’s Dan Wetzel put it, “he deserved a temporary restraining order because he had been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, he had gone through a 35-day inpatient rehab and, by banning him from playing this fall, the NCAA would not be supporting his mental health and thus potentially negatively impacting his recovery.”
On June 8, Judge Ken Curry issued one of the most jaw-dropping rulings in sports history. Curry granted the injunction against the NCAA’s suspension and then unilaterally imposed a two-game suspension – letting Sorsby off the hook for one of the most egregious gambling cases in the history of any American sport with just a slap on the wrist.
The backlash from other college football teams and conferences was swift and overwhelming. The Big Ten discussed a total ban on competition against Texas Tech in any sport. Similar sentiment emerged from some SEC teams and in-conference Tech rivals in the Big 12. But thus far, Texas Tech has said it will abide by the court’s injunction, and the Big 12 conference has indicated that it will not impose its own suspension on Sorsby.
There is certainly plenty of worthwhile debate to be had about Judge Curry’s decision and what the effective kneecapping of the NCAA – an already greatly weakened institution – means for the future of the sport. But what has been largely lost in all the hubbub about whether Sorsby should suit up for the Red Raiders this year is what his case reveals about the prevalence of sports gambling culture in America today.
The sad reality is that the only thing that distinguishes Sorsby from many young men his age is that he has the money (thanks to recent changes allowing college players to be paid) to make large bets and the prominence to draw attention when his addiction is exposed. For countless other addicts, there is no support system or rehab – only an ever-worsening cycle of risk and desperation almost always leading to financial ruin.
Of course, gambling addiction – whether it be on cards, dice, horses, sports, or anything in between – has always been a problem. But that problem became much, much worse starting May 14, 2018.
On that date, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. That ruling struck down the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had prohibited state-authorized sports gambling since 1992. Individual states suddenly had the power to legalize sports betting, and the rush was on.
A few years later, online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel began exploding in popularity. Instead of actually going to a physical sportsbook or even calling a bookie, bettors could set up an account in minutes and begin placing wagers directly from their phones on everything from the outcome of a game to how many hits a certain player would have or how many points a team would score.
These two concurrent developments created a toxic mix that set the stage for the burgeoning sports gambling crisis gripping the country today. 30 states currently allow some form of online sports betting.
The statistics speak for themselves. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, nearly one in five sports bettors reports problematic gambling behavior.
Before 2018, Americans wagered about $5 billion annually on sports. In 2024, that figure topped $150 billion. About 90 percent of those bets were placed on phones. And as the old saying goes, “the house always wins.” U.S. sports betting revenue reached $13.7 billion in 2024, a 25.4 percent spike from the previous record set the year before.
STAT News paints a sobering picture of what this means for gamblers:
“Hazardous gambling is correlated with increased rates of anxiety and depression, and young men who engage in it are more likely to slide into a full-blown gambling addiction. Boys who frequently gamble miss more classes, perform worse in school, drink more alcohol, and participate in other risky behaviors at higher rates, often to cope with gambling-related stress. These antisocial patterns compound, with gambling sucking up time and mental energy that might otherwise go toward relationships, hobbies, and personal growth.”
It’s easy to see why sports betting has become such a big problem – advertisements and deceptive marketing campaigns are everywhere. Like the cigarette ads of old, they make betting look cool, exciting, and like a way to make easy money. What they don’t tell you is that states that have allowed sports betting have seen a 10 percent increase in the likelihood of bankruptcy and an eight percent increase in debt collection amounts.
While young people are subjected to endless campaigns warning about the addictive potential of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, there is relatively little messaging about the dangers of gambling addiction.
Not everyone who places an occasional wager will become addicted, just like not everyone who drinks a few beers on the weekend will become an alcoholic and not everyone who indulges in the occasional cigar will start smoking a pack a day. But the evidence is piling up that sports gambling has been far more detrimental to society than most of its proponents are willing to admit – particularly for young men already facing astonishing levels of social isolation and economic anxiety.
When it comes to Brendan Sorsby, criticism of the NCAA, the judicial system, Texas Tech, and Sorsby himself is all fair. But we should also take a hard look at the industry and the state laws and regulations that have made stories like his all too common.
Shane Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Paying college students the kind of money they make is the root problem. Where would he have gotten 90,000 to bet if he weren’t payed to play college ball?
Finally, calling this what it is: a dangerous epedemic!
How convenient for Sorsby to enter addiction consoling the same day the NCAA released the report on his gambling activities. If the report hadn’t been released, he would have continued to gamble. And what has him seeking help with his gambling problems have to do with his violation of the rules against gambling? Very poor decision. But paying college athletes to play has opened up a potential sewer.
Finally, calling this epidemic out!
Too much money in sports. Won’t be long until high school players want a cut, if not already. The most stunning thing to me is the NFL. They can pay a quarterback a four hundred plus million dollar contract as the taxpayers who fund their stadiums can’t afford to watch a game there. Now their trying to do the same to TV/cable broadcasts. Doesn’t matter to me anymore. I stopped being a fan when they took the first knee.
The laws have been relaxed. The courts allow them to break them even more and criminality rises every day in this country. Just like the democrats want it. They are making these kids addicts, forgive them when they get caught and their death warrant is hereby signed. Just like the young kids protesting for Palestine, for the communist politicians in this country. The sex fiends and pedophiles among the Democrat politicians. 450,000 children Autopen Biden lost. And still not a peep from these progressives because they are all in that circle of amorality. These progressives want all this to go on. They have castrated the males in this country. Destroyed the women in this country with their allowing men in women’s sport. They cut up the elementary school children in the name of trans. They have destroyed school sports and the kids playing in them because money is more important than the human being. We see it every day with another attempt on Trump because they Pooh Pooh these attempts and killing of our citizens by criminals from foreign countries, their jails and their mental institutions they applaud every day. Our brave men and women in ICE they want to kill while they have not killed one foreign illegal who didn’t ask for it. The democrats are a lying amoral lawless group that would kill their own parents, or family member because they don’t agree with their rhetoric. When is a democrat going to step forward and acknowledge this. Any one, MSM anybody gutsy enough to make a documentary, an investigation, about Obama and Biden plus all the other leaders under them? I am not holding my breath.
The whole problem is the “higher education” system has morphed into the “higher profit exploitation system”; a “side effect” of the Leftist indoctrination into everything immoral and counterproductive to REAL education. This is why the Left “infected” the educational system, if you control the youth, you will control the country in a few years—pure Fascist methodology used by the Nazis, Communism and Socialism and now DEM controlled colleges and universities. Sports was NEVER “higher education”, it was a loophole to get many “unqualified” into the schools and of course make money including gambling.
Let me propose a wager.
The stakes are the future continuing existence of civilized mankind.
The game is Good vs. Evil.
Team Good plays by the Rules of Good.
Team Evil plays by the Rules of Evil.
What are the odds that a winning majority of humanity will arrive at the understanding that playing by the Rules of Good is the only way to win before they are destroyed by Evil, given that, according to the Rules of Good, gambling is Evil?
I don’t condone gambling. But it does seem to me that the cardinal sin would be betting AGAINST your own team.
So he loses his college eligibility and will enter the NFL supplemental draft. Big whoop! Chances are he’ll make more gambling money in the NFL than he would have at Texas Tech.
To my way of thinking, there is but one punishment for Sorsby: A lifetime participation ban in ANY organized sports team or league. Give him the Pete Rose/Shoeless Joe Jackson punishment. If you do it to him and maybe a few more miscreants in “college” football, they’ll start to get the message.
Also, a few more regulations and restrictions on these online betting parlors wouldn’t hurt the problem. My then under 21 great nephew was using one of these sites with no problems about 10 years ago. And that was before the betting sites became televised sports’ biggest advertisers!
It has become very obvious that if a dollar can be made, sports at all levels will find a way to claim their share, and at the sacrifice of what were higher values. All sports have become big business and there are no qualms about making a profit. It’s a shame that we can’t hold onto high standards.
Hypocritical of the NCAA and other various sport leagues too cozy up to the betting platforms for money and advertising. But then expect their athletes to steer clear of betting on sports.
It is wrong to encourage betting period. Who didn’t know this when they were trying to allow betting via the internet? Preying on young people is wrong. As for college sports, I have been a true fan for years. Paying kids who are in college is ridiculous and leads to ruining the entire sports world. These kids are now so money-focused that the only thing they are loyal to is the almighty dollar!! Most of these kids are already at university because they got a full scholarship. That used to be and STILL should be enough payment for them. Look at what 4 years of a college education costs!! As for the televising of sporting events, I am not happy that I have to subscribe to and pay streaming channels just to see my favorite teams play…..pro and college. I hope more people jump on this issue because I hear many people discussing it and not in a good way. So one more pleasant, fun past-time is being killed by money grubbers!!!
UPDATE: Texas Tech and Sorsby havec parted ways and he will not be suiting up for the red raiders this season. Instead,he will enter the supplemental NFL draft this summer.