Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire pumped the breaks on the idea that quarterback Brendan Sorsby would definitely return for Week 3 of the 2026 season, when the Red Raiders host the Houston Cougars in their Big 12 opener. It was believed that Sorsby would serve a two-game suspension, however McGuire was talking with fans on Tuesday when he was asked by the crowd what, if anything, could still happen to prevent Sorsby from playing this season.
The Texas Tech head coach noted that Brendan Sorsby playing in Week 3, after serving a two-game suspension, is “still a stretch,” per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s recovering from an addiction,” McGuire said. “… I’ve sat down with this young man and what he’s going through is serious.”
Earlier in the day, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt addressed the issue as well, saying, “I understand the frustration,” Hocutt said, regarding his colleagues across college sports. “This situation is hard, it is new, and there is no perfect answer. The system we’re operating within is binary, but the situation is not. We are open to ongoing conversations about how to best handle these issues as an industry going forward. We will continue to be transparent in our decision-making. Most importantly, we will keep doing what we have always done, put our students first.”
Big 12 Reacts
This comes hours after Big 12 Athletic Directors met with commissioner Brett Yormark, with 15 of the 16 (sans Hocutt) agreeing that Sorsby should not be able to play college football.
The unified stance reflects growing frustration across the conference following Judge Ken Curry’s ruling, which granted Sorsby a temporary injunction expected to preserve his eligibility through the 2026 season.
According to sources, the call represents just the first step in what could become a broader conference response. The Big 12’s executive board is set to meet Thursday with Yormark to evaluate potential options, followed by a full meeting of university presidents and chancellors early next week.
In a brief statement summarizing the meeting, Yormark described the discussion as “thoughtful and productive,” emphasizing that dialogue among conference leadership would continue as the situation evolves.
