The Brendan Sorsby saga at Texas Tech has taken another turn, and this one reaches beyond college football and into the political arena.
According to a report from the Texas Tribune, Texas Tech Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell donated $274,300 to a fundraising committee supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign on June 10. The donation came one day before Paxton’s office sent a strongly worded letter to the Big 12 Conference defending Texas Tech’s position in the ongoing controversy surrounding former quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Paxton’s June 11 letter warned the Big 12 that any attempt to sanction Texas Tech for allowing Sorsby to continue participating with the program could be unlawful and potentially expose the conference to more than $200 million in damages. The attorney general’s office said it stepped in after learning that conference officials and member schools were considering penalties against Texas Tech amid the dispute.
Campbell has been one of the most vocal supporters of Sorsby throughout the controversy. The former Texas Tech offensive lineman and major Red Raiders booster repeatedly defended the quarterback, describing him as a student-athlete battling a gambling addiction and arguing that the situation reflected larger issues within the current college athletics landscape.
Sorsby’s eligibility became a national story after court documents revealed he placed at least $90,000 in sports wagers while attending multiple schools. The NCAA ruled him ineligible after it was determined that he placed bets on games involving his own team while at Indiana and utilized third parties to place wagers in states where sports betting was legal. Texas Tech immediately sought to challenge the ruling and pursue his reinstatement.
Following a temporary injunction that allowed Sorsby to continue fighting for eligibility, the dispute escalated further when the Big 12 sued Paxton, Texas Tech and several university officials. The conference argued it had a right to enforce its own rules and protect the integrity of college athletics.
Ultimately, Campbell announced in June that Sorsby would not be part of the Texas Tech football team this fall. However, the timing of Campbell’s substantial donation to Paxton, followed immediately by the attorney general’s intervention on Texas Tech’s behalf, is certain to raise questions as the legal and political fallout from one of college football’s biggest scandals continues.
