The NCAA just dropped a bombshell, clearing the University of Cincinnati of any wrongdoing in their investigation into former quarterback Brendan Sorsby. This comes after Sorsby, who played for the Bearcats in 2024 and ’25 before transferring to Texas Tech, was permanently ruled ineligible back in April for placing thousands of impermissible sports bets. It’s wild to think Cincinnati gets off the hook, especially when you dig into the sheer volume of Sorsby’s gambling.
The Crazy Numbers Behind Sorsby’s Lifetime Ban
Let’s be real, this isn’t some minor slip-up. Brendan Sorsby was declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA for making bets worth a staggering **at least $90,000** over his college career. Talk about high stakes! We’re not talking about a couple of bucks on a game here or there. Back in 2022, when he was a freshman at Indiana, he made at least 40 bets on Hoosiers games. And while none of those were games he actually played in, that’s just the start.
In 2024 alone, Sorsby acknowledged placing at least 165 impermissible bets on both college and professional sports, totaling at least $38,000. And get this: three of those wagers were on Cincinnati men’s basketball, made from a FanDuel account he shared with a friend. He even provided over $60,000 to this friend to deposit into that shared account between December 2023 and June 2025. This wasn’t a one-off. This was a pattern, and the NCAA hit him with a Level III violation specifically attributed to him, not the university. That ProhiBet app on his phone even flagged him trying to make a bet at one point, denying him access. It’s a sad, unbelievable fall for a guy who threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only five interceptions last season, plus added 580 rushing yards and nine TDs.
Cincinnati Dodges a Bullet, But Still Has Lawsuits
Even with Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, saying in a radio interview that Cincinnati was aware of his gambling, the NCAA still gave the university a clean bill of health. Cincinnati senior associate athletic director Zach Stipe confirmed that the inquiry is closed, and that the university worked closely with the NCAA throughout the whole process. Their compliance department actually told Sorsby about the gambling restrictions for student-athletes. It feels like Cincinnati played all the right cards in cooperating, ensuring the Level III violation landed squarely on Sorsby’s shoulders.
However, Cincinnati isn’t totally in the clear with Sorsby. They’ve still got a pending federal lawsuit against him. The university is accusing Sorsby of breaching his name, image and likeness contract after he transferred to Texas Tech. So while they’re cleared on the NCAA gambling front, there’s still more legal drama to play out. What a mess for a player who contributed to a 7-1 start last season before the Bearcats lost their final five games. Now, Sorsby’s career is over, and Cincinnati is left to pick up the pieces, both on the field and in the courtroom.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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