Big 12 ADs hold call to air out grievances over Sorsby ruling

The reverberations from a judge’s decision to allow Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play in the wake of his sports gambling admissions continued to ripple through college sports Tuesday.

The Big 12 athletic directors held a spirited call around midday with commissioner Brett Yormark. The call underscored that the league’s athletic directors — except Tech’s Kirby Hocutt — are united around the notion that Sorsby should not be eligible for next season.

The conversation came in the wake of a hailstorm of reaction from league executives, who utilized unusual on-the-record candor criticizing Judge Ken Curry’s decision to grant Sorsby a temporary injunction that is expected to protect his eligibility for the 2026 season. The timeline of legal proceedings makes it unlikely the NCAA’s appeal will matter, as Sorsby exhausts his eligibility after the season.

The tenor of Tuesday’s call being strongly against Texas Tech and Hocutt was an expected result, considering athletic directors in the league have said they are “disgusted,” “disheartened” and “sad” over the judge’s decision.

But the question remains whether the rhetoric will yield any results.

Sources told ESPN that the call was the first in three expected steps by the Big 12 to potentially address the Sorsby situation. On Thursday, the Big 12’s executive board will meet with Yormark and review options moving forward; Kansas chancellor Doug Girod is the Big 12 board chair. That will be followed by a meeting of the Big 12’s full board of presidents and chancellors, which is expected early next week.

It is unknown whether the league could rule Sorsby ineligible or not allow him to play, which was the approach athletic directors seem to favor on Tuesday’s call. The ruling in Texas does not allow the NCAA to forbid Sorsby from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating” for Texas Tech this season.

The Big 12’s options also could include an interpretation of league bylaw 3.6, which allows the conference autonomy for discipline such as “prohibitions on appearance in postseason events or televised events, restrictions on revenue distributions and limitations on recruiting or scholarships.”

Yormark summarized the call in a prepared statement: “We had a thoughtful and productive conversation with our athletics directors today as we continue to work through the broader implications of this situation. Many of our athletics directors voiced their opinions. We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference.”