The Big 12 Conference has dropped its federal lawsuit against Texas Tech University and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, ending a legal fight triggered by quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s extensive sports betting violations and the conference’s effort to sanction one of its own schools.
The conference filed a notice of voluntary dismissal Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The case was dismissed with prejudice, preventing the Big 12 from bringing the same claims again.
A Big 12 spokesperson said the conference and Texas Tech had “resolved this matter internally” and were moving forward together. The case had remained largely inactive since it was filed in June.
The dispute began after a Texas judge temporarily cleared Sorsby to play for Texas Tech despite an NCAA ruling that made him ineligible over extensive sports betting during his college career.
Sorsby admitted to placing more than 9,000 wagers totaling at least $90,000 while enrolled at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. His betting included 40 wagers involving Indiana football while he was a member of the team.
A Texas state court issued a temporary injunction June 8 allowing Sorsby to participate in the 2026 season under certain conditions, including a two-game suspension.
The ruling put Texas Tech on a collision course with the Big 12. Conference officials considered sanctions if the university fielded Sorsby, relying on bylaws that allow the Big 12 to discipline a member for conduct determined to be harmful to the conference.
Paxton responded with a warning that any punishment against Texas Tech for complying with the court order could violate state and federal antitrust law. His office said the Big 12 and its member schools could face more than $200 million in potential liability.
Days later, the Big 12 sued Paxton, Texas Tech, the Texas Tech University System and university officials in federal court. The June 14 complaint sought declaratory and injunctive relief allowing the conference to enforce its bylaws and impose sanctions without interference from Texas officials.
The case centered on how far the Big 12 could go in enforcing its rules against a member school. The conference argued that its bylaws allowed it to act against Texas Tech if the university fielded Sorsby, while Paxton maintained that punishing the school for following a valid state court order could amount to an unlawful restraint on competition.
The conflict eased soon after the lawsuit was filed. Texas Tech announced that Sorsby would not play for the Red Raiders during the 2026 season, and Sorsby abandoned his lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s eligibility decision.
The NCAA last week also closed a related investigation into Sorsby’s gambling while at Cincinnati without penalizing the university, its coaches or other athletes. The violations and resulting penalties applied to Sorsby.
Friday’s dismissal ends the federal case before a judge ruled on the competing claims over conference authority and antitrust law.
Because the dismissal was with prejudice, the Big 12 cannot bring the same claims again. The larger question raised by the dispute, how far an athletic conference can sanction a member school acting under a state court order, remains unanswered.
The Southeastern Conference has sued LSU in federal court as a Louisiana judge cleared a path for former NFL players to return to college football, escalating an eligibility fight days before Lane Kiffin’s Tigers open their season against Clemson.The SEC filed its lawsuit just after midnight Thursday, September 3, in... Read More »
New Jersey has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether prediction markets such as Kalshi can offer sports betting nationwide without complying with state gambling laws, bringing a rapidly growing regulatory fight to the nation’s highest court.New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and Mary Jo Flaherty, interim director of... Read More »
A Texas judge has temporarily blocked the SEC's newly adopted rule barring certain athletes with professional ties from returning to college sports, just two days after the conference created its own eligibility restrictions in response to court rulings against the NCAA.Dallas County District Judge Martin Hoffman signed a 14-day temporary... Read More »
A Louisiana judge has expanded a temporary court order protecting college athletes seeking an additional season of eligibility, directly blocking the Southeastern Conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey from punishing schools that recruit certain players who previously pursued professional careers.Judge William Jorden of Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court amended his earlier... Read More »
The SEC and Big Ten have adopted new eligibility rules barring certain athletes with professional ties from returning to college competition, creating a new layer of restrictions as courts continue to reshape NCAA eligibility rules.Both conferences acted Tuesday, August 25, days after a Louisiana judge temporarily cleared a group of... Read More »
