Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt responded Wednesday to the backlash over Brendan Sorsby's injunction, saying the school's integrity in supporting its quarterback also matters.
Sorsby - who acknowledged he gambled on sports, including his own team, during his freshman year at Indiana - was deemed eligible to play college football in 2026 after being granted an injunction against the NCAA on Monday.
"Texas Tech is not a party to Brendan's lawsuit," Hocutt said in a statement. "We did not file it. We did not fund it. A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him. Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility."
Hocutt added, "I've heard the word 'integrity' used a great deal in the last 48 hours. As someone who has dedicated his career to college sports, I, too, believe integrity is central to our industry's success. I also think integrity applies on more than one front. The integrity of sport matters. So does the integrity of how we treat a 22-year-old who sought help, entered residential treatment, and is working every day toward recovery."
The surprise injunction sparked a firestorm in college football, prompting Georgia and Nebraska to ban their teams from scheduling games against Texas Tech.
Big 12 athletic directors also met with league commissioner Brett Yormark on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
Hocutt acknowledged Wednesday that he understands his colleagues' "frustration."
"This situation is hard, it is new, and there is no perfect answer," he said. "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."
Texas Tech will consider legal action if teams or conferences attempt to exclude the program or impact its scheduling, according to Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports.
The court ruling prohibits the NCAA from barring Sorsby from practicing, playing, or participating for Texas Tech this season. However, the injunction imposes a two-game suspension on him. The NCAA is appealing the decision.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire called the likelihood of Sorsby being ready to return immediately after his suspension a "stretch."
"He's recovering from an addiction," McGuire said Wednesday, according to On3. "I've sat down with this young man multiple times, and what he's going through and what he's been through is serious."
Sorsby took a leave of absence in April and recently completed an inpatient gambling addiction treatment program. Hocutt expressed his gratitude that the quarterback is still part of the school's community.
"Pulling him out of a structured environment, away from his team and his support system, does not protect anyone. It might be a cleaner headline, but it wouldn't be the right one. And it wouldn't be true to the institutional values that guide us every day," Hocutt said.
