The Brendan Sorsby gambling mess just pulled in another school. Cincinnati has received a formal letter of inquiry from the NCAA, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The letter is tied to Sorsby’s time with the Bearcats program before he transferred to Texas Tech.
An inquiry letter isn’t an accusation. It doesn’t mean Cincinnati broke rules. But it’s typically how the NCAA starts looking into whether something happened. And in this case, the questions are about what the school knew and when.
What the NCAA wants to know
Sorsby played 24 games for Cincinnati over two seasons. During the broader saga that’s now engulfed Texas Tech and the Big 12, his agent claimed Cincinnati was aware of Sorsby’s gambling problem but looked the other way. No hard evidence has surfaced to back that up. The school has denied it.
“We have had continuous conversations with the NCAA since the initial reports related to impermissible sports wagering began,” a Cincinnati spokesman said. “As we have stated before, we do not believe any athletics official or staff member was aware of any impermissible sports wagering.”
The NCAA doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations. That policy held here.
Big 12 media days and the Sorsby-shaped elephant
The timing is lousy for Cincinnati. Big 12 Media Days are happening now in Las Vegas. Coaches and commissioners are supposed to talk about the season ahead. Instead they’re fielding questions about a gambling scandal that won’t die.
Commissioner Brett Yormark wasn’t having it. When asked about Texas Tech, Sorsby and the lawsuit the Big 12 filed against the school, he shut it down fast.
“Today is not the time to address that issue,” Yormark said.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire was a little more open but not by much.
“I think it’s tough,” McGuire told Yahoo Sports. “I think there’s going to be a process. There’s a lot of finger pointing. It’s going to be something we’ll have to work through.”
Satterfield’s turn
Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield is scheduled to speak at media days Wednesday afternoon. He’s going to get asked about Sorsby. That much is guaranteed. How he handles it will probably tell us more than anything anyone else has said so far.
Sorsby won’t play for Texas Tech in 2026. The NFL Supplemental Draft isn’t an option either. The Big 12’s lawsuit against Texas Tech remains unresolved. And now Cincinnati is in the NCAA’s crosshairs too. This story has plenty of runway left.
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