Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Cincinnati Coach Alleges Texas Tech Tampered With Brendan Sorsby 4 Games Before Portal Opened
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8

Cincinnati Coach Alleges Texas Tech Tampered With Brendan Sorsby 4 Games Before Portal Opened

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8

Summary

  • Scott Satterfield said Texas Tech contacted Brendan Sorsby’s camp with four games left in Cincinnati’s 2025 season, prompting the Bearcats to start searching for another quarterback because they could not match the money.
  • Ron Slavin, Sorsby’s agent, denied any in-season contact, and Texas Tech said it was unaware of impermissible recruiting tied to the quarterback’s transfer.
  • Jan. 15 portal timing sits at the center of the claim: schools cannot contact players until the transfer window opens in early January, though Satterfield said agents and general managers often handle those talks.
  • The dispute lands as Cincinnati still pursues a $1 million exit-fee lawsuit against Sorsby, with a status conference set for Friday, and as the school confirms ongoing NCAA discussions over his gambling case.
  • Satterfield again said Cincinnati did not know about any illegal betting, even as records reviewed by The Athletic showed roughly 300 legal 2025 wagers by Sorsby on UFC and NASCAR.

Insights

Was the tampering claim a deflection from Cincinnati's own NCAA probe and $1 million lawsuit against the player?
Does a player's career-ending saga of gambling and lawsuits prove the college sports model is fundamentally broken?
A university abandoned its player's lawsuit. What does this signal about the NCAA's power in the new revenue-sharing era?