In an ironic twist, the injunction that opened the door for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play next season despite previously placing bets on his own team has led to a surge of wagers backing the Red Raiders to win the national championship.
Texas Tech was being offered at +2000 by BetMGM before Monday’s ruling. Following the injunction being granted, those odds shortened to +1700 and the book reported that 35% of all money wagered on the national championship winner during that time backed the Red Raiders.
They still have only the 11th-shortest odds, but the heavy action has had an impact on the national title market.
Ohio State remains the title favorite at +600, followed by Notre Dame at +700 and Indiana and Texas both at +750. Texas Tech remains +2000 at DraftKings, where Ohio State leads the way at +650 followed by Notre Dame, Indiana and Texas at the same odds as BetMGM.
Sorsby, 22, opened at +2500 at BetMGM to win the Heisman Trophy next season. Those odds have also shortened, as he is now being offered at +2000 with 3.6% of all money wagered backing him.
The current Heisman favorites are fellow quarterbacks Arch Manning from Texas and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, who are both being offered at +750, followed by Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss at +900. No other player has shorter Heisman odds than Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin at +1100.
The fallout from Monday’s ruling continues to reverberate throughout college sports, with multiple schools contemplating boycotting competing against the Red Raiders in any sport.
It stems from the temporary injunction issued on Monday in Lubbock County, Texas, by district judge Ken Curry that restores Sorsby’s eligibility. It also said the NCAA cannot prevent him from “practicing, playing or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 season.”
That’s despite Sorsby being ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it found he had bet about $90,000 on college and pro sports in a four-year span, including on his team when he attended Indiana in 2022. His appeal to the NCAA was denied last Friday.
The NCAA immediately appealed Curry’s ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas in Amarillo.
–Field Level Media
