(BCSNN) -- The NCAA has sent a letter of inquiry to Cincinnati centered on former quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s time with the program, a development that arrives after months in which Texas Tech absorbed nearly all of the public scrutiny surrounding Sorsby’s gambling violations and legal battle.
Sorsby, ruled permanently ineligible this spring after admitting to placing thousands of impermissible sports bets over four years, spent two seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech this offseason. The NCAA’s probe into his Bearcats tenure follows the high‑profile saga that ended with Texas Tech and Sorsby parting ways on June 15.
Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield declined comment at Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas. Yahoo Sports first reported the letter.
A Cincinnati spokesperson also declined comment but issued a broad statement on the months‑long situation involving the former quarterback.
“We have had continuous conversations with the NCAA since the initial reports related to impermissible sports wagering began,” the statement read. “As we have stated before, we do not believe any athletics official or staff member was aware of any impermissible sports wagering.”
Sorsby began his career at Indiana in 2022 before transferring to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season. He threw for 5,613 yards and 45 touchdowns across two years as the Bearcats’ starter and entered the offseason as ESPN’s No. 1 transfer portal prospect. He joined the reigning Big 12 champion Red Raiders in January with one season of eligibility remaining.
The NCAA permanently barred Sorsby in May after documenting an estimated $90,000 in impermissible wagers placed during his time at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. A source said Indiana has not received a letter of inquiry.
Sorsby’s betting history at Cincinnati was included in stipulated facts agreed upon by Texas Tech and the NCAA during his reinstatement process. He acknowledged placing at least 165 impermissible bets totaling at least $38,000 in 2024, including three wagers on Cincinnati men’s basketball made on a FanDuel account he shared with a friend. Between December 2023 and June 2025, Sorsby provided more than $60,000 to the friend to deposit into the shared account.
Based on NCAA‑obtained betting records, there was no evidence Sorsby funded, placed or was otherwise involved in wagering on Cincinnati football during his two seasons as the Bearcats’ starter.
Sorsby sued the NCAA over its May ruling, and a temporary injunction from a Texas court briefly opened the door for him to return in 2026. That fueled a contentious standoff between Texas Tech and the Big 12.
On June 15, the Big 12 filed suit against Texas Tech and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking declaratory judgments and injunctive relief affirming the conference’s authority to enforce its bylaws and sanction Texas Tech if Sorsby played in any league games. Texas Tech announced Sorsby’s departure the same day, and he dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA on June 18.
Last month, Sorsby’s agent Ron Slavin told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan that Cincinnati should be “questioned or catching heat” for its role in the saga, alleging the school knew of Sorsby’s gambling for two years and “never said anything.”
Cincinnati, which is suing Sorsby for breach of contract following his transfer to Texas Tech, denied Slavin’s claims and issued a statement to ESPN.
“All of our student-athletes receive extensive gambling education multiple times throughout the year, and we would never knowingly play an athlete who violated NCAA sports wagering regulations,” the statement read. “If we ever became aware of impermissible wagering, we would report to the NCAA and comply with sanctions.”
With the NCAA’s inquiry now formally directed at Cincinnati, the Bearcats — after months of insisting they were uninvolved — finally find themselves under the same microscope Texas Tech endured throughout the spring.
