The NCAA has concluded its investigation into the University of Cincinnati’s handling of former quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s sports betting activity, determining that the school and its football program did not violate NCAA rules.
The decision brings an end to months of scrutiny that followed revelations about Sorsby’s extensive gambling activity during his collegiate career. The former Bearcats quarterback, who played at Cincinnati during the 2024 and 2025 seasons before transferring to Texas Tech, was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April after investigators uncovered thousands of impermissible wagers placed over a four-year period.
Cincinnati officials confirmed that the NCAA’s inquiry is now complete.
“Earlier this summer, NCAA enforcement staff completed an inquiry into a former Cincinnati student-athlete’s prohibited betting activity during his time at the university,” Cincinnati senior associate athletic director for communications Zach Stipe said in a statement cited by ESPN.
“The inquiry is now closed and the student-athlete was found to have committed a Level III violation. Cincinnati worked closely with the NCAA throughout the process, which began when the initial reports of impermissible sports wagering began.”
NCAA Finds Responsibility Rested With Player
The NCAA’s review focused on whether Cincinnati had knowledge of Sorsby’s betting activity or failed to follow compliance procedures. The investigation followed comments made by Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, during a radio interview in Dallas, where he suggested the university knew about the quarterback’s gambling.
In response, the NCAA issued a formal letter of inquiry to Cincinnati in early July. The university disputed the allegations and cooperated with investigators.
The review ultimately found that the violation belonged to Sorsby alone. NCAA officials attributed the Level III violation to the player rather than the university, its athletics department, coaching staff, or football program.
According to the findings, Cincinnati’s compliance department had informed Sorsby about NCAA gambling regulations that prohibit student-athletes from wagering on sports. Investigators also noted that ProhiBet, a monitoring system developed by IC360 to help identify prohibited betting activity, flagged an attempt by Sorsby to place a wager. The system prevented him from accessing the betting platform.
The outcome means Cincinnati will face no NCAA penalties connected to the case.
Details of Sorsby’s Betting Activity
The NCAA determined that Sorsby placed wagers totaling at least $90,000 during his college career.
Investigators found that he made at least 40 bets involving Indiana athletics while he was a freshman at the school in 2022. None of those wagers involved games in which he participated.
Sorsby also acknowledged making at least 165 impermissible wagers on college and professional sports in 2024, with a total value of at least $38,000. Among those bets were three wagers on Cincinnati men’s basketball games that were placed through a FanDuel account shared with a friend.
Records reviewed during the investigation showed that Sorsby transferred more than $60,000 to that friend between December 2023 and June 2025 for deposits into the shared betting account.
The quarterback’s gambling history emerged after he entered the transfer portal. At the time, he was regarded as the highest-ranked player available in the 2026 college football transfer cycle.
Before the controversy surfaced, Sorsby had completed a productive season with Cincinnati. He threw for 2,800 yards, recorded 27 touchdown passes and five interceptions, while adding 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The Bearcats opened the season with a 7-1 record before losing their final five games.
Legal Disputes Continue Beyond NCAA Ruling
Although the NCAA has closed its review of Cincinnati, legal matters connected to Sorsby remain unresolved.
The university continues to pursue a federal lawsuit accusing the quarterback of violating his name, image and likeness agreement after his transfer to Texas Tech.
Sorsby briefly secured a temporary injunction from a Texas court that would have allowed him to compete for the Red Raiders. The situation changed after the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference sought federal court approval to enforce sanctions against Texas Tech if it played him. Within days, Sorsby and Texas Tech parted ways.
He subsequently announced plans to enter the NFL supplemental draft, though the league ultimately chose not to hold the event. Sorsby has since stated that he is preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft.
The case remains one of the most prominent examples of the NCAA’s increasingly strict approach to sports betting violations. NCAA rules continue to prohibit wagering by student-athletes, and penalties can range from educational measures to the permanent loss of athletic eligibility. The organization has also faced growing concerns about gambling-related misconduct across college sports, including recent investigations and indictments involving college basketball players in match-fixing cases.