Questions raised about integrity of Big 12 games after Texas Tech QB ruled eligible despite gambling

We’re still a few months away from the start of the new college football season, but a ruling from a judge in Texas has led to a lot of consternation over one school in the Big 12 — that’s the conference in which both Arizona State University and University of Arizona play.

That judge ruled Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby can play this upcoming season after serving a two-game suspension. The NCAA had previously ruled Sorsby ineligible, after he acknowledged gambling, including on his own team, when he played for Indiana.

The possibility of Sorsby playing this coming season is not sitting well with the other schools in the Big 12.

And Chris Karpman, publisher of SunDevilSource for 247 Sports, joined The Show to talk about what that looks like and what might happen.

Full conversation

CHRIS KARPMAN: Good morning, glad to be with you.

MARK BRODIE: Thank you for being here. So, let's start off with what Sorsby basically acknowledged doing, and this is like this is sort of seen as a a real no-no for athletes betting on your own team, right?

CHRIS KARPMAN: Yeah, so he was a prolific gambler on sports, including European sports and non-football, but the real challenging thing as it pertains to perception over his ability to be eligible to play was, in fact, his acknowledging betting on his own team's games at prior schools.

So this has now caused a a huge amount of consternation across the country. There's never been a player who has acknowledged to to have bet on his own team or been found to have bet on his own team through any sort of a league to be able to continue playing that sport.

MARK BRODIE: So, there's been some talk of, you know, Big 12 teams not wanting to play against Texas Tech or other kinds of like ways that they can say look we we don't want this, we, you know, we're nervous about the perception, we're nervous about, you know, what if what if he's still gambling, for example? Like, does that impact our games?

What what are some of the options for Big 12 schools, assuming that Sorsby is on the field?

CHRIS KARPMAN: Yeah, so all of the athletic directors participated in conference calls with Brett Yormark, the Big 12 commissioner. My understanding is that many of them expressed a very strong disapproval and question whether or not they would have to participate in games against Texas Tech as a matter of the league's rules and and bylaws and if there's any actions that could be taken by the conference.

They've been told, my understanding is, that they have to play in the games that are that are scheduled. It doesn't mean that it's not possible for the Big 12 to take some sort of an action unilaterally to invalidate any games in which Sorsby participates, but the Texas legal process has made it clear via the attorney general that any such action will be met with additional lawsuits that could result in injunctions.

And the initial trial for Sorsby against the NCAA was very interestingly set to to begin two weeks following the conclusion of this coming football season in the National Championship Game.

MARK BRODIE: Do we know what Arizona's schools are saying about this and maybe the concerns that they are raising?

CHRIS KARPMAN: No official comment. I reached out to Graham Rossini, ASU's athletic director, a couple of days ago to to see if he would comment on the record about this, and he elected not to.

He said that he wants to have additional private conversations within the conference to understand the situation a little bit better and try to work within the process before he makes any sort of public comments.

I think that privately, my understanding is, there's been an expression from leadership at both of ASU — both ASU and Arizona and the Board of Regents, which oversees the schools, that there's serious concern about the integrity of the game when they, it would feature players who are making large amounts of money.

Sorsby's one of the highest-paid players in college football, to be participating in gambling on games in which they have participated, and the impact of that as it, as it pertains to the fan base, other people who would be betting on games, and the the confidence that the outcomes are legitimate.

MARK BRODIE: Well, and I guess to the point of Sorsby being one of the highest-paid athletes, that would sort of lead to my next question, which is like couldn't Texas Tech just not play him? Even though he has been ruled eligible, like they could elect to play somebody else at quarterback.

It sounds like that's probably not going to happen though.

CHRIS KARPMAN: Well, that's the one of the things that has led to the most outrage from fans and people at other schools — because Texas Tech's athletic director put out a statement that seemed to remove any agency from the university itself and suggested that it was simply along the the ride, along for the ride with Sorsby. And that he was the, it was his lawsuit and and they're just honoring the legal process.

When in reality, Texas Tech, as is the case with all schools, they have their own set of rules and guidelines and, and what what will enable players to be able to participate in games for those teams, including punishment in the current landscape for things as, as simple as being late to a team meeting or to a practice.

These players can be punished pretty significantly in some cases or even be kicked off the team for things that a lot of people would perceive to be much less than having bet on your own team.

MARK BRODIE: That's interesting. All right, we'll have to leave it there. That is Chris Karpman, publisher of Sun Devil Source for 247Sports. Chris, thanks so much.

CHRIS KARPMAN: My pleasure.