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Texas Tech’s gamble just triggered a legal war with its own league
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- Texas Tech’s gamble just triggered a legal war with its own league
The Big 12 Conference filed a complaint in federal court seeking a declaratory judgment that would allow the league to enforce its bylaws and potentially sanction member Texas Tech should the school play transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby .
Should the league sanction Texas Tech , options under consideration include a monetary penalty and a removal from contention for the Big 12 championship game, according to the filing.
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The filing comes after Texas attorney general Ken Paxton sent a letter to Big 12 leadership stating any effort to limit Sorsby's eligibility "would constitute a violation of federal and state law and expose the conference and its members to antitrust liability."
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After transferring to Texas Tech from Cincinnati for his final season, Sorsby was revealed to have gambled on his own team as a freshman at Indiana and continued to gamble on sports with the Bearcats. Gambling is prohibited by the NCAA and players found to have gambled on their own teams have traditionally been ruled permanently ineligible.
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Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction by a local judge that would could allow him to play this season after completing a two-game suspension implanted by Texas Tech.
According to the filing, the Big 12 and university presidents and athletic directors requested that Texas Tech not play Sorsby, but Tech "has not agreed."
Playing Sorsby despite his documented NCAA violations could cause "reputational harm and irreparable damage to public and member trust," the Big 12 stated.
The league has not conducted a vote on sanctions as a result of "the specific threat by the Texas Attorney General," the filing said.
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"If a vote were to occur, some of the potential sanctions the Board could consider under the Bylaws include monetary sanctions and/or a ban on competing in the Big 12 Championship Game."
In addition to asking the court for the "right to invoke its authority under its Bylaws," the Big 12 requested that any such judgment would not violate the Sherman Antitrust Act and that any efforts on behalf of the Texas attorney general's office to prevent the implementation of sanctions "violates the Commerce Clause" of the Constitution.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 12 filing seeks to enforce Texas Tech, Brendan Sorsby punishment
