CINCINNATI (AP) — The NCAA has officially cleared the University of Cincinnati of any wrongdoing in its investigation concerning former quarterback Brendan Sorsby. This decision comes after a thorough inquiry into Sorsby's gambling activities while he was a student-athlete at the university.
Brendan Sorsby played for the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2024 and 2025 seasons before transferring to Texas Tech. His collegiate career took a significant turn when he was declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April due to his involvement in placing thousands of impermissible sports bets over the course of four years while attending both Indiana and Cincinnati.
In a statement, Cincinnati’s senior associate athletic director for communications, Zach Stipe, noted, “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. The inquiry is now closed and the student-athlete was found to have committed a Level III violation.” Stipe emphasized that the university cooperated fully with the NCAA throughout the investigative process, which began following initial reports of Sorsby's betting activities.
The Cincinnati Enquirer was the first to report that the university had been cleared of any allegations. The NCAA's inquiry into Sorsby began in early July after his agent, Ron Slavin, suggested in a Dallas radio interview that the university was aware of Sorsby’s gambling activities.
It is important to note that the NCAA classified the violations attributed to Sorsby as Level III, which are considered less severe and do not implicate the university or its coaching staff. The specific violation occurred when Sorsby attempted to place a bet using the ProhiBet app, which flagged the action and denied him access to the betting site.
The compliance department at UC had previously informed Sorsby about the restrictions regarding gambling for student-athletes. The NCAA's ruling stated that Sorsby had placed bets totaling at least $90,000 during his college career. While at Indiana, he made at least 40 bets as a freshman in 2022, although none were on games in which he participated. He later admitted to placing over 165 impermissible bets on various college and professional sports, amounting to at least $38,000 in 2024. Notably, he placed three wagers on Cincinnati men's basketball games using a FanDuel account that he shared with a friend, to whom he provided over $60,000 for deposits between December 2023 and June 2025.
During his final season with the Bearcats, Sorsby had an impressive performance, throwing for 2,800 yards, achieving 27 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also contributed significantly on the ground, running for 580 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. The Bearcats had a strong start to the season, going 7-1, but unfortunately, they lost their last five games.
In addition to the NCAA's findings, the University of Cincinnati is currently pursuing a federal lawsuit against Sorsby, alleging that he breached his name, image, and likeness (NIL) contract following his transfer to Texas Tech.
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