Rece Davis Isn’t Buying Brendan Sorsby’s Rehab Stint

On Tuesday, the NCAA put its foot down on the matter of Texas Tech‘s Brendan Sorsby and his gambling habits across his four-year playing career while at Cincinnati and Indiana. The association denied the Bearcats transfer from competing on behalf of the Red Raiders next season, and Sorsby is now seeking a temporary injunction that’d potentially see him take the field this fall.

College football commentator Rece Davis took to the ESPN College Gameday Podcast to voice his disapproval of Sorsby’s argument regarding betting on the Hooisers during his two seasons in Bloomington. In his argument, Sorsby explained that placing bets made him more “connected” to the field, according to USA Today.

“I thought the feeling and connection to the team by betting on them fell a little flat in terms of his argument, saying that he bet on Indiana because he wasn’t playing and he wanted to feel closer to them,” Davis said. “That fell flat to me.”

Another big name, Paul Finebaum, actually stepped up in Sorsby’s defense regarding the NCAA’s hypocrisy when it comes to its role in sports betting.

Much of Sorsby’s argument hinges on his described sports gambling addiction, for which he underwent a 35-day residential treatment program. Following the NCAA’s decision Tuesday, Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec wrote a public letter to the Texas Tech community announcing they’d be appealing the association’s choice to bar Sorsby from the field.

“The NCAA bylaws governing Brendan’s case have not adapted to the era of widespread legalized sports betting that this generation of college athletes now has to navigate,” Schovanec said. “He is not the first college athlete to face gambling addiction, and unfortunately, he will not be the last.”

So, is Davis right here?

It’s easy to criticize, or even staunchly oppose, Sorsby’s gambling habits as a student-athlete. It’s a reasonable position to bar any student-athlete from wagering on college athletics.

Where most may push back, though, is the incessant gambling culture that’s leaked into the college realm from the professional ranks. We’ve got casinos representing college football stadiums these days – to argue otherwise is pure insanity. It’s here, and it’s not going anywhere.

We haven’t heard the end of the Sorsby tale, and Tuesday’s decision by the NCAA could be a false wall in the way of the real storm ahead.