Cincinnati avoids punishment after NCAA investigation into Brendan Sorsby

Brendan Sorsby lit the college football world on fire, and perhaps his football career, earlier this offseason when he and the Texas Tech Red Raiders tried to fight for his NCAA eligibility despite his admitted gambling problem.

It wasn't just the gambling problem, either. To his credit, Sorsby did admit his addiction, and he sought inpatient treatment for it.

The problem was that one of the things alleged against Sorsby was that he had bet on the Indiana Hoosiers while he was a redshirt freshman on the team. He didn't play, but he did bet on the team.

Even with his admitted wrongdoing, the prevailing thought was that Sorsby could never be trusted in an NCAA competition again. Every bad throw or sack that looked like he gave up too easily could have been questioned for game-rigging.

And that's why the college football world was so against Texas Tech and its insistence that Sorsby should play in 2026. Tech was ready to go to the mat for Sorsby, whom it paid a ton of money to in the transfer portal, but the NCAA, the Power Four conferences and the legal system were willing to play hardball.

Had Tech not parted ways with Sorsby, the Red Raiders could have found themselves in some very hot water. But what about the Cincinnati Bearcats? After all, Sorsby played for Scott Satterfield and the Bearcats for two seasons, and he became one of the best college quarterbacks in the country while at Cincinnati.

Would the Bearcats face any heat from the NCAA investigation into Sorsby's improprieties? According to Scott Springer of The Cincinnati Inquirer, that won't be the case. The NCAA investigated Cincinnati and will be issuing no punishment to the Bearcats.

Cincinnati will not be punished in Brendan Sorsby investigation

Sorsby, on the other hand, is guilty of a Level III violation while at Cincinnati.

Per Springer, "a Level III violation is considered isolated and limited in nature. All penalties for this violation are attached to the student-athlete and not the institution or other coaches, staff members or student-athletes."

"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," Cincinnati Associate Athletic Director for Communications Zach Stipe said.

Cincinnati had worked closely with the NCAA during the investigation, with the only evidence involving the Bearcats being Sorsby trying to access a prediction market app from his phone in August 2024. Cincy investigated that and found that Sorsby was denied access. Cincinnati compliance gave Sorsby education on the matter, as the university was required to do so.

"All penalties for this violation are attached to the student-athlete and not the institution or other coaches, staff members or student-athletes," Stipe's statement read.