Commentary: Latest court ruling could officially spell the end for NCAA

It doesn’t feel hyperbolic to say the Brendan Sorsby case is an inflection point for the history of whatever remains of the NCAA’s ability to govern college athletics.

There doesn’t seem to be a way back if the ruling body has no course of action to discipline a player who so egregiously has violated one of the most cardinal rules in sports.

It’s a complicated case, so a deep dive into the details is recommended for anyone with a curious legal mind.

But the CliffsNotes version is that the Texas Tech quarterback admitted to making several thousand sports bets, including at least 40 on his teams in a collegiate career that has spanned time at Indiana, Cincinnati and his current school in Lubbock.

Sorsby, a top NFL prospect, was essentially banned for the upcoming season despite agreeing to a reported $6 million NIL deal to play for the Red Raiders. He also is the subject of a breach of contract lawsuit from Cincinnati for allegedly transferring to Texas Tech before fulfilling the terms of his deal with the Bearcats, but that’s separate issue for a different day.

Back to the gambling case.

Everyone knows the rule on that. Betting on college sports, especially your own team, is tenet for athletes.

Ordinarily, the NCAA moving to ban him would not be controversial.

But ordinary is no longer a thing in college sports.

Sorsby and Texas Tech sued, arguing among other things that his sports betting addiction is a mental health issue that can’t be punished. He also claimed hypocrisy because the NCAA profits off sports betting.

And a judge ruled in his favor.

Seriously.

Look, we are no prudes when it comes to sports betting. The expansion of regulated markets is a good thing for transparency and integrity.

And as someone who has dealt with an extensive family history of mental health issues, this comes from a place of sympathy for such matters.

I’ve also always been extremely pro-player and have despised the NCAA most of my life.

But this is silly. There never has been any gray area about this. Anyone who has put on a uniform at the college level and above knows betting on your own games is a red line that can’t be crossed.

But the judge’s ruling in this case does more than just open the door to wiping out that red line.

It calls into question the NCAA’s ability to enforce any rule.

Why would an NCAA football program not just try to sign an NFL player on the low end of the wage scale to a collegiate NIL contract for five times the salary and then get a local judge to overturn the NCAA when it tries to rule him ineligible?

What power does the NCAA have if this is allowed to stand?

Most people around college sports seem to get that.

There has been a massive amount of pushback against Texas Tech, with some schools and conferences reportedly planning behind the scenes to stop scheduling games against any of their athletic programs.

Administrators have put out strong statements on and off the record about how devastating it would be for college sports if the NCAA loses all enforcement power and how Texas Tech itself should hold Sorsby out.

Will any of that matter to the Red Raiders? Not if Sorsby is as good as advertised and they win games or even make a run in the College Football Playoff.

Then the landscape could get chaotic as the arms race will get more wild with programs trying to find any loopholes to improve their rosters.

And what could the NCAA do about it?

This is not about Sorsby as an individual. He’s talented and has been forthright about his issues, at least since they were made public.

It’s about the big picture. This could be the last stand for the NCAA having any power to enforce rules.

If Sorsby plays, the flood gates are open.

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