Big 12 files suit vs. Texas Tech, Texas AG over Brendan Sorsby - ESPN

In the ongoing saga over the future of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the Big 12 has made clear it does not want to be pushed around in court.

The league filed a federal lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of Texas seeking both a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to allow the league the authority to use its bylaws to potentially punish Sorsby.

The filing seeks: «A declaratory judgment that the First Amendment protects the Conference's right to invoke its authority under its Bylaws to sanction [Texas Tech] related to its handling of the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity.»

The move is a legal counter to a letter from the Texas attorney general last week, which warned that any sanctions imposed by the Big 12 would be «unlawful» and countered by legal action. The Texas AG, Kenneth Paxton, is listed as a defendant, along with the chancellor, president and athletic director of Texas Tech.

This is all playing out in the wake of a judge granting Sorsby a temporary injunction on June 8 that essentially has cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech in 2026. That came after Sorsby admitted that he broke NCAA rules by betting thousands of times, including 40 times on Indiana football while he was on that team's roster.

The Big 12's presidents are set to meet Monday to discuss potential punishments for Sorsby, but sources have indicated to ESPN that they are not expected to make any definitive decisions.

The Big 12's federal suit includes a request for an injunction to allow the league to enforce its own rules. At the heart of this is Big 12 Bylaw 3.6, which allows the