Texas Tech Backlash

Afternoon Edition

June 9, 2026

A judge’s decision to restore Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility after he gambled on his own team is triggering backlash across college sports. Georgia and Nebraska are already calling for boycotts of the Red Raiders, while others weigh their next steps.

—Amanda Christovich

First Up

The NFL is facing fresh congressional scrutiny over Sunday Ticket pricing and media access. Read the story.
The Knicks’ Game 3 loss sent NBA Finals ticket prices tumbling for Wednesday’s Game 4. Read the story.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil wouldn’t guarantee the league’s final four events will take place as scheduled. Read the story.
President Donald Trump’s NBA Finals appearance sparked sharp criticism from Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take. Read the story.

Big Ten, SEC Schools Call for Texas Tech Boycott After Sorsby Ruling

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On Monday, a local judge in Texas granted an injunction to allow Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play next season despite years of gambling activity, including placing bets on his own team, that ended with him entering in-patient treatment for gambling addiction.

The ruling is just the latest in a string of cases in which players have asked local judges to give them NCAA eligibility. But it marked the first time a judge has forced a league to allow a player to participate despite engaging in gambling activity. While the ruling doesn’t set a nationwide precedent, it could be cited in future arguments for other players across the country.

The NCAA has already filed a notice of appeal, per documents obtained by Front Office Sports on Monday night. But the ruling sent shockwaves across the industry—and as a result, some schools may be taking matters into their own hands.

Calls for Boycott

Athletic directors at two power conference schools—Georgia and Nebraska—have instructed their departments to refrain from scheduling Texas Tech in non-conference play in all sports. In addition, conferences will hold meetings to consider whether to boycott Texas Tech on a conference-wide level.

Georgia AD Josh Brooks has called for a Texas Tech boycott, a spokesperson confirmed to FOS. So has Nebraska AD Troy Dannen, according to Yahoo Sports. Brooks later posted a statement on X saying: “True integrity means holding your program accountable when things go wrong, not buying custom legislation or running to a local courtroom to bypass the rules.”

A spokesperson for Nebraska did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday night, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the conference has planned a meeting with athletic directors and the Big 12 executive board for later this week to discuss the situation. “The ramifications of today’s ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership,” he said.

After the meeting with Big 12 athletic directors Tuesday, Yormark said: “We had a thoughtful and productive conversation with our athletics directors today as we continue to work through the broader implications of this situation. Many of our athletics directors voiced their opinions. We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group, and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference.”

The Big Ten also scheduled a meeting to discuss the prospect of a league-wide boycott of Texas Tech, according to ESPN. A Big Ten representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FOS also made inquiries to the SEC and ACC on Monday night regarding whether they might hold conference-wide meetings to discuss a potential boycott or next steps. Representatives did not immediately respond to comment requests.

While it’s unclear what power state attorneys general could have in the matter, at least one has already weighed in. “I’m outraged at a court’s decision to unilaterally reinstate a star player for the Texas Tech football program and set a horrific precedent in a case involving serial betting on his own team,” Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond said in a post on X on Monday night. “Rules exist for a reason, and this player clearly violated reasonable standards instituted by the NCAA.”

Texas Tech Reacts to the Ruling

AD Kirby Hocutt did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the calls to boycott Texas Tech specifically. But in response to the ruling Monday, Texas Tech officials simply stated they were doing what all other schools had done during this chaotic period in college sports—used whatever resources were at their disposal to gain a competitive advantage.

“As we have said before, we do not believe that the circumstances surrounding Brendan’s case warranted permanent ineligibility,” Hocutt said Monday. He added that the school will continue to monitor his activity and support his recovery.

Texas Tech University board chair and booster Cody Campbell—an advisor of U.S. President Donald Trump who has championed the Protect College Sports Act—added: “This unfortunate situation is the outcome of a broken system. I’m doing everything I can to fix it, but until there is a permanent solution, Texas Tech and its student athletes have to do the best they can to navigate and compete amid the chaos that exists in the reality of the world we live in.”

Hosts, Favorites, and Dark Horses

The biggest FIFA men’s World Cup is just days away—and betting trends are already beginning to emerge.

According to BetMGM data, Spain leads the field in both tickets (17.2%) and handle (25.4%) to win the tournament after opening at +1000 and shortening to +450—the biggest move of any team. France follows closely behind at 16.0% of tickets and 22.0% of handle. Among the cohosts, the U.S. has drawn four times as many bets to win Group D as any other team at the tournament, despite its World Cup odds widening from +1800 to +5000.

Front Office Sports and BetMGM break down the biggest betting trends ahead of kickoff, including the favorites, dark horses, host nations, and Golden Boot race led by Kylian Mbappé.

Read the full World Cup Trend Report.

ONE BIG FIG

The Prize Isn’t Money

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That’s the number of golfers who earned a spot in next week’s U.S. Open during final qualifying at 10 different sites across the country Monday (and Tuesday at one event in Oregon that was delayed due to weather). Two high schoolers—Miles Russell and Giuseppe Puebla—were among the 12 amateurs who prevailed, sealing their place at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where the U.S. Open will tee off June 18. Russell, a 2027 Florida State commit, had future college teammate Charlie Woods caddying for him Monday.

In total, 18 amateurs (six of whom had already qualified) will compete in the 156-player field at the U.S. Open, but they are not allowed to accept prize money. Last year, the major championship’s purse was $21.5 million, with winner J.J. Spaun earning $4.3 million—and even professionals missing the cut taking home $10,000. Read the story.

Last Chance to Join

As the world’s attention turns to the global game this summer, one thing is clear: The organizations that win aren’t just building audiences—they’re building belonging.

In sports, fandom is a blueprint for loyalty. Teams have long mastered what many industries are still chasing: how to create emotional connection at scale, design seamless experiences across every touchpoint, and turn moments into lasting relationships.

Now, those same expectations are shaping every industry.

Join us June 11 in Los Angeles for Future of Sports: The Business of Fandom presented by EY Consulting.

We’ll explore how purpose-driven fandom, AI-powered personalization, and real-time infrastructure are redefining engagement—and what every business can learn from sports’s ability to turn customers into communities.

Space is limited—request to attend.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Beyond the Finish Line

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“When you sign with a major brand, you trust that the equipment they put on your feet has been tested and is safe.”

—Champion Allison, a world champion sprinter, after suing Puma over allegations its shoes caused career-altering injuries, along with elite sprinters Abby Steiner and Damion Thomas Jr.

The three track athletes all filed lawsuits against the German shoe giant, with Allison and Thomas doing so Tuesday morning, claiming Puma’s products caused them significant injuries that derailed their careers. Read the story.

STATUS REPORT

One Up, Two Down, One Push

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Gianni Infantino ⬇ The FIFA president is facing a criminal complaint from former UEFA president Michel Platini in French courts, filed just days before the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City. The complaint alleges Infantino “worked to exclude [Platini] from the race for the presidency of [FIFA].” Platini, once favored to succeed Sepp Blatter, was banned from the league for eight years in 2015 following an ethics investigation into a payment he received from Blatter. The sanction was later reduced to four years. Infantino is scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday, though FIFA has yet to comment on the complaint.

Bryant Park ⬇ The public park in New York, which hosted a watch party for the Knicks’ NBA Finals Game 3 loss to the Spurs, erupted into chaos during the game. Video footage from FreedomNews.TV shows a fight broke out and police pepper-sprayed fans. The NYPD said 21 people were taken into custody. There was no watch party outside of Madison Square Garden on Monday (an MSG spokesperson said it had nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s presence at the game, but the NYPD said it did), so many fans flocked to one organized by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Bryant Park instead.

Alexander Zverev ⬆⬇ The 2026 French Open men’s singles champion was asked about the two domestic abuse allegations against him in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe, to which he responded by cutting the interview short. Zverev said “this isn’t that kind of interview,” his allegations were “proven false,” and that he was innocent. The ATP did not penalize Zverev for his first allegation, citing insufficient evidence, while the lawsuit for his second allegation was settled out of court in 2024 because his accuser did not want to continue the trial.

Brazil women’s soccer ⬆ The South American country’s national team is anticipating a crowd of more than 42,000 for a Tuesday night friendly against the U.S., played at the Arena Castelão in Fortaleza. It’s an attendance record for the women’s national team in the nation’s northeast region, and builds momentum for next year’s Women’s World Cup host. On Saturday, Brazil defeated the U.S. 2–1 in a friendly.