Big 12 punts on Cincinnati's role in Brendan Sorsby saga | Opinion
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Before we get into Brett Yormark’s pathetic posturing at Big 12 media days, let’s reaffirm some undeniable facts.
The NCAA said in March it received a tip from an online sports book about Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s gambling activity, and says the sports book was alerted by law enforcement.
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Multiple people told USA TODAY Sports in April that not only was Sorsby gambling on games, but that Cincinnati — his former team for two years — knew about it in the summer of 2025. Sorsby, in his lawsuit last month against the NCAA, claimed Cincinnati knew about it.
Which brings us to Tuesday’s media day, or the great grandstanding event for Yormark, the Big 12 commissioner and P.T. Barnum of college sports. No moment is too big or too small to sell anything — and no moment sure as hell is lost.
A member of the media asked a legitimate question — with a microphone, and loud enough for all to hear — that I’ll paraphrase: why isn’t Cincinnati part of any investigation into Sorsby’s gambling?
So Yormark, who began the day announcing the Big 12’s new “entitlement” partner would have a patch on the jerseys of all football and men’s and women’s basketball teams in the conference, and signage on playing fields/courts — because nothing screams college sports quite like the NASCAR-ification of it all — seized the moment.
Instead of simply answering the question with “it’s an ongoing process,” Yormark decided to briskly strut to his left, stare at the media member, and say, “Stand up, ask that question again, and then I’m going to give you the answer I want to give you.”
After the question was asked again, Yormark said, “We’re going forward as 16 strong and that’s my answer to your question.”
As punk a move as you’ll see at any of these events.
Here's the answer we want, Brett: it's time for the Big 12 and NCAA to come clean about Cincinnati's alleged knowledge of Sorsby's gambling. If Cincinnati knew and played Sorsby anyway, there should be NCAA sanctions.
If Cincinnati didn't, why let the university twist in the wind with the question everyone in the Big 12 wants answered?
Instead, we get an adult professional trying to make another adult professional look and feel small for simply asking a question on everyone’s mind. If you're not going to answer one way or the other, just say it’s an ongoing investigation and move on.
Because if it’s not, I’ve got some serious problems with the way the Big 12 and NCAA are handling it. The player at the center of your investigation, the player whom the NCAA rightfully argued in court had to be ruled ineligible to protect the sanctity of the game ― the player who multiple state attorneys general lined up to argue against ― said Cincinnati knew about his gambling proclivity.
And that “tip” from a sports book? Give me a break.
Sorsby had a legit gambling problem since 2022, placing thousands of bets with multiple accounts. We’re supposed to believe that a sports book randomly and suddenly figured out his identity after more than four years of consistent, high-volume gambling ― by a "tip" from law enforcement? And then passed that "tip" onto the NCAA?
Law enforcement isn't giving tips to sports books, people. They're going straight to the feds, because gambling and throwing games is kind of a big deal.
I’m not saying the NCAA lied in court filings when it claimed to receive a tip from a sports book that claimed it was alerted by law enforcement, I’m saying someone informed someone along the chain of Sorsby’s gambling.
Gee, I wonder who that was?
Cincinnati was in the middle of an ugly NIL divorce with Sorsby, who owed the university $975,000 to break his two-year deal. Only Sorsby didn’t think he owed a dime.
Not only that, Sorsby left for Texas Tech, a Big 12 rival and the one school in the conference that doesn't give a flip about overpaying players and doing everything it can to keep up with the Big Ten and SEC.
But I’m sure it was just a random tip from a sports book, from a random law enforcement source, at a random time.
“All of our student-athletes receive extensive gambling education multiple times throughout the year, and we would never knowingly play an athlete who violated NCAA sports wagering regulations,” a Cincinnati statement said in June after Ron Slavin, Sosrby’s agent, went on a radio show in Dallas and claimed Cincinnati knew all about Sorsby’s gambling activity.
That was before Sorsby’s lawsuit filing against the NCAA became public in June, and before Sorsby dropped the bomb that Cincinnati knew all about it.
And before Yormark decided to peacock on the stage at Big 12 media days, turning it into his own personal sideshow under the big tent. Nothing was going to overshadow his day, baby.
Especially not a member of the mean media asking a question everyone in his conference wants answered.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 12 punts on Cincinnati's role in Brendan Sorsby saga | Opinion