Authors: Attorney Neil T. O’Donnell and Attorney Connor Graham

Sports Betting’s Growing Role in Everyday Life

Gambling, especially sports betting, has intrusively become a facet of many everyday lives in the United States. Young adults are the most affected cohort. Research shows that 31% of young adults ages 18 through 29 have bet money in the last 12 months with friends or family.¹ And 17% of adults over 30 years of age have wagered online in the past year, up from 7% three years ago.

Public Concern Over Legal Sports Betting

Americans are increasingly believing that this is a bad phenomenon. Of those surveyed, 43% said that the prevalence of legal sports betting is bad for society, and 50% said it was neither good nor bad. This left 7% in favor. As time goes on, society has become tuned to the negatives of prevalent and convenient gambling.

Brendan Sorsby’s Case Against the N.C.A.A.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby feels these negatives acutely. Sorsby began gambling in high school, where he partook in both physical and online parlors.² He took this habit to college, where he would bet for his own team while as a freshman at Indiana University. Revealing this information must have been difficult for Sorsby, but it also puts him in trouble with governing authorities. The N.C.A.A. rules state that betting on one’s own team is punishable by permanent ineligibility. The N.C.A.A. denied Sorsby’s reinstatement request on May 26, 2026.

What an Injunction Could Mean

Sorsby decided to sue the N.C.A.A. in Texas state court, seeking an injunction against the organization. When a court issues an injunction, it prevents the enjoined party (here, the N.C.A.A.) from conducting certain actions. The court has the power to prohibit the N.C.A.A. from placing Sorsby on permanent ineligibility status on account of his gambling at Indiana.

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