Wyoming AD on Texas Tech: ‘Entire System is at Risk’

LARAMIE -- Kansas State's Athletics Director was blunt when expressing his thoughts on the ruling, calling it "f****** Bull****."

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Wyoming's Tom Burman, on the other hand, was a tad more politically correct in his assessment of a Monday court decision that allows Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play this season, aside from a two-game suspension, despite violating NCAA gambling policies, after placing multiple bets, including wagers on his own team.

"I believe the decision is damaging to the integrity of the college sports enterprise -- top to bottom," the longtime Director of Athletics in Laramie said. "I am hopeful this is not final and maybe an appeal process is an option. The NCAA must be able to enforce rules in some form or the entire system is at risk."

The NCAA is doing just that, appealing the decision by Judge Ken Curry. In fact, the governing body of college athletics has requested an accelerated appeal with the season slated to begin in less than 90 days.

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Gene Taylor, the enraged AD in Manhattan, told Yahoo Sports there have been serious conversations about not scheduling the Red Raiders despite both programs playing in the Big XII Conference. Internal memos from the brass at the University of Georgia, which plays in the SEC, and Nebraska, a Big Ten member institution, both urged their coaches not to schedule Texas Tech in any sport in the foreseeable future.

Unlike those three schools, Wyoming is already penciled in against Texas Tech in volleyball and men's basketball this fall.

The Cowboys are also supposed to face the Red Raiders inside Jones AT&T Stadium on Sept. 16, 2028, as part of a home-and-home football series.

Wyoming, you might recall, stunned Joey McGuire's team in the 2023 season opener.

Another distinct difference between Wyoming and Georgia, Nebraska and Kansas State is the financial resources to cancel such meetings.

The Cowboys are supposed to bank an additional $150,000, for example, for again making the trip to Lubbock to play the Red Raiders in basketball this season, according to Alex Taylor of WyoSports. The $300,000 total for two trips in as many years to United Supermarkets Arena comes as part of an agreement between the two schools on buy-out terms for former head coach Jeff Linder, who is now an assistant at Texas Tech.

Will Burman attempt to cancel these contests in multiple sports if Sorsby's injunction holds up in court?

"We haven't even considered that due to (the basketball game) still being six months away," he said.

The volleyball game isn't. The Cowgirls and Red Raiders will meet Aug. 28 in Laramie for Wyoming's season opener.

"Disheartened."

"Disgusted."

"Stunned."

Representatives from conferences across the college landscape are using these words to describe their feelings about this decision. Sorsby, who spent his first two seasons at Indiana and the last two at the University of Cincinnati, has been under fire for sports betting since March. In April, he admitted to the transgressions -- which reportedly consisted of at least "$90,000" worth of bets on pro sports, including 40 on Hoosier football while he was a freshman in Bloomington -- and was ruled ineligible by Texas Tech. Sorsby has since entered in-patient rehab center, according to ESPN.

Judge Curry stated Sorsby would suffer "irreparable injury" if he were sidelined for the upcoming season. That came on the heels of Sorsby's attorney arguing he should be supported rather than punished for an addiction and mental-health issues.

Sorsby, in an unprecedented decision by the judge himself, will not be allowed to play in the Red Raiders' first two games, which includes a home tilt with FCS program Abilene Christian and a road matchup with Oregon State.

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