Iowa State University President David Cook says the commissioner of the Big 12 will brief him and the other university 15 presidents in the conference about Texas Tech football today (Monday). Court records show Texas Tech quarterback Brandon Sorsby made about 90-thousand dollars worth of bets on college and pro games, including bets on his own team when he was on Indiana’s roster. The N-C-Double-A ruled him ineligible, but a Texas judge recently ruled he can play next season, after sitting out two games, if he continues treatment for a gambling addition. I-S-U’s president says it’s an evolving situation.
The N-C-Double-A has appealed the court ruling that would let Texas Tech start Sorsby, who transferred after playing two seasons at Cincinnati. A few athletic departments, including Nebraska’s, have announced they will not to schedule competitions with any Texas Tech team for the time being — and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening to sue the Big 12 if it takes action against Texas Tech for playing Sorsby. Cook says there may be other developments before Monday’s Big 12 meeting.
Cook says the federal government may need to step in and help — and a bill that’s been introduced in the U.S. Senate doesn’t answer all the thorny issues, but it’s a start.
Cook made his comments on this weekend’s “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S. A bill bipartisan introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington state, would create uniform standards for how college athletes may be paid and allow athletes to transfer just once and limit athletic eligibility to five years.
