Cody Campbell threatens lawsuit against CFB Playoff, warns other conferences against avoiding Texas Tech
Despite seeming out of place, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have become the epicenter of the college football world. Thanks for the wild back-and-forth in the story of star quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Sorsby, who admitted to betting on a number of matches involving his team, was initially ruled ineligible for the upcoming 2026 season. But a recent order by a Texas judge has cleared the way for him to return to the gridiron.
Surprisingly, other competing schools and conferences, even Tech’s own Big 12 Conference, were not happy with the result.
Pete Thamel from Yahoo! Sports reported this week that the Big Ten Conference will meet this week to discuss “a league-wide mandate not to play Texas Tech in any game.”
BRENDAN SORSBY WINS COURT TRIAL AGAINST NCAA DESPITE BETTING ON HIS TEAM MULTIPLE TIMES.
Future Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby screams during the first half of the game between the Houston Cougars and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, on Jan. 24, 2026. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Some prominent figures, including Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen, have already issued such directives to their staff, preventing future arrangements between the two schools. There has also been speculation that the College Football Playoff may be involved, which may not include Texas Tech, if they are in a position to reach the tournament at the end of the season.
However, Texas Tech’s most prominent developer, Cody Campbell, has specific comments for those schools, conferences, or institutions considering taking action against the program. In an appearance on “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” Wednesday morning, Campbell addressed those meetings specifically. Very specifically.
“The Big Ten is talking about not playing Texas Tech,” Dakich said. “The SEC is where you are and these are negotiations…”
TEXAS TECH MEGABOOSTER WANTS BIG 12 RIVALS TO BOYCOTT GAMES FOR FEAR BRENDAN SORSBY
“I love it when the Big Ten or K-State AD comes out and says, ‘hey, we all got together and talked about not playing Tech,’ because guess what? That adds up,” Campbell said. “You know, that’s an antitrust violation. So, you know, have fun with that person. You’re not going to do that.”
Cody Campbell stands on the field after the Big 12 Championship game between Texas Tech and BYU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Dakich followed up by asking about the College Football Playoff selection committee, whether the school would be ready to sue if it blocked Texas Tech.
“100%,” Campbell said. “I mean they can’t get together again and say we won’t let you play. That’s a violation of the antitrust law. I don’t know if you’ve seen the string of lawsuits the NCAA has lost over the last few years, lost on those grounds.”
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark reportedly told other conference institutions that they are evaluating their options with the Red Raiders and Sorsby. But Campbell has a point; by law, those who try to block the Red Raiders from the playoffs, or refuse, en masse, to schedule them, may face charges of collusion.
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Campbell also believes that Sorsby’s behavior does not rise to the level that would justify such an action, however, telling Dakich that schools allow players with more serious offenses to play.
“There are kids who play and get DUIs and hit women, whose kids have done bad things,” Campbell replied. “You know, I mean, no one boycotted Penn State a few years ago when that terrible situation happened.”
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby looks on during the spring football game at Jones AT&T Stadium on April 17, 2026. (© Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Still, that doesn’t excuse gambling on your team. A major sin in the field of sports and sports betting. And it says that other schools don’t want Texas Tech to succeed, that the reaction is a “know your place” problem, which also diminishes. The Big 12 is excited that Tech is now a nationally eligible program. The more teams that are legitimate playoff contenders each year in that conference, the better. Yormark would love nothing more than for the Red Raiders to win the championship. But even within the Big 12, there are reportedly significant concerns about Sorsby’s situation.
Where does this go from here? Who knows. At first, it seemed unlikely that Sorsby would play in 2026. So maybe this will all end in lawsuits between Tech and most of college football. Expect the unexpected has become the sport’s motto in recent years, and it doesn’t look like that will end anytime soon.
