Big 12 Boss Stays Quiet on Sorsby Scandal at Media Days

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark held back from talking about quarterback Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech when reporters asked him about the situation at media days on Tuesday in Frisco, Texas. Sorsby had joined Texas Tech as one of the best quarterbacks available in the transfer portal just seven months ago. Since then, his story took a very difficult turn that ended his chance to play college football this fall.

Sorsby checked into a rehab program for gambling addiction after joining Texas Tech. He admitted to placing thousands of bets and was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, which means he was not allowed to play. Instead of fighting the conference or the NFL — which also rejected his request to enter the supplemental draft — Sorsby decided to start preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Yormark told reporters that now was not the right time to talk about Sorsby's case. 'Today is about celebrating the upcoming football season and celebrating our 16 schools,' he said. He made it clear he wanted the focus to stay on positive news about the conference.

To help stop future gambling problems, Yormark said the Big 12 is expanding its deal with IC360. IC360 is a company that uses technology to watch for illegal or improper sports betting in college athletics. The goal is to protect student-athletes and keep the games fair.

Yormark also spoke about growing the Big 12's reach around the world. Last season, the conference opened with a game in Ireland between Iowa State and Kansas State. He said six Big 12 schools have campuses in other countries and that 20 percent of student-athletes come from outside the United States.

The commissioner also announced that the Big 12 will hold a league-wide meeting in August to deal with anti-LDS chants directed at BYU and its fans. Anti-LDS chants are mean or hurtful words aimed at members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is BYU's sponsoring religion. 'We have a zero tolerance for that kind of behavior,' Yormark said firmly.

In other news, Yormark confirmed that the Big 12 has signed a multi-year deal with Monster Energy, the popular drink brand. The agreement will put Monster Energy logos on the field, on uniform patches, and in other places across several sports. Conference football games this season will be called 'Monster Energy Big XII Football.'

The Monster Energy deal is worth more than $20 million per year for the Big 12. Each of the 16 member schools could receive more than $1 million as part of the agreement. Monster Energy is now officially named the Big 12's 'entitlement partner,' which means it is the top sponsor of the conference.