“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”
With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.
After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.
So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?
To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.
Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.
And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.
After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).
But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.
Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.
And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.
“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”
After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.
In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.
That’s when Indiana came calling.
When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.
“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”
Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.
As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.
“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”
Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.
“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”
The same could be said for their coach.
“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”
Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.
As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.
But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.
“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”
As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.
Cignetti talked about Marsh at the Big Ten Media Days last month.
“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.
Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.
“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.
But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.
“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.
“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”
At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.
Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.
“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.
“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.
“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”
Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.
“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”
As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.
“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.
“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.
“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.
“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.
“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”
Do not expect any excuses.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.
“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.
Hard to expect him to start now.
![What can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore? “Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.That’s when Indiana came calling.When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”The same could be said for their coach.“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.Cignetti talked about Marsh at the Big Ten Media Days last month.“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”Do not expect any excuses.“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.Hard to expect him to start now. #Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/gettyimages-2256616667.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.664146549656%2C100%2C78.671706900689&w=1200&ssl=1 "What can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore? “Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.That’s when Indiana came calling.When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”The same could be said for their coach.“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.Cignetti talked about Marsh at the Big Ten Media Days last month.“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”Do not expect any excuses.“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.Hard to expect him to start now. #Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore")
![The NCAA can appeal Brendan Sorsby’s shocking reinstatement, but Texas law isn’t on their side Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has won a temporary injunction in his fight with the NCAA, and under the terms of the order issued by Judge Ken Curry in the District Court of Texas for Lubbock County, he is eligible to play for the Red Raiders during the 2026 season. Sorsby sought the injunction after the NCAA stripped the quarterback of his remaining collegiate eligibility due to multiple violations of the governing body’s gambling policy.However, there are some caveats to that statement. Several, in fact.The decision comes in the wake of a hearing held in the District Court of Texas for Lubbock County at the start of June. As outlined in Judge Curry’s four-page order, finding that Sorsby would suffer “a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury” if his eligibility was not reinstated, Judge Curry held that Sorsby “demonstrated a probable right to the relief he seeks on his claims for breach of contract, declaratory judgment, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, and breach of fiduciary duty.”Judge Curry further ruled that Sorsby “demonstrated that the balance of equities is in his favor because of the hardship he would face in the absence of a temporary injunction.”In the ruling, Judge Curry declared that the NCAA is barred from:Prohibiting [Sorsby] from practicing, playing, or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 football season.Enforcing its Bylaw 12.9.4.2 (Rule of Restitution) against [Sorsby], Texas Tech, any affiliate of Texas Tech, any university that competes against Texas Tech during the 2026 college football season, or any affiliate of any such university for complying with, and relying on this Order.First, Sorsby — through his attorneys — sought a temporary injunction, which Judge Curry granted. As Judge Curry noted in the order, the temporary injunction will be in place until the final judgment in this matter, and “until a full trial on the merits of this matter” is conducted.Second, Judge Curry imposed six conditions that Sorsby is required to meet during the period of time the temporary injunction is in place. These include: (1) Commencing and continuing clinical counseling with a credentialed provider, focusing on relapse prevention, (2) Commencing and participating in peer support through Gamblers Anonymous or a comparable aid community, (3) Commencing and continuing treatment for Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety, to address the “underlying anxiety that served as the primary driver of [Sorsby’s] gambling behavior,” (4) Commencing and participating in athlete-specific recovery resources, (5) Not participating in game-day activities for the first two games of the Texas Tech season, and (6) Serving on the NCAA a report detailing compliance with the five previous conditions, on or before the fifth of each month during the order, to cover the previous month of compliance.Failure of Sorsby to comply with those conditions would allow the NCAA to “apply for emergency relief from this injunction.”The NCAA does have the right to appeal this ruling (more on that in a moment), but for now, Sorsby is reinstated, with a two-game suspension. That would mean the transfer quarterback would miss the season opener against Abilene Christian, and the game against Oregon State on September 12.In response to Judge Curry’s order, the NCAA released this brief statement:“The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports. The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one’s own sport.”As to whether the NCAA would appeal this temporary injunction, it is worth noting that the governing body would face a significant hurdle with such an appeal. Specifically, the standard of review from the appellate court. In 1919 the Texas Legislature codified the right to an appeal of a temporary injunction, declaring that a party “may appeal from an interlocutory order of a district court, county court at law, statutory probate court, or county court that … grants or refuses a temporary injunction or grants or overrules a motion to dissolve a temporary injunction.” See Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code Section 51.014(a)(4).So while the NCAA has the right to an appeal, the problem they will face is the standard of review. Appeals of these decisions are reviewed on one standard: Abuse of discretion. Judges in temporary injunction cases are given substantial deference in deciding those matters, and to overturn the order in this case, the NCAA must convince the appellate court that Judge Curry abused that discretion, and that the ruling was arbitrary, capricious, or failed to apply the law correctly in reaching the decision.Texas courts have defined this standard as follows: A trial court abuses its discretion if its decision is “arbitrary, unreasonable, and without reference to [any] guiding [rules and] principles” or is “so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law.” See Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. v. Rhyne, 925 S.W. 2d 664 (Texas 1996) and Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833 (Texas 1992).To find such an abuse, the reviewing court must “determine that the facts and circumstances presented [to the trial judge] ‘extinguish any discretion [or choice] in the matter.’” See F.A. Richard & Assoc. v. Millard, 856 S.W.3d 419 (Texas App. 1993). The appellate court cannot simply substitute its own judgment for that of the trial court.When reviewing such a case, the appellate court asks two questions: Did the trial court have sufficient information to exercise such discretion, and did the trial court err in the application of that discretion?Simply put, an appeal by the NCAA of this ruling, given the great deference appellate courts show trial courts in these matters, seems unlikely to succeed.Still, the ruling has many wondering if the NCAA should still appeal, even given the difficult standard the governing body would face with such an appeal:Plus, there is the matter of precedent. If the NCAA ultimately loses on this matter, it would essentially become the “first and only American sports league to allow an athlete to compete after betting on his own games,” a point the NCAA argued in front of Judge Curry.Sorsby admitted to placing wagers of at least $90,000 on more than 9,000 bets during his time in college, including 40 bets of at least $850 on Indiana football while he was a member of the Hoosiers. Under NCAA rules, the penalty for a player gambling on their own team is permanent ineligibility.The NCAA could appeal and argue that the fact Sorsby admitted to those bets, in clear violation of stated NCAA rules, and yet has been reinstated under Judge Curry’s order amounts to a decision that is “legally unreasonable in the factual-legal context in which it [was] made.” See Landon v. Jean-Paul Budinger, Inc., 724 S.W.2d 931. That language has been held in Texas to overturn a trial court’s decision under the abuse of discretion standard.Given the precedent set by this decision, the NCAA likely appeals.But whether they succeeded on that appeal is a different story.And while the underlying case will ultimately go to trial, that might not occur until after the 2026 season is completed.So, for now at least, Sorsby is back on the Red Raiders for the upcoming season. #NCAA #appeal #Brendan #Sorsbys #shocking #reinstatement #Texas #law #isnt #side](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/imagn-29015798.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.74496326631408%2C100%2C68.955068096497&w=1200&ssl=1 "The NCAA can appeal Brendan Sorsby’s shocking reinstatement, but Texas law isn’t on their side Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has won a temporary injunction in his fight with the NCAA, and under the terms of the order issued by Judge Ken Curry in the District Court of Texas for Lubbock County, he is eligible to play for the Red Raiders during the 2026 season. Sorsby sought the injunction after the NCAA stripped the quarterback of his remaining collegiate eligibility due to multiple violations of the governing body’s gambling policy.However, there are some caveats to that statement. Several, in fact.The decision comes in the wake of a hearing held in the District Court of Texas for Lubbock County at the start of June. As outlined in Judge Curry’s four-page order, finding that Sorsby would suffer “a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury” if his eligibility was not reinstated, Judge Curry held that Sorsby “demonstrated a probable right to the relief he seeks on his claims for breach of contract, declaratory judgment, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, and breach of fiduciary duty.”Judge Curry further ruled that Sorsby “demonstrated that the balance of equities is in his favor because of the hardship he would face in the absence of a temporary injunction.”In the ruling, Judge Curry declared that the NCAA is barred from:Prohibiting [Sorsby] from practicing, playing, or otherwise participating on Texas Tech’s football team for the 2026 football season.Enforcing its Bylaw 12.9.4.2 (Rule of Restitution) against [Sorsby], Texas Tech, any affiliate of Texas Tech, any university that competes against Texas Tech during the 2026 college football season, or any affiliate of any such university for complying with, and relying on this Order.First, Sorsby — through his attorneys — sought a temporary injunction, which Judge Curry granted. As Judge Curry noted in the order, the temporary injunction will be in place until the final judgment in this matter, and “until a full trial on the merits of this matter” is conducted.Second, Judge Curry imposed six conditions that Sorsby is required to meet during the period of time the temporary injunction is in place. These include: (1) Commencing and continuing clinical counseling with a credentialed provider, focusing on relapse prevention, (2) Commencing and participating in peer support through Gamblers Anonymous or a comparable aid community, (3) Commencing and continuing treatment for Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety, to address the “underlying anxiety that served as the primary driver of [Sorsby’s] gambling behavior,” (4) Commencing and participating in athlete-specific recovery resources, (5) Not participating in game-day activities for the first two games of the Texas Tech season, and (6) Serving on the NCAA a report detailing compliance with the five previous conditions, on or before the fifth of each month during the order, to cover the previous month of compliance.Failure of Sorsby to comply with those conditions would allow the NCAA to “apply for emergency relief from this injunction.”The NCAA does have the right to appeal this ruling (more on that in a moment), but for now, Sorsby is reinstated, with a two-game suspension. That would mean the transfer quarterback would miss the season opener against Abilene Christian, and the game against Oregon State on September 12.In response to Judge Curry’s order, the NCAA released this brief statement:“The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court’s ruling in Sorsby’s case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports. The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity, such as betting on one’s own sport.”As to whether the NCAA would appeal this temporary injunction, it is worth noting that the governing body would face a significant hurdle with such an appeal. Specifically, the standard of review from the appellate court. In 1919 the Texas Legislature codified the right to an appeal of a temporary injunction, declaring that a party “may appeal from an interlocutory order of a district court, county court at law, statutory probate court, or county court that … grants or refuses a temporary injunction or grants or overrules a motion to dissolve a temporary injunction.” See Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code Section 51.014(a)(4).So while the NCAA has the right to an appeal, the problem they will face is the standard of review. Appeals of these decisions are reviewed on one standard: Abuse of discretion. Judges in temporary injunction cases are given substantial deference in deciding those matters, and to overturn the order in this case, the NCAA must convince the appellate court that Judge Curry abused that discretion, and that the ruling was arbitrary, capricious, or failed to apply the law correctly in reaching the decision.Texas courts have defined this standard as follows: A trial court abuses its discretion if its decision is “arbitrary, unreasonable, and without reference to [any] guiding [rules and] principles” or is “so arbitrary and unreasonable as to amount to a clear and prejudicial error of law.” See Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. v. Rhyne, 925 S.W. 2d 664 (Texas 1996) and Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833 (Texas 1992).To find such an abuse, the reviewing court must “determine that the facts and circumstances presented [to the trial judge] ‘extinguish any discretion [or choice] in the matter.’” See F.A. Richard & Assoc. v. Millard, 856 S.W.3d 419 (Texas App. 1993). The appellate court cannot simply substitute its own judgment for that of the trial court.When reviewing such a case, the appellate court asks two questions: Did the trial court have sufficient information to exercise such discretion, and did the trial court err in the application of that discretion?Simply put, an appeal by the NCAA of this ruling, given the great deference appellate courts show trial courts in these matters, seems unlikely to succeed.Still, the ruling has many wondering if the NCAA should still appeal, even given the difficult standard the governing body would face with such an appeal:Plus, there is the matter of precedent. If the NCAA ultimately loses on this matter, it would essentially become the “first and only American sports league to allow an athlete to compete after betting on his own games,” a point the NCAA argued in front of Judge Curry.Sorsby admitted to placing wagers of at least $90,000 on more than 9,000 bets during his time in college, including 40 bets of at least $850 on Indiana football while he was a member of the Hoosiers. Under NCAA rules, the penalty for a player gambling on their own team is permanent ineligibility.The NCAA could appeal and argue that the fact Sorsby admitted to those bets, in clear violation of stated NCAA rules, and yet has been reinstated under Judge Curry’s order amounts to a decision that is “legally unreasonable in the factual-legal context in which it [was] made.” See Landon v. Jean-Paul Budinger, Inc., 724 S.W.2d 931. That language has been held in Texas to overturn a trial court’s decision under the abuse of discretion standard.Given the precedent set by this decision, the NCAA likely appeals.But whether they succeeded on that appeal is a different story.And while the underlying case will ultimately go to trial, that might not occur until after the 2026 season is completed.So, for now at least, Sorsby is back on the Red Raiders for the upcoming season. #NCAA #appeal #Brendan #Sorsbys #shocking #reinstatement #Texas #law #isnt #side")
![Brendan Sorsby’s gambling allegations could end his college football career. Is NFL Supplemental Draft next? Brendan Sorsby was one of college football’s highest-paid players in the transfer portal, and he was considered a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The 6’3 quarterback left Cincinnati for Texas Tech after a tremendous junior season for a reported sum of $5 million. Just when the Red Raiders were celebrating the addition of one of the country’s top QBs, Sorsby was caught up in gambling allegations that sent him to rehab and likely ends his college career.It now looks like the best bet for Sorsby’s immediate future is to turn pro through the NFL Supplemental Draft, which is expected to be held in mid July.What is the Supplemental Draft? How much interest would Sorsby really draw? Let’s dive into the history of the NFL’s other draft, with more context on what makes Sorsby such an enticing prospect.What is the NFL Supplemental Draft?What, exactly, is the NFL Supplemental Draft?Begun in 1977, the NFL Supplemental Draft is held for players that lost their remaining college eligibility after the league’s deadline to enter the NFL’s standard player entry draft. For those wondering, Al Hunter was the first player taken in an NFL Supplemental Draft in 1977, after the Notre Dame running back was suspended from the school for disciplinary reasons.Perhaps the most notable NFL Supplemental Drafts have been in 1985 and 1989. In March of 1985, Miami (FL) quarterback Bernie Kosar announced that he planned on skipping his final two years of college to enter the 1985 NFL Draft.But at that time, NFL rules only allowed college seniors and graduates to enter the NFL Draft. To work around this, Kosar had arranged an accelerated academic plan, where he would take 18 credits in the spring of 1985 and an additional six more in the summer, to meet the eligibility requirements.During his announcement Kosar, who grew up in Ohio as a Cleveland Browns fan, made it clear he wanted to play for his hometown team.However, Kosar was considered an elite prospect, and teams started angling for position in the first round for a shot at Kosar. Most notably the Minnesota Vikings executed a trade with the Houston Oilers to pick up a top pick in the first round, hoping to land Kosar.Cleveland, however, quietly executed a trade with the Buffalo Bills, acquiring Buffalo’s first pick in the 1985 Supplemental Draft in exchange for first-round picks in 1985 and 1986, as wells as a third round selection in 1985 and a sixth-round pick in 1986.Kosar did not meet the deadline to enter the 1985 NFL Draft, which came in April.That is when the rest of the league learned about Cleveland’s trade with the Bills. The Oilers threatened to sue to stop the 1985 NFL Draft from taking place, as Houston also wanted a chance to draft Kosar. Teams implored NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to reverse the trade between the Browns and the Bills. The quarterback’s agent warned that he would sue the league if Kosar was forced to enter the traditional draft.Ultimately, Rozelle gave Kosar the choice between the two drafts, and the quarterback announced he was skipping the 1985 NFL Draft and entering the Supplemental Draft, where the Browns used their first selection to draft the quarterback.The 1989 NFL Supplemental Draft was notable for having three players selected in the first round — quarterbacks Steve Walsh and Timm Rosenbach, and running back Bobby Humphrey.To date, 46 players have been selected in an NFL Supplemental Draft, with safety Jalen Thompson in 2019 the most recent selection. Of those 46 players only one, wide receiver Cris Carter, has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Carter was suspended before his senior season for signing with an agent.How does the order work in the Supplemental Draft?The chaos around Kosar in 1985 forced the league to adjust how the order is determined for the Supplemental Draft.Previously, the order for the NFL Draft was the same as the order for the Supplemental Draft, but in the wake of Kosar, the league implemented the quasi-random ordering process that is in place today. Teams are divided into three pools — non-playoff teams with six or fewer wins, non-playoff teams with seven or more wins, and then the playoff teams — and teams “bid” on players, indicating in which round they would select that player. If no other team places a bid on a player in an earlier spot, then the team that placed the bid is awarded the player, and forfeits an equivalent pick in the next NFL Draft.So when the Arizona Cardinals drafted Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft, they forfeited a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.Why might Brendan Sorsby need the NFL Supplemental Draft?All of this leads us to Brendan Sorsby.Last year at Cincinnati, Sorsby completed nearly 62% of his passes for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, against just five interceptions. He also added another 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the Bearcats. But he announced in December of last year that he was transferring, and became one of the most sought-after players in the portal. In fact, ESPN rated Sorsby as the top player in the transfer portal.In January, after visiting Texas Tech and LSU, Sorsby announced he was joining the Red Raiders, with projections indicating he might surpass $5 million in NIL money.Even in a crowded quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft, Sorsby was one of the favorites for a first-round pick next year. Consider this list from the various “way too early” mock drafts:USA TODAY Sports: No. 13 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersPro Football Focus: No. 8 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersCBS Sports: No. 8 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersBleacher Report: No. 10 overall, Atlanta FalconsNJ.com: No. 4 overall, Cleveland BrownsThen came word in late April that Sorsby was stepping away from Texas Tech to enter into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. A report from ESPN outlined that Sorsby made “thousands” of online bets across various sports via a gambling app, including games on Indiana football while Sorsby was a reserve quarterback for the Hoosiers. ESPN reported that Sorsby’s bets in 2022 were on Indiana to win games, and those bets did not include the one game where Sorsby saw the field for the Hoosiers.See if you can tell, courtesy of NFL Mock Draft Database, when this news emerged:Sorsby has not been ruled ineligible for the 2026 college football season, and the NCAA said in a statement to USA Today that the governing body would not comment on an ongoing investigation. But if he is ruled ineligible by the NCAA in the coming weeks, then the NFL Supplemental Draft would be an option for him.And as you can see from the above, there is still a belief that if Sorsby is allowed to play next year, he would be a first-round pick, based on the early mock drafts for next year.However, the clock is ticking. Sorsby has until June 22 to apply for the 2026 Supplemental Draft, and then the league would review the circumstances regarding his application. As noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sorsby has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to try and maintain his college eligibility and perhaps speed up the process and/or negotiate a settlement on a suspension.Which brings us to the latest development.The injunction request, and what happens nextThis story took another turn on Monday.As first reported by ESPN Sorsby, through his attorneys, has filed for an injunction against the NCAA in Lubbock, Texas. In the filing, according to ESPN, Sorsby alleges that he is “currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA’s sports gambling rules” and that he would be “irreparably harmed” if the injunction were not granted.It is worth noting that the NCAA has not issued any public statement, nor has the governing body made any penalty public. This would seem to indicate that Sorsby has been notified privately of a potential penalty from the NCAA.In the injunction filing, which SB Nation has reviewed, Sorsby alleges that he suffers from a “clinically diagnosed” gambling disorder, and further states that is a “mental health condition.” The filing also alleges that the NCAA has “weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it policies.”Furthermore, the filing states that:When Mr. Sorsby took accountability for his NCAA gambling rules violations (which undisputedly did not raise any integrity issues, i.e., his bets did not threaten the fairness, honesty, and/or transparency of athletic competitions, or otherwise influence the outcome or athlete performance in those competitions), entered residential treatment, and offered to accept reasonable discipline (but not a full loss of eligibility for the upcoming season at Texas Tech), the NCAA responded not with the compassion its constitution (“Constitution” or “NCAA Constitution”) demands, but with stonewalling, pretextual information demands, delay, and silence. This is not what Texas law or common decency requires.The filing also notes that “[t]ime is of the essence.” Specifically, Sorsby is in the final year of eligiblity, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that, once lost, can never be recovered.”Sorsby, through his attorneys, notes that:If the NCAA refuses to reinstate him and he is not awarded temporary relief, Mr. Sorsby’s only alternative is the NFL Supplemental Draft, which requires him to opt in—and forgo any effort to restore his remaining college eligibility—by June 22, 2026. The NCAA has manufactured an impossible bind: it delays its reinstatement decision while the NFL deadline closes in, forcing Mr. Sorsby to choose between surrendering college eligibility he wants to retain, while risking the loss of a full year of competitive football entirely. This is not equity. Mr. Sorsby has diligently pursued every alternative avenue for relief, but he is not obligated to continue doing so in light of the irreparable harm he now faces. Only this Court can hold the NCAA to its own rules—and provide Mr. Sorsby and Texas Tech the timely relief they are owed.The request for an injunction also seeks a hearing no later than June 15, so that “the Court has the opportunity to render a decision on his request for a temporary injunction prior to June 22, when Mr. Sorsby must determine whether to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft.” #Brendan #Sorsbys #gambling #allegations #college #football #career #NFL #Supplemental #Draft](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-11-at-6.50.23AM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400&ssl=1 "Brendan Sorsby’s gambling allegations could end his college football career. Is NFL Supplemental Draft next? Brendan Sorsby was one of college football’s highest-paid players in the transfer portal, and he was considered a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The 6’3 quarterback left Cincinnati for Texas Tech after a tremendous junior season for a reported sum of $5 million. Just when the Red Raiders were celebrating the addition of one of the country’s top QBs, Sorsby was caught up in gambling allegations that sent him to rehab and likely ends his college career.It now looks like the best bet for Sorsby’s immediate future is to turn pro through the NFL Supplemental Draft, which is expected to be held in mid July.What is the Supplemental Draft? How much interest would Sorsby really draw? Let’s dive into the history of the NFL’s other draft, with more context on what makes Sorsby such an enticing prospect.What is the NFL Supplemental Draft?What, exactly, is the NFL Supplemental Draft?Begun in 1977, the NFL Supplemental Draft is held for players that lost their remaining college eligibility after the league’s deadline to enter the NFL’s standard player entry draft. For those wondering, Al Hunter was the first player taken in an NFL Supplemental Draft in 1977, after the Notre Dame running back was suspended from the school for disciplinary reasons.Perhaps the most notable NFL Supplemental Drafts have been in 1985 and 1989. In March of 1985, Miami (FL) quarterback Bernie Kosar announced that he planned on skipping his final two years of college to enter the 1985 NFL Draft.But at that time, NFL rules only allowed college seniors and graduates to enter the NFL Draft. To work around this, Kosar had arranged an accelerated academic plan, where he would take 18 credits in the spring of 1985 and an additional six more in the summer, to meet the eligibility requirements.During his announcement Kosar, who grew up in Ohio as a Cleveland Browns fan, made it clear he wanted to play for his hometown team.However, Kosar was considered an elite prospect, and teams started angling for position in the first round for a shot at Kosar. Most notably the Minnesota Vikings executed a trade with the Houston Oilers to pick up a top pick in the first round, hoping to land Kosar.Cleveland, however, quietly executed a trade with the Buffalo Bills, acquiring Buffalo’s first pick in the 1985 Supplemental Draft in exchange for first-round picks in 1985 and 1986, as wells as a third round selection in 1985 and a sixth-round pick in 1986.Kosar did not meet the deadline to enter the 1985 NFL Draft, which came in April.That is when the rest of the league learned about Cleveland’s trade with the Bills. The Oilers threatened to sue to stop the 1985 NFL Draft from taking place, as Houston also wanted a chance to draft Kosar. Teams implored NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to reverse the trade between the Browns and the Bills. The quarterback’s agent warned that he would sue the league if Kosar was forced to enter the traditional draft.Ultimately, Rozelle gave Kosar the choice between the two drafts, and the quarterback announced he was skipping the 1985 NFL Draft and entering the Supplemental Draft, where the Browns used their first selection to draft the quarterback.The 1989 NFL Supplemental Draft was notable for having three players selected in the first round — quarterbacks Steve Walsh and Timm Rosenbach, and running back Bobby Humphrey.To date, 46 players have been selected in an NFL Supplemental Draft, with safety Jalen Thompson in 2019 the most recent selection. Of those 46 players only one, wide receiver Cris Carter, has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Carter was suspended before his senior season for signing with an agent.How does the order work in the Supplemental Draft?The chaos around Kosar in 1985 forced the league to adjust how the order is determined for the Supplemental Draft.Previously, the order for the NFL Draft was the same as the order for the Supplemental Draft, but in the wake of Kosar, the league implemented the quasi-random ordering process that is in place today. Teams are divided into three pools — non-playoff teams with six or fewer wins, non-playoff teams with seven or more wins, and then the playoff teams — and teams “bid” on players, indicating in which round they would select that player. If no other team places a bid on a player in an earlier spot, then the team that placed the bid is awarded the player, and forfeits an equivalent pick in the next NFL Draft.So when the Arizona Cardinals drafted Jalen Thompson in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft, they forfeited a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.Why might Brendan Sorsby need the NFL Supplemental Draft?All of this leads us to Brendan Sorsby.Last year at Cincinnati, Sorsby completed nearly 62% of his passes for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, against just five interceptions. He also added another 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the Bearcats. But he announced in December of last year that he was transferring, and became one of the most sought-after players in the portal. In fact, ESPN rated Sorsby as the top player in the transfer portal.In January, after visiting Texas Tech and LSU, Sorsby announced he was joining the Red Raiders, with projections indicating he might surpass $5 million in NIL money.Even in a crowded quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft, Sorsby was one of the favorites for a first-round pick next year. Consider this list from the various “way too early” mock drafts:USA TODAY Sports: No. 13 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersPro Football Focus: No. 8 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersCBS Sports: No. 8 overall, Pittsburgh SteelersBleacher Report: No. 10 overall, Atlanta FalconsNJ.com: No. 4 overall, Cleveland BrownsThen came word in late April that Sorsby was stepping away from Texas Tech to enter into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. A report from ESPN outlined that Sorsby made “thousands” of online bets across various sports via a gambling app, including games on Indiana football while Sorsby was a reserve quarterback for the Hoosiers. ESPN reported that Sorsby’s bets in 2022 were on Indiana to win games, and those bets did not include the one game where Sorsby saw the field for the Hoosiers.See if you can tell, courtesy of NFL Mock Draft Database, when this news emerged:Sorsby has not been ruled ineligible for the 2026 college football season, and the NCAA said in a statement to USA Today that the governing body would not comment on an ongoing investigation. But if he is ruled ineligible by the NCAA in the coming weeks, then the NFL Supplemental Draft would be an option for him.And as you can see from the above, there is still a belief that if Sorsby is allowed to play next year, he would be a first-round pick, based on the early mock drafts for next year.However, the clock is ticking. Sorsby has until June 22 to apply for the 2026 Supplemental Draft, and then the league would review the circumstances regarding his application. As noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sorsby has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to try and maintain his college eligibility and perhaps speed up the process and/or negotiate a settlement on a suspension.Which brings us to the latest development.The injunction request, and what happens nextThis story took another turn on Monday.As first reported by ESPN Sorsby, through his attorneys, has filed for an injunction against the NCAA in Lubbock, Texas. In the filing, according to ESPN, Sorsby alleges that he is “currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA’s sports gambling rules” and that he would be “irreparably harmed” if the injunction were not granted.It is worth noting that the NCAA has not issued any public statement, nor has the governing body made any penalty public. This would seem to indicate that Sorsby has been notified privately of a potential penalty from the NCAA.In the injunction filing, which SB Nation has reviewed, Sorsby alleges that he suffers from a “clinically diagnosed” gambling disorder, and further states that is a “mental health condition.” The filing also alleges that the NCAA has “weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it policies.”Furthermore, the filing states that:When Mr. Sorsby took accountability for his NCAA gambling rules violations (which undisputedly did not raise any integrity issues, i.e., his bets did not threaten the fairness, honesty, and/or transparency of athletic competitions, or otherwise influence the outcome or athlete performance in those competitions), entered residential treatment, and offered to accept reasonable discipline (but not a full loss of eligibility for the upcoming season at Texas Tech), the NCAA responded not with the compassion its constitution (“Constitution” or “NCAA Constitution”) demands, but with stonewalling, pretextual information demands, delay, and silence. This is not what Texas law or common decency requires.The filing also notes that “[t]ime is of the essence.” Specifically, Sorsby is in the final year of eligiblity, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that, once lost, can never be recovered.”Sorsby, through his attorneys, notes that:If the NCAA refuses to reinstate him and he is not awarded temporary relief, Mr. Sorsby’s only alternative is the NFL Supplemental Draft, which requires him to opt in—and forgo any effort to restore his remaining college eligibility—by June 22, 2026. The NCAA has manufactured an impossible bind: it delays its reinstatement decision while the NFL deadline closes in, forcing Mr. Sorsby to choose between surrendering college eligibility he wants to retain, while risking the loss of a full year of competitive football entirely. This is not equity. Mr. Sorsby has diligently pursued every alternative avenue for relief, but he is not obligated to continue doing so in light of the irreparable harm he now faces. Only this Court can hold the NCAA to its own rules—and provide Mr. Sorsby and Texas Tech the timely relief they are owed.The request for an injunction also seeks a hearing no later than June 15, so that “the Court has the opportunity to render a decision on his request for a temporary injunction prior to June 22, when Mr. Sorsby must determine whether to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft.” #Brendan #Sorsbys #gambling #allegations #college #football #career #NFL #Supplemental #Draft")
