No. 8 Texas Tech lost 37-24 to Cincinnati on Saturday in a Big 12 matchup that carried extra weight after a season-long dispute between the Red Raiders and the Bearcats over former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Texas Tech trailed 24-6 at halftime after an uneven offensive performance that included two turnovers and just six points in the first half. The game was not close after the opening 10 minutes, according to Fox News’ Outkick, which covered the matchup.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire turned to quarterback Will Hammond for the game after Sorsby was ruled ineligible for the season because of a gambling-related situation. Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati after the 2025 season, was later the subject of an NCAA investigation tied to thousands of bets placed during his college career, including some made while he played at Indiana. Those bets were flagged by law enforcement and turned over to the NCAA.
Before the investigation became public, Cincinnati’s athletic department had sued Sorsby over a buyout tied to a contract he signed with the school. Sorsby then filed his own lawsuit against the NCAA in Lubbock district court, where a judge granted an injunction that initially allowed him to play for Texas Tech this season.
That ruling drew pushback from across college athletics. The Big 12 conference began exploring ways to sanction Texas Tech over Sorsby’s participation, prompting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to warn the conference in a letter that the state would sue if Texas Tech were punished. The Big 12 was prepared to file its own federal lawsuit to enforce its rules, a move that led Texas Tech to stop pushing for Sorsby to play.
Texas Tech had assembled a roster valued at more than $35 million through the transfer portal, with mega-booster Cody Campbell promoting the team’s championship aspirations in the offseason. Saturday’s loss, however, leaves Texas Tech outside the current conference-title picture, with No. 2 BYU, No. 10 Utah and No. 14 Houston all playing well this season.
Texas Tech’s next game is against Arizona, a matchup considered the team’s toughest remaining test on paper as it tries to stay in Big 12 title contention.
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