Published on: June 26, 2026, 09:00h.

Updated on: June 26, 2026, 09:11h.

• The CFL has prohibited Brendan Sorsby from joining the league, highlighting gambling allegations and the importance of competitive fairness.
• Sorsby forfeited his NCAA eligibility after acknowledging sports betting, which included wagers on his own team while playing for Indiana.
• This CFL ruling follows the NFL’s cancellation of the 2026 Supplemental Draft, further complicating Sorsby’s return to professional football.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has declared it will not permit Brendan Sorsby to enter the league, marking yet another challenge for the college quarterback caught up in a gambling scandal.

CFL Highlights Integrity in Sorsby Ruling

“Maintaining the league’s integrity and ensuring fair competition are top priorities for the CFL,” the league stated in an official press release sent to Casino.org.

The allegations surrounding Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. Therefore, the CFL will not approve any contract for him, nor will any team be allowed to add him to their negotiation list.

At 22, Sorsby, a highly regarded quarterback, acknowledged placing thousands of bets during his college tenure, having played for Indiana University, the University of Cincinnati, and Texas Tech—admitting to wagering on his own team while with the Indiana Hoosiers from 2022-23.

Betting Issues Terminated His Texas Tech Journey

NCAA regulations strictly prohibit student-athletes from betting on any NCAA-sanctioned sport, both at the college or professional level. Bets placed on their own team or another team from the same institution result in a permanent ineligibility penalty.

As a result, Sorsby was deemed permanently ineligible by the NCAA, which barred him from playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders after transferring there with a reported $5 million NIL deal in December.

Sorsby subsequently sought legal action, and on June 8, a U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing him to resume his college football career.

Pressure from the Big 12 Led Sorsby to Shift Focus

However, teams within the Big 12 Conference responded by aggressively filing a lawsuit that aimed to declare that they would enforce their own regulations and punish Texas Tech if they started Sorsby.

Consequently, Sorsby dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA and announced his intention to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, seeking a spot on an NFL team.

The NFL Supplemental Draft is a unique opportunity held during the summer for college players who have encountered unexpected circumstances after the regular draft declaration deadline—like losing NCAA eligibility or departing from school abruptly—to enter the NFL.

NFL and CFL Opportunities Diminish After Supplemental Draft’s Cancellation

On June 23, the NFL revealed it would not conduct the Supplemental Draft this year. In correspondence from the NFL Management Council’s General Counsel, Lawrence Ferazani, Sorsby was informed that his situation raised serious questions about competitive integrity, while being invited to prepare for a potential entry into the 2027 NFL Draft.

The letter criticized Sorsby for not displaying accountability for his actions or indicating whether he would adhere to the NFL’s competition integrity rules.

This left the CFL as one of the few remaining options for Sorsby to continue his football career this year. However, he had not made any firm commitment to play in Canada.

The CFL, a professional football league with nine teams, has been operational for 68 years and is known for providing opportunities to players with controversial pasts or those whose NFL dreams didn’t pan out. Johnny Manziel, a former Heisman Trophy winner with personal issues, is a notable recent example who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2018.

The CFL season commenced on June 4 and will continue through to the Grey Cup game on November 15.