A previous player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football program has taken legal action against the NCAA due to a suspension related to sports betting.
Court documents in Texas reveal that Roy Alexander filed a complaint against the NCAA in Bexar County District Court on Aug. 19, 2026. Represented by Desi Martinez, Alexander contends that his six-game suspension for making minor sports bets was too severe.
Alexander admits to breaking the NCAA’s sports betting rules, which prohibit student-athletes from betting on any sports, including professional leagues. Alexander played just three games with Texas Tech before transferring to Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
During his time at Albany, Alexander admits to placing small bets on college sports from 2023 to 2025, with most bets under $12 and the largest at $80. He states in the complaint that he never bet on games in which he played, and once he realized he was violating NCAA rules, he immediately stopped.
Court Petitioned for Relief
Alexander is seeking to have his suspension lifted or postponed so he can participate in his final year of eligibility with the Incarnate Word Cardinals. Martinez argues that the NCAA’s punishment was excessive.
While Roy has taken accountability for his actions, ceasing wagering on his own, the NCAA dealt him a six-game suspension, which is wholly unreasonable in light of the conduct,” the suit alleges, as first reported by ESPN.
Alexander played in Incarnate Word’s first game on Aug. 29, catching one pass for four yards. He was allowed to play in this game because the Cardinals competed against Oklahoma Panhandle State, an NAIA opponent that the NCAA exempted from the six-game suspension.
The NCAA has stated its intent to defend the suspension in Texas court.
The Association stands by these rules, which were recently upheld and supported by the majority of Division I schools, and we will continue to defend against threats to avoid accountability and undermine these common sense standards,” the NCAA said in a statement to ESPN.
Alexander’s situation is reminiscent of the case of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who sued the NCAA after being declared permanently ineligible due to thousands of sports bets made while playing for Indiana and Cincinnati. Sorsby dropped his lawsuit when the Red Raiders informed him that he would not be part of the team regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome.
NCAA Sports Betting Regulations
The NCAA Manual prohibits individuals involved in college athletics from engaging in any form of sports betting. This ban applies to student-athletes, athletics department staff, and university employees with responsibilities within or over the athletics department, including presidents and chancellors.