Texas Tech is clearly an enemy of the state right now following an injunction being granted to quarterback Brendan Sorsby that will allow him to play in the upcoming season even though he admitted to placing a variety of bets on his own team.
Over the past three days, we have seen pushback from schools across the Big 12 and college football regarding the decision from a Texas judge.
Now, that conversation has centered on whether schools would schedule Texas Tech for future games in all sports.
TEXAS TECH’S BRENDAN SORSBY WON ROUND 2, BUT THE NCAA IS COMING BACK SWINGING IN LANDMARK CASE
But, what has caught the eye of college football fans in recent days has been the overwhelming shock that someone who placed multiple bets on their own team, along with plenty of other wagers, would be allowed to play this season after the NCAA had already ruled Sorsby ineligible.
After filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, and arguing that the organization was not doing its contractually obligated duties of taking care of the student athlete rather than punishing him, Judge Ken Curry ruled that there was ‘irreparable harm’ for Sorsby and that he would be allowed to play this upcoming season after sitting out the opening two games.
Appearing on the Dan Dakich show Wednesday, Texas Tech megabooster Cody Campbell was asked when actual integrity comes into the fold, with the Red Raiders’ potentially taking care of Sorsby but not allowing him to play.
“There are kids that are playing and have gotten DUIs that have beaten up women, their kids that have committed horrible acts,” Campbell responded. “You know, I mean, nobody boycotted to play Penn State a few years ago when that horrible situation happened there.
CODY CAMPBELL UNLOADS ON BRENDAN SORSBY CRITICS AS TEXAS TECH EMBRACES VILLAIN ROLE
When asked about why he thinks schools are wanting to boycott games against Texas Tech in this particular situation, based on the integrity of the game, Cody Campbell pointed toward the disdain for the Red Raiders football program in their fight for relevance in the current era.
“It’s because the college football world doesn’t think that Texas Tech should be as good as we are. You know, we’ve this we’ve been a disruptor, just like Indiana has,” Cody Campbell said. “And so we’re a target, and we have been before any of this started. Now, the volume has gone way up, and a lot of it’s been directed at me and Coach McGuire, and our university. But, that’s not fair. If this had happened in LSU, you know people would say ‘ahh it’s LSU, you know they’re always going to kind of do what they do and’. But it happened at Texas Tech. And you know, people don’t want to compete with us.
“Of course ADs in the Big 12 are saying crazy things and, you know, saying they don’t want to play as well. They don’t want to play us because they know he’s good and they don’t want us to be as competitive. They want to have a better chance at winning the conference. So they’re, inherently conflicted in their opinion. So, we’re gonna do the right thing by this kid and follow the law.”
When asked whether he thinks courts will one day allow players to gamble on sports, as long as it’s not on their own team or performance, Cody Campbell noted that he does think that’s something which needs to be fixed.
“I don’t know what the courts are gonna say, but I do think that’s something that needs to be fixed. And, the only way it can be fixed is through congressional action, which is why I’ve been in D.C. and been working with Congress, working with the White House to try and fix these problems. As it stands today, they are what they are.”
I think it’s fair to say that Texas Tech has fully embraced the role of the villain, and I can’t say I blame them.
As for where this all goes next, that will come down to a panel of appeals court judges, and maybe even the Big 12 conference.
