The Cincinnati athletic department said it will enforce its contractual agreement with former quarterback Brendan Sorsby in an effort to recoup university resources, the school said in a statement Wednesday.
The Athletic and On3 both reported Wednesday that Cincinnati was set to file a $1 million lawsuit against Sorsby after the quarterback transferred to Texas Tech in January.
Sorsby signed a multi-year revenue-sharing agreement with Cincinnati in July of last year, before he revealed in December that he would transfer. On Jan. 5, three days after he entered the transfer portal, Sorsby committed to Texas Tech.
On3 reported that Sorsby signed a $5 million deal to play for the Red Raiders in 2026.
“Cincinnati athletics is proud to partner with its student-athletes and honors the contractual commitments it makes to them,” the Cincinnati athletic department said in a statement. “We expect student-athletes and their representatives to do the same. In his lucrative NIL agreement with Cincinnati Athletics, Brendan Sorsby committed to stay and play for two seasons as a proud Bearcat representative.
“He also agreed that if he left the university before that time, he would pay the university a specific amount for the substantial harm that his breach would cause. Cincinnati Athletics intends to enforce that contractual commitment. As stewards of the university’s resources, the Athletics Department has a duty to do so. We thank Brendan for his time at Cincinnati and wish him success in the future.”
Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns with five interceptions for Cincinnati last season. He also rushed for nine touchdowns.
Sorsby has three seasons of starting experience, one for Indiana in 2023 and two with Cincinnati.
Overall, Sorsby has passed for 7,208 career yards and 60 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He has 1,295 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground.
