Count IU football coach Curt Cignetti among the overwhelming majority who felt former Hoosiers quarterback Brendan Sorsby should not be allowed to play college football.
Cignetti holds that opinion despite getting to know Sorsby in 2023 — and liking him.
You know the story by now — Sorsby placed thousands of bets in violation of NCAA rules including at least 40 on his own Indiana team in 2022. After being banned by the NCAA, Sorsby received a court injunction that would have allowed him to play for Texas Tech. But under intense national scrutiny and pressure from the Big 12 Conference, Texas Tech and Sorsby decided to part ways as he heads to the NFL.
Cignetti saw a Texas judge deciding someone with Sorsby’s gambling history could play as the start of a potential crisis in the sport. And he welcomed this week’s news Sorsby won’t continue in the college game.
“I do think we’re at a tipping point,” Cignetti said Wednesday on The Rich Eisen Show. “I think some of the things that have happened in the last couple days were a real plus for college football. We need to move forward in a positive direction.”
Cignetti clarified he wasn’t necessarily suggesting he was happy to see Sorsby specifically eliminated from college football. After all, the pair crossed paths in 2023. Sorsby’s last game at IU was also Tom Allen’s last game as head coach. Sorsby was on his way out in Bloomington as Cignetti was just getting started. He entered the transfer portal after the coaching change.
“I know Brendan a little bit,” Cignetti said. “He was actually in the program for about a week and a half when I was hired.”
“I think he’s an outstanding quarterback and a great kid, and I think he’s going to be a great pro with the proper support to overcome some of the issues he’s had. I think he’s got a lot of talent. There’ll be an NFL team that’ll be real happy to have him.”
So what does the IU head coach want see to avoid another Sorsby-like situation?
He’s been reluctant to get into the weeds on the myriad issues facing college sports. Collective bargaining? An anti-trust exemption? He’s not getting into all of that.
But Cignetti knows what the end result needs to look like.
“The NCAA needs to be able to enforce rules, and the courts have made it impossible for them to do that,” he said.
“There’s got to be somebody in power to make the rules and enforce the rules.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
