Urban Meyer calls out politicians, sports books following Brendan Sorsby betting scandal: 'You're an idiot if you make gambling legal for young people'

Nearly two weeks after it was revealed that Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is in jeopardy of having his eligibility stripped following a sports betting scandal, College Football Hall of Famer Urban Meyer is expressing his displeasure with surrounding factors.

On the latest episode of the Triple Option Podcast, Meyer went after politicians and sports books for making online sports gambling so accessible for young adults. Sports betting was legalized nationwide in May 2018, allowing adults 18-and-up to place wagers on sports all across the country. It was obviously implemented that collegiate athletes who bet on their own games would face a litany of issues, and that seems to be the case with Sorsby.

“I’ve got a real issue with it,” Meyer said. “What the hell are people thinking making gambling legal for young people to stick on their phones? And they say ‘you’re allowed to gamble this, but don’t go here.’ I mean, I’d love to meet the politicians. What are you thinking, you dumbass? ‘Let’s make this legal and drugs legal.’ I know people in the FBI and they say 1000% or some number that’s hard to comprehend of young people that are under 21 and 18 years old are addicted to gambling now. They stare at their phone and you ask ‘what are you doing?’ And they’re gambling.”

On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed that Sorsby placed bets on Indiana while on the Hoosiers’ roster in 2022. He also attended Cincinnati Reds games on repeated occasions, and placed live wagers on balls and strikes, sources told Nakos. The bets ranged anywhere from $2.50 to less than $1 per pitch.

Urban Meyer calls out Brendan Sorsby, but goes after ‘idiots that make [sports betting] legal’

Sorsby’s gambling has not drawn any attention from law enforcement, nor has it been linked to any attempting influencing of the outcome of games. It is reportedly just a steady flurry of small bets over a period of time. As of now, there is no timetable on Sorsby’s treatment nor any additional information on his potential return to the Texas Tech football program. This could jeopardize his eligibility, as noted below.

“Here’s the difference… back in the day, you asked ‘was this a big problem’. It wasn’t, because it was illegal. It was easy to monitor. How do you monitor it now? I guess you can because this player is in trouble, but you throw temptation at a 19-20 year old that now has a lot of money in his pocket. It’s certainly his fault and he’s going to pay a hell of a price, and so is that coach (Joey McGuire) and that team (Texas Tech).”

NCAA guidelines from 2023 on sports betting say: “Student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”

“He’s a hell of a player, but my appeal is ‘what are you doing?’ You idiots make that stuff legal,” Meyer continued. “You’re an idiot if you make gambling legal for young people. That’s wrong.”

If Sorsby is deemed ineligible to play this season, that would elevate QB2 Will Hammond to Texas Tech‘s starter this season. Across two seasons as Cincinnati‘s starter, Sorsby passed for 5,613 yards and 45 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this article.