Where does SEC stand on Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech ruling? Auburn’s John Cohen weighs in
John Cohen made the comments Wednesday during a radio appearance.
Olivia Bennett 
The college football landscape remains in a state of high alert as stakeholders digest the recent Brendan Sorsby ruling. The fallout has been swift, with schools like Nebraska and Georgia, along with programs across the Big 12 Conference, reportedly distancing themselves from scheduling Texas Tech.
Auburn AD Weighs In
Auburn athletic director John Cohen addressed the situation Wednesday during an appearance on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5. While noting that the SEC had not held a formal, planned discussion on the matter, Cohen suggested the topic is inevitable for upcoming meetings.
“How can it not, right?” Cohen said. He emphasized that bypassing established NCAA authority for local judicial intervention sets a dangerous precedent for the sport. “If that’s how it’s going to be, we will never have any rules. And that’s not the world that I want to exist in.”
Concerns Over Irreparable Harm
The controversy stems from a temporary injunction issued Monday that allows Sorsby to play this season despite his previous permanent ineligibility declaration from the NCAA. Sorsby, who admitted to placing thousands of wagers on college sports—including 40 bets on his own team during his time at Indiana—is set to serve only a two-game suspension against Abilene Christian and Oregon State as part of a arrangement facilitated by a Lubbock County judge.
Cohen pushed back against the logic used in the court’s decision regarding "irreparable harm" to the athlete. “How about the harm of all the fans that went in charge? The fans who cheered for somebody who was betting on games?” Cohen asked. “Are the other student athletes to be played against and played with? Do they have a case to say that we were irreparably harmed?”
With a trial scheduled for Feb. 8 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County—the same court that granted Sorsby a temporary injunction—it appears Sorsby is poised to compete through the 2026 campaign without further legal obstacles.
