The NCAA is not expected to punish Cincinnati over the Brendan Sorsby gambling case, according to a Wednesday report from the Cincinnati Enquirer.
That would close off one of the possible fallout lines from a saga that has already touched Texas Tech, Cincinnati and Indiana. Sorsby, the former Cincinnati starting quarterback, drew scrutiny after reports surfaced following spring football that he had checked himself into a rehabilitation facility to treat an addiction. The issue involved large volumes of smaller wagers on Indiana football during his time with the Hoosiers.
Texas Tech had brought Sorsby in as its replacement for Behren Morton in January, then spent months trying to keep him eligible. At one point, Sorsby won a temporary injunction against the NCAA in district court, clearing him to play for the Red Raiders after serving a two-game suspension. He later chose to declare for the NFL's supplemental draft at the end of June.
Cincinnati was pulled into the investigation in July, when the NCAA sent the school a letter of inquiry asking about any knowledge of Sorsby's gambling issue. Scott Satterfield and his staff recruited Sorsby out of the NCAA transfer portal in the 2024 offseason to be their next starting quarterback, and if they had known about the gambling, the Bearcats could have been staring down serious NCAA penalties.
Those penalties could have included vacated wins, scholarship reductions or even a postseason ban. Coaches can also face multiple-game suspensions for knowingly playing a player who gambled on a game, and more severe punishment can come in the form of show-cause penalties that make it difficult for them to land another job for a long stretch.
Sorsby said he placed the majority of those bets while serving as Indiana’s backup quarterback, adding that it made him feel more connected with the game while he was on the bench.
Of the three programs tied to Sorsby, Indiana appears to be the least exposed to punishment. He transferred to Cincinnati in the 2024 offseason, the same offseason the Hoosiers moved on from head coach Tom Allen, leaving Curt Cignetti and his staff without any connection to Sorsby.
In Other News...
Terry Francona Just Clarified What Comes Next For Hunter Greene
Hunter Greenes season ended far earlier than anyone around the Reds wanted, and now the focus shifts from missed starts to the long rehab process that comes next. Greene is expected back at the ballpark Monday to begin therapy with the teams trainers after an elbow injury cut short his 2026 campaign, a setback that only deepens the rotation issues Cincinnati has been dealing with for much of the year.
Greene made five starts before the injury, giving the Reds a brief glimpse of what their staff could have been if the right-hander had stayed healthy. Instead, the club is left sorting through another blow to a starting group that has already been hit hard, and the timeline now stretches well beyond this season, with Greene unavailable for 2027 as well. [Read more 🡒]
Edwin Arroyo Is Running Out Of Time To Answer One Reds Question
Edwin Arroyos age still works in his favor, but the clock is starting to tick for a Reds infield question that has been hanging around all season. The 23-year-old has the kind of defensive profile Cincinnati likes, and his track record at Triple-A Louisville suggests there is still a player there to believe in, even after a rocky 2026 major league stint. Through 49 games, Arroyo has not done much with the bat, and the lack of offensive traction has kept him from claiming the bigger role the Reds have been trying to sort out.
The latest sign of how unsettled the picture remains came with Cincinnatis minor-league deal for Orlando Arcia, another name that can provide infield depth if needed. For Arroyo, the issue is no longer just whether he belongs in the conversation, but how much runway he has left to answer it before the focus shifts fully toward 2027. The Reds will keep watching closely, because his glove keeps him in the mix, even if his bat has yet to give them the kind of certainty they want. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Face One Offseason Question After Another Fastball Warning
Jose Trevinos go-ahead single against the Padres on Sept. 1 was a useful reminder that even a lineup with modest offensive production can still come through in the biggest moments. But for the Reds, one timely hit does not change the larger picture: this offense has had trouble handling premium velocity, and the numbers against pitches of 95 mph or higher have left the club near the bottom of the league in key categories. It is the kind of issue that tends to linger deeper into a season, especially when opposing staffs know they can keep leaning on the fastball.
As the offseason begins to take shape, the Reds are left weighing what has to change to close that gap. Coaching adjustments are part of the conversation, and so are roster moves, because this has been more than a short-term slump. The challenge now is finding hitters who can do more than survive those at-bats and building an approach that keeps the lineup from being rushed out of innings by the leagues hardest throwers. [Read more 🡒]