--- title: "Sports Betting Scandals Are Tearing College Football Apart" description: "The rise of gambling platforms like DraftKings and Polymarket has supercharged a timeless phenomenon: sports stars ruining their careers by placing bets on their own games." date: "2026-06-01" modified: "2026-06-01" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/sports-betting-scandals-college-football" categories: - "Finance" - "Future Society" --- # Sports Betting Scandals Are Tearing College Football Apart ![Illustration of a deflated football on a field of orange.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Shutterstock* The rise of gambling platforms like DraftKings and Polymarket has supercharged a timeless phenomenon: sports stars ruining their careers by placing bets on their own games. The latest case rocking the world of college sports is instructive. According to reporting [from *Fox News*](), Texas Tech star quarterback Brendan Sorsby is seeking an injunction in a Texas district court after the National Collegiate Athletic Association suspended him over hundreds of bets he's placed throughout his four-year college football career, in direct violation of Association rules. If granted, the court order would functionally allow Sorsby to play football during his senior year — while his lawsuit against the NCAA works its way through the courts. Sorsby previously admitted to placing hundreds of bets worth some $90,000 through family members and friends, including on games he himself was playing in while at [Indiana University]() and [Texas Tech](). He allegedly helped himself to a buffet gambling apps — according to court filings, Sorsby frequented books hosted by FanDuel, Underdog, Prize Picks, and Hard Rock Bet. After the allegations came to light, the young QB went so far as to check himself into gambling rehab for several weeks, [*CBS Sports* reported](). "I want to be clear that I never bet to make money," Sorsby wrote in his court statement. "Given the money I had and earned from NIL \[[name, image, and likeness]()\], the total amount of money I made from 2022 to 2025 was not a big deal to me. I never kept track of my betting over time, but I'm pretty sure I lost more than I won." His case comes as college-aged men are increasingly [losing themselves]() to gambling on sports betting apps and prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, which are really just [betting parlors]() by another name. Back in January, the [*Associated Press* reported]() that federal investigators had closed in on a massive scheme to rig games for bettors by exploiting students playing in the NCAA as well as the Chinese Basketball Association. In Fall of 2025, two [separate]() [investigations]() uncovered at least nine student-athletes who had manipulated their on-court performance to make sure certain bets hit. At the time, the NCAA said it was looking into 30 separate violations allegedly committed by current or former players. Though the NCAA prohibits student athletes from betting on any game — whether they play in it or not — the culture around college sports is a breeding ground for gambling companies. Sportsbook advertise heavily in [NCAA-adjacent spaces](), for example, by partnering with broadcast networks like ESPN or even universities themselves. In a society where college students are [inundated with gambling ads]() — and prediction markets, not lawmakers [call the shots]() — who's really to blame when fledgling sports stars decide to join in on the fun? **More on sports:** *[Fans Aghast as New York Jets Say They're Switching to AI]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()