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mark schlabach
multiple authors
cincinnati Former quarterback sued Brendan Sorsby Allegations in federal court Wednesday that he breached his void contract with the Bearcats when he refused to pay a $1 million exit fee. transferred To texas tech.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, demands $1 million in compensation, which the school said Sorsby is contractually obligated to pay within 30 days of the transfer.
In the complaint, Cincinnati’s lawyers said the quarterback’s representative “advised that Sorsby refuses to pay anything to the university.”
Sorsby has reportedly signed a void deal with the Red Raiders that will pay him between $4 million to $6 million this season.
“In his attractive void agreement with the Cincinnati Athletics, Brandon Sorsby committed to stay and play for two seasons as a proud Bearcat representative,” the university said in a statement Wednesday. “He also agreed that if he left the University before that time, he would pay the University a specific sum for the substantial damages suffered by his breach.
“Cincinnati Athletics intends to enforce that contractual commitment. As stewards of the university’s resources, the athletics department has a duty to do so. We thank Brandon for his time at Cincinnati and wish him success in the future.”
The lawsuit says Sorsby signed an 18-month, voidable contract with the Bearcats, covering the 2025 and 2026 seasons. It was scheduled to expire on December 15, 2026.
The university claims Soursby informed the football team on December 1 that he was done playing for the Bearcats and would not compete in post-season play against them. navy Jan. 2 at AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Sorsby entered the transfer portal on 2 January and almost immediately signed a void deal with the Red Raiders.
The lawsuit claims Soursby violated the terms of his void deal with Cincinnati when his image appeared on a large digital billboard in New York’s Times Square announcing his commitment to Texas Tech.
Sorsby, a senior from Denton, Texas, was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the transfer portal. After playing his first two seasons IndianaHe started the last two seasons with Cincinnati.
In 2025, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 2,800 yards with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 580 yards with nine scores, helping the Bearcats’ record to 7–5.
Cincinnati claims that although it paid Soursby a substantial amount last season, “it did so with the express expectation that he would realize the majority of the benefits during the next season, 2026, as Soursby’s game develops and his brand grows.”
“Despite a clear contractual obligation to do so, and despite his ability to pay, Sorsby still has not paid the University the $1 million he agreed to pay,” the lawsuit said. “Soursby has benefited greatly from the NIL agreement it entered into with the University, as well as from the University’s continued efforts to promote him and help establish him as a top collegiate quarterback. Now, the University seeks to enforce its rights under the same agreement and recover the amounts Soursby is contractually obligated to pay.”
In a statement later Wednesday night, Sorsby’s agent said the QB would fight the lawsuit, calling it “misguided.”
Ron Slavin of Lift Management said, “The University of Cincinnati, through its revenue-share structure, paid him $875,800 for a fully completed season and in that time, he generated millions in value for the program.” “Attempting to recover those funds now sends the wrong message to current and future student-athletes and risks damaging the long-term credibility of Cincinnati football. It is even more disappointing that Brandon severed ties with UC in a mutually agreeable manner. The money the university seeks to recover from him is nothing more than an unlawful penalty under Ohio law.”
Cincinnati is not the first college athletics program to sue a former player for void contract breaking and liquidated damages following a transfer. In December, Georgia sues former edge rusher Damon Wilson for $390,000 in damages after he moved missouri After the 2024 season.
Georgia asked a judge to force Wilson into arbitration to settle the dispute. Wilson sued Georgia in Missouri court, alleging that the Bulldogs had “weaponized” a liquidated damages clause in an unenforceable manner to “punish Wilson for entering the portal.”
Wilson Moved to Miami in January After playing one season for the Tigers.
duke officer filed a lawsuit against former quarterback Darian Mensah on January 20 in an effort to prevent him from transferring to Miami and attempting to enforce the multiyear void contract he signed with the Blue Devils.
Party An undisclosed agreement was reached on 27 JanuaryWhich allowed Mensah to join the Storm.
