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NCAA President Says Texas Court Ruling on Quarterback Eligibility Prompted Similar Request Elsewhere
NCAA president Charlie Baker stated that a Texas judge's injunction for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has produced additional eligibility requests. Baker cited a South Carolina court order granting Clemson wide receiver Tristan Smith a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
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NCAA president Charlie Baker said a Texas judge's injunction allowing Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to compete this season has produced further eligibility challenges. In a social media post on June 13, Baker shared a South Carolina court ruling that granted Clemson wide receiver Tristan Smith a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
He had played two seasons at a junior college in 2022 and 2023. The NCAA issued a blanket waiver for the 2025-26 academic year covering athletes whose junior-college careers would otherwise have ended, but the waiver did not extend to 2026-27. Smith argued the NCAA had granted similar waivers to other athletes in comparable situations.
Under South Carolina law, a temporary restraining order requires showing immediate irreparable harm, likelihood of success on the merits, and no adequate legal remedy.
Baker called for Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act, which would allow the NCAA to apply eligibility rules uniformly regardless of state or local court systems. Legal analyst Michael McCann stated that the Texas order is non-final and carries no precedent outside Lubbock County, Texas.
