Sports

Texas Tech Mega-Booster Denies Claim Of $1 Million Crusade To Vilify Cincinnati

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iStockphoto / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images


Mega-booster Cody Campbell has the money to do pretty much whatever he wants as it relates to Texas Tech. His wealth has provided pull in the world of NIL. He has the ability to single-handedly control certain narratives.

Last year, that included reforming the Red Raiders’ image as a national title contender in college football. No longer are they considered a tier below their Lone Star State brethren. That is the direct result of his investment in the team.

This offseason, some have alluded to potential shadiness surrounding that power. It was alleged that he’d spent big-time money to bring down a rival, with the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal at the center of the accusation.

Is the mega-booster campaigning to vilify Cincinnati?

The idea was floated by a college football account on social media. A now-deleted post read as follows:

Texas Tech’s primary investor, Cody Campbell, is reportedly funding a $1 million PR campaign to push claims that Cincinnati was aware of (Brendan) Sorsby’s gambling situation…

Campbell is actively funding news outlets and Twitter (X) accounts to amplify this narrative.

-@CollegeFBPortal / X

The OP, without sourcing, suggested that Campbell was paying news sites and social media accounts to turn attention on the Bearcats.

It was an engagement post, which caught the booster’s eye. He quickly denied the false reporting.

What is Cincinnati’s involvement in the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal?

Sorsby, a transfer quarterback that spurned the NFL Draft to play at Texas Tech, is under investigation for sports betting. His alleged gambling activity dates back to 2022 as a freshman.

At the time, the passer was a reserve at Indiana where he signed as a three-star prospect. He later transferred to Cincinnati.

Sorsby is believed to have bet on Indiana games while a Hoosier, though none that he competed in. He is also said to have made upwards of 10,000 wagers over the last four years.

At one time, the right to gamble on professional sports was allowed to college athletes. The NCAA has since hardened its stance. Betting on your own sport and team has always been illegal.

Sorsby violated that rule by wagering on the Hoosiers. He could face consequences in the form of eligibility loss.

With the news going public, the quarterback entered a gambling addiction program. New details in the investigation continue to come to light.

One most recent report claimed that the Bearcats were informed of Sorsby’s history before the 2025 season. They did nothing, allowing the passer to start all 12 games.

Given the Big 12 ties, as well as an ongoing buyout lawsuit pertaining to Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech, Cincinnati was a person of interest as a potential source for the leak. Did they go public after being spurned?

We don’t know definitively, which brings us back to the claims made against Cody Campbell.

The Bearcats are directly tied to Brendan Sorsby and his gambling habit, but not because of the booster. Instead, it is due to their alleged lack of institutional control. Campbell is not pushing a narrative nor paying for Cincinnati’s downfall.

He wanted to make that clear to social media followers. He’ll spend his money in ways that better benefit Texas Tech.