jili tutorial

Former Texas Tech Player Roy Alexander Sues NCAA Over Sports Betting Suspension

By jili tutorial · September 3, 2026

Former Texas Tech Player Roy Alexander Sues NCAA Over Sports Betting Suspension

Another college athlete is taking the NCAA to court over a gambling-related suspension. Former Texas Tech wide receiver Roy Alexander has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a six-game ban for sports betting he placed during his college career. The case follows a similar legal challenge from another Texas Tech athlete earlier this year.

Lawsuit Seeks Injunction to Return to the Field

Alexander filed his complaint on August 19 in Bexar County District Court in Texas, according to ESPN. The lawsuit argues that the NCAA breached its contract with the former player. It also requests an injunction that would allow him to play earlier in what remains of his final season of eligibility.

The filing acknowledges that Alexander violated NCAA rules by placing sports bets between January 2023 and April 2025 while playing at Albany and Incarnate Word. However, the complaint emphasizes that he never wagered on games involving his own teams. As a result, his attorneys argue, he did not compromise the integrity of competition.

According to ESPN, most of Alexander’s bets were for less than $12. His largest single wager was $80. He stopped betting entirely in April 2025 after reading an ESPN article about the risks of sports wagering among college athletes.

“While Roy has taken accountability for his actions, ceasing to stop wagering on his own, the [NCAA] dealt him a six-game suspension which is wholly unreasonable in light of the conduct,” the lawsuit states.

Alexander transferred to Texas Tech in January 2026. The lawsuit alleges the school reported his previous gambling activity after he transferred. He has since returned to Incarnate Word and played in the school’s August 29 opener against Oklahoma Panhandle State. He was allowed to play because that game was against an NAIA opponent and did not count toward postseason eligibility.

NCAA Defends Sports Betting Rules

The NCAA defended its enforcement of sports betting restrictions in a statement to ESPN.

“The Association stands by these rules — which were recently upheld and supported by the majority of Division I schools — and we will continue to defend against threats to avoid accountability and undermine these common sense standards,” the NCAA said.

Division I, II, and III schools voted last November to continue the NCAA’s prohibition on athletes and athletics department staff betting on professional sports. The vote reversed a previously approved change that would have permitted pro sports betting while maintaining restrictions on college sports.

Alexander Follows Sorsby in Challenging NCAA Betting Penalty

Alexander’s lawsuit follows a similar challenge from former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby also went to court after the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible over gambling violations. Sorsby was found to have placed thousands of wagers totaling at least $90,000 during his college career, including 40 bets on Indiana football while he was a member of the team. His representatives maintained that he never wagered on games in which he played.

The NCAA’s proposed change to its professional sports betting rules also became part of Sorsby’s legal challenge. Sorsby argued that the proposal showed the existing rules were overbroad. The NCAA countered that he would have remained ineligible under the proposed framework because his violations included betting on his own team.

A Texas judge granted Sorsby a temporary injunction in June. That allowed him to return, subject to a two-game suspension, while preventing the NCAA from fully enforcing its eligibility decision. Sorsby withdrew the lawsuit days later and petitioned to enter the NFL through a supplemental draft. However, the league declined to hold one, citing integrity concerns surrounding his gambling history. Sorsby later decided not to challenge that decision and will be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft.

The Sorsby case spread beyond himself and Texas Tech. The Big 12 sued the school over its authority to impose sanctions if it chose to play him. Additionally, the NCAA opened an investigation into the University of Cincinnati to determine whether it was aware of Sorsby’s conduct.

Alexander now follows Sorsby in turning to the courts to challenge an NCAA betting penalty. If successful, the case could provide another pathway for athletes facing similar NCAA discipline to challenge those penalties in court.