Hello, welcome to your Thursday FOIAball. No time for chit chat, let’s dive right in.
How much does an NIL lawsuit cost?
This offseason, the University of Cincinnati became a member of a very select group: Schools that sued a former player over leaving their football program.
In mid-December 2025, then-Bearcat QB Brendan Sorsby announced he was entering the transfer portal. Although he considered the NFL, Sorsby instantly became the hottest commodity on the market.
It wasn’t long before he was scooped up. In early January 2026, Sorsby announced he was transferring to Texas Tech. According to On3, he was offered around $5 million to play in Lubbock.
Cincinnati did not go quietly. Six weeks later, the university filed a lawsuit against Sorsby, alleging he owed them a $1 million penalty.
The school hired an outside law firm to handle the litigation. FOIAball found out just how much the Bearcats are willing to pay to get their money.
And just for fun, we also found a little something about the lead counsel on the suit. At a time when players' allegiances are questioned whenever they act in their own best interest, the attorney is still named as a part of an NIL agency where he says he’s “dedicated to protecting the interests of the student-athlete” and fighting on their behalf with “ferocity.”
Fascinating.
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