Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what’s next.
What They Didn’t Know Didn’t Hurt Them
Brendan Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, told a Dallas radio station on Wednesday that Cincinnati should be “questioned or catching heat” because the school knew about Sorsby’s gambling addiction for two years and did nothing about it.
Sorsby played for the Bearcats for two years, beginning in 2024. On Aug. 19, 2024, Cincinnati was alerted to Sorsby’s activity on PrizePicks, according to court documents obtained by ESPN’s David Purdum. The school questioned Sorsby after receiving the alert, and the quarterback said he had been denied access to the site and had not placed any wagers. According to the documents, Sorsby subsequently received sports wagering education, which closed the matter.
"We will reiterate what we have said before," Cincinnati said in a statement to ESPN. "All of our student-athletes receive extensive gambling education multiple times throughout the year, and we would never knowingly play an athlete who violated NCAA sports wagering regulations. If we ever became aware of impermissible wagering, we would report it to the NCAA and comply with sanctions."
Cincinnati uses a technology called ProhiBet to monitor for impermissible betting by student-athletes, coaches and other prohibited personnel. In response to a public records request by ESPN, Cincinnati said it received ProhiBet alerts involving six active student-athletes between January 2024 and February 2026. None of the six athletes was the subject of more than one alert, and none of the alerts was triggered by impermissible wagering. Student-athletes are prohibited from placing bets, including on fantasy sports sites, involving any NCAA-sanctioned sports.
Cincinnati is currently suing Sorsby for breach of contract after he transferred to Texas Tech this offseason. The school says it suffered more than $1 million in damages as a result of Sorsby’s transfer.
The Branch’s Brotherly Love
On Wednesday in Omaha, Oklahoma faced Georgia with a trip to the Men’s College World Series finals on the line. No matter who won, the Branch family was guaranteed to have a representative in the championship series, as Georgia senior shortstop Kolby Branch squared off against his younger brother, Oklahoma sophomore second baseman Kyle Branch.
Oklahoma defeated Georgia 11-4 to punch its ticket to the finals, sending Kyle on while ending Kolby's collegiate career. But the Georgia veteran made the most of his final at-bat.
The Branch parents were proud of that one
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 18, 2026
What a way to end your college career! Kolby Branch with the solo no-doubter #MCWS x ESPN / @BaseballUGA pic.twitter.com/4uJdVUbspg
As soon as the ball left Kolby's bat, Kyle's face lit up with a smile. The brothers shared a high-five as Kolby rounded the bases and crossed home plate one final time in a Georgia uniform.
Family over everything. #MCWS x @OU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/z0zB7eQl5g
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 18, 2026
To cap off the night, the umpiring crew presented Kolby and Kyle's parents with a special keepsake: lineup cards from both teams.
Might be the best thing I’ve seen from the MCWS.
— Ana Bellinghausen (@AnaBellMedia) June 18, 2026
The umpiring crew went out and found the Branch parents to give them the official lineups with both of their boys, Kolby (UGA) and Kyle (Oklahoma), on them.
They are the first brothers to be opponents in a starting MCWS lineup. pic.twitter.com/zrQcGgKf83
“We were saying goodbye to the team and the umpires came out and introduced themselves,” their father, Rusty Branch, told MLB.com's Theo DeRosa. “They said we'd like to bring you back, and they said we don't ever do this, but we thought this was a cool enough event, and they gave us the lineup cards for both teams.”
Oklahoma entered the Men’s College World Series finals against North Carolina needing one more win to secure the national championship. The Sooners took Game 1 and could clinch the title Sunday. First pitch was scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
New Look, New Huskers?
Ohio State isn't the only Big Ten school to unveil new uniforms this summer.
Nebraska officially revealed new home and away uniforms on Saturday. According to a Huskers press release, the new Adidas uniforms "feature updates inspired by classic Husker football design elements."
Every stitch tells our story.
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) June 21, 2026
The next chapter starts now. pic.twitter.com/D3PEx1ejwp
The jerseys feature two shoulder stripes, with player numbers moved to the sleeves as a nod to traditional football uniforms and the Huskers' championship history. The number font draws inspiration from the numbers engraved on steel anvils, while interior detailing reflects the crop rows that stretch across Nebraska's landscape, tying the design to the state's agricultural roots.
Nebraska's iconic helmet remains unchanged, and the Block 'N' logo will continue to appear on the front of the pants.
"Our partners with Adidas approached us about two years ago with updated uniform concepts to provide a modernized look," said Brandon Meier, Nebraska senior associate athletic director for marketing and multimedia. "We appreciate that Adidas recognized the natural connection between Nebraska football and agriculture and used that as inspiration for a design that is fitting of the hard work, grit and dedication of our state."
"Recruiting is undeniably the lifeblood of competitive success, and young kids want to wear something sleek, modern, fast and fashionable," deputy athletic director and chief operating officer Haven Fields said. "These updates will give a cutting-edge element to the iconic Nebraska brand. We are proud of the final product and excited for the 2026 season."
ICYMI
James Laurinaitis will ring the Victory Bell before Ohio State’s Sept. 26 home game against Illinois, Ryan Day revealed in a speech to official visitors last month.
OHIO STATE FIVE-STAR COMMIT LJ SMITH RECLASSIFYING, JOINS BUCKEYES FOR 2026-27 SEASON
Ohio State five-star guard commit LJ Smith is reclassifying to the 2026 class and joins the Buckeyes for the upcoming season, giving Ohio State two five-star freshmen.
Brady Edmunds has been committed to the Buckeyes for over 18 months, but UCLA’s pursuit and an upcoming Ohio State official visit have him evaluating his future.
What's Next
- 76 Days: Ohio State football season-opener vs. Ball State
- 118 Days: The Buckeyes face Indiana in Bloomington
- 160 Days: The Game
