Texas Tribune Reports Texas Tech Board Chair Donated $274,300 to Paxton Committee Before AG Intervention in Sorsby
The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday that Texas Tech University Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell contributed $274,300 to a fundraising committee supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton one day before Paxton’s office intervened in the legal dispute involving former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
Campaign finance records filed with the Federal Election Commission show Campbell made the June 10 contribution to Paxton Victory, a joint fundraising committee supporting Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign, according to the Tribune. The following day, Paxton’s office sent a letter warning the Big 12 Conference that sanctioning Texas Tech for allowing Sorsby to play could be unlawful and expose the conference to more than $200 million in potential liability.
The timing creates a new political dimension in a dispute that had already raised questions about NCAA authority, conference governance, antitrust law and competitive integrity. The Tribune did not report evidence establishing that Campbell’s contribution prompted Paxton’s intervention.
Campbell declined to comment on the record, according to the Tribune. Paxton’s campaign did not respond to the outlet’s questions about whether the attorney general or his representatives had discussed the letter with Campbell before the contribution. Texas Tech also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Campbell, a former Texas Tech football player and one of the university’s most prominent athletics donors, has publicly supported Sorsby during the eligibility dispute. He was appointed to the university system’s Board of Regents in 2021 and became chair in 2025.
Texas Tech announced in May that the NCAA had declared Sorsby ineligible after court records showed he placed at least $90,000 in sports wagers, including bets involving his own team while he played at Indiana. Sorsby later sought treatment for gambling addiction and sued the NCAA to regain his eligibility.
On June 8, a state district judge in Lubbock issued a temporary injunction blocking the NCAA from preventing Sorsby from participating for most of the 2026 season. The ruling required him to serve a two-game suspension and continue treatment and counseling. The NCAA appealed, saying enforcement of its gambling rules was necessary to protect competitive integrity.
Paxton’s June 11 letter argued that potential Big 12 sanctions against Texas Tech could violate state and federal antitrust law. His office said it had been informed that the conference and some member schools were considering penalties because Texas Tech intended to comply with the state court order and continue supporting Sorsby.
The Big 12 responded by suing Paxton, Texas Tech and several university officials in federal court. The conference sought a declaration that it could enforce its bylaws and impose sanctions if Texas Tech fielded a player who had violated gambling rules. The complaint argued that the conference and its member institutions had a right to protect athletic integrity and determine the consequences of rules violations.
Sorsby later withdrew his lawsuit against the NCAA and pursued entry into the NFL supplemental draft. Campbell announced June 15 that Sorsby would not play for Texas Tech during the 2026 season, attributing the decision to the supplemental draft deadline rather than the pending legal disputes.
The Big 12’s lawsuit remained active after Sorsby’s departure, with unresolved questions involving legal expenses and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences connected to the dispute.
Campbell has previously contributed to Paxton and other Republican candidates and political committees. The Tribune reported that the June 10 contribution appeared to be among Campbell’s largest donations supporting Paxton.
The disclosure does not by itself demonstrate an improper exchange. It does, however, place additional scrutiny on the attorney general’s unusual intervention in a dispute involving a public university overseen by a major donor to his Senate campaign.