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UKFormer Texas Tech WR Sues NCAA Over Sports Betting Suspension
Key Highlights
- Former Texas Tech receiver Roy Alexander is challenging a six-game NCAA suspension.
- Alexander admits he placed sports bets but says he never bet on games involving his own teams.
- The lawsuit asks a Texas court to let Alexander return before serving the full suspension.
A Texas Tech wide receiver in his final year of eligibility is taking to the court. Roy Alexander is hoping a Texas district court judge will overturn a 6-game ban he received for low-stakes sports betting.
Alexander Challenges NCAA Suspension
Alexander, who played just three games of Division-I football with the Red Raiders in 2025, is suing the NCAA over a six-game suspension for violating sports betting rules. The sixth-year graduate/transfer student admitted to placing bets on a sports betting app from 2023 to 2025, before he joined Texas Tech. He reportedly stopped betting before transferring, and Texas Tech made the NCAA aware of his activities in January 2026.
Alexander filed the lawsuit Aug. 19 in Bexar County District Court in Texas. He is asking a judge to block the suspension so he can play more of his final college football season. Alexander says he never placed wagers on games involving the teams he played for, meaning his betting didn’t affect the results or fairness of those games.
In the lawsuit, Alexander’s attorneys argue that the six-game punishment is unfair and amounts to a breach of contract. The suit is similar to the one filed by former quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who in April was deemed ineligible for the NCAA after an investigation uncovered he had wagered thousands of dollars on games during his time at Cincinnati and Indiana. Sorsby, who incidentally transferred to Texas Tech in January, withdrew his suit in June and is focusing on the 2027 NFL Draft.
Betting Activity & College Career
Unlike Sorsby, who reportedly wagered hundreds of dollars per game on college football betting, most of Alexander’s bets were worth $12 or less, and none were larger than $80. In the lawsuit, it states he stopped betting after reading an ESPN article about the “perils of wagering” on college sports. While his attorneys said the suspension was “wholly unreasonable in light of the conduct,” the NCAA doesn’t intend on backing down.
“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 in a statement to ESPN.
Alexander spent three seasons at Albany before playing at Incarnate Word, an NCAA Division-I FCS school, and later transferring to Texas Tech. He appeared in three games for the Red Raiders before returning to Incarnate Word for his final season. His six-game suspension could keep him out for a large part of that final year.
NCAA Defends Sports Betting Rules
The NCAA has indicated that it plans to defend the suspension. The organization says its sports betting rules protect the fairness of college sports and apply to athletes across Division I. Alexander’s lawsuit now asks the court to decide whether the punishment should be enforced as issued.
Alexander was able to play in Incarnate Word’s season opener against Oklahoma Panhandle State because the opponent competes in the NAIA. He caught one pass for four yards in that game. His legal challenge could determine how soon he’s allowed to return for games covered by NCAA eligibility rules.
