Over the years, the Ohio State football program has been on the wrong side of some bad NCAA rulings. The most egregious one was the Tattoogate scandal. That kept the Buckeyes from being able to play for a national championship in 2012, a game they likely would have won.
The NCAA has shown time and time again that most of its rules are unenforceable. It's part of the reason why Congress is trying to get a bill passed for college sports. Still, one rule has been followed by most other programs in the country: gambling on college sports.
It has been widely accepted that gambling on college sports as a collegiate athlete would result in immediate loss of eligibility. That happened with Brendan Sorsby, and the NCAA ruled him ineligible. Now, Sorbsy has gotten an injunction against that ruling, allowing him to play this year.
Brendan Sorsby's ruling affects the Ohio State football program in a unique way
With this ruling from a Texas judge, every rule from the NCAA is now called into question. If they can't enforce a rule to help with the integrity of the sport, what can they enforce? What would stop the Ohio State Buckeyes from doing whatever they want?
If this is how things are going to be, Ohio State should spend as much money as they want in NIL. Who cares? If the NCAA tries to crack down on them, just sue them. It's worked for every other program that has tried to circumvent the rules. The courts seem not to care.
There's no reason why the Buckeyes should ever follow any rules. That also throws the world of college football into chaos, which is where we have been headed for quite a while. The lack of a cap on NIL, bloated coach buyouts, and now players being able to bet on their own sports are all very bad for the sport.
The future of college football could be massively hurt if if this ruling remains
It's not hyperbole to say that the very future of college football is at stake with this ruling. If Sorsby is allowed to play, the very integrity of the game is questionable. Sorsby made thousands of bets over the last few years when he was at Cincinnati and Indiana. What's to keep him from placing more?
If other players won't face consequences from this, what's to stop them from betting on their own games? What's to stop them from throwing games in order to get paid by unscrupulous actors? If this ruling is allowed to stand, the very fabric of the sport is at risk.
If the integrity of the game is in question, fans will stop watching. They will assume the game is rigged, which would result in a massive drop in viewership. A big drop in viewership results in a massive drop in revenue, which results in everyone losing in this scenario.
Ohio State should participate in the Wild West that is college football. It would be to their detriment not to do whatever they want until some actual guardrails are put in place.
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