One of college football’s most entertaining traditions is coming to an end. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt announced Monday that the team would no longer allow fans to throw tortillas on the field during kickoffs.
Hocutt made the announcement before Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire addressed the media Monday. A portion of Hocutt’s opening statement read:
“I would like to just share with the Red Raider nation that, as we move forward, we are no longer going to encourage nor permit the throwing of tortillas at the opening kickoff for our home football games.
“We control our own fate in every situation on the football field, as well as with our event operations. We know that as Red Raiders, no one tells us what to do. We make our own decisions and we encourage actions because they are the right thing to do. And we have an opportunity and we’re on the cusp of a very special football season.
“I ask the Red Raider nation to continue to give these players, this team and all of our Red Raiders, all of our support and energy to make sure we give them every possible chance to accomplish our goal of getting to Arlington for the Big 12 conference championship and the college football playoff.”
The news comes after Texas Tech found itself embroiled in controversy after a Kansas staffer claimed they were hit with a pocketknife that was thrown on the field during the Red Raiders win over the Jayhawks on Oct. 11. The incident reportedly occurred as fans were throwing tortillas on the field.
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The Big 12 looked into the situation and concluded no member of Kansas was hit by a pocketknife during the contest. Kansas coach Lance Leipold was fined by the conference for making an “inaccurate statement” following his team’s loss to Texas Tech.
That game marked the first time this season Texas Tech was penalized as a result of fans throwing tortillas on the field during kickoffs. That tradition has existed for decades at the school. During the opening weeks of the 2025 season Texas Tech avoided penalties for tortillas being thrown on the field, but that changed during the game against Texas.
In the offseason, the Big 12 approved a rule change “related to the throwing of items onto the playing surface,” per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The Big 12 said that warnings would be issued initially before 15-yard penalties would be enforced.
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Hocutt originally met that news with defiance, saying Texas Tech would continue its tortilla tradition.
But following both the pocketknife controversy and the penalties vs. Kansas, Hocutt apparently changed his mind.
Hocutt said the team would work on messaging to make sure fans don’t throw tortillas on the field Saturday. He said fans who bring tortillas to the contest will be asked to discard them before entering the stadium. Hocutt added there will be reminders at the stadium urging fans to dispose of their tortillas. If fans continue to engage in the tradition, Hocutt said the school could suspend ticket privileges for individuals caught throwing tortillas.
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McGuire echoed a similar sentiment when he spoke Monday. McGuire said he agreed with Hocutt’s statement, and stressed that the team needs to excel at home down the stretch. Texas Tech has five more games remaining in the regular season, three of which are at home where the team could be penalized if fans throw tortillas on the field again.
Texas Tech is off to a strong start this season, sitting at 6-1 after seven weeks. The team’s first loss came Saturday, as it was defeated by Arizona State on the road. The Red Raiders will return home to play Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Following the team’s loss to Arizona State, the Red Raiders rank No. 14 on Sunday’s AP Top 25 poll. With the college football playoff a legitimate possibility, McGuire doesn’t want his team to face additional tortilla-related penalties with the team facing tough competition at home down the stretch.
This news was originally published on this post .
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