Texas Tech Brings in Strict Anti-Tortilla Policy

Texas Tech University is officially putting an end to one of its most recognizable — and controversial — football traditions: tossing tortillas during kickoffs. The decision comes after the 14th-ranked Red Raiders were twice penalized and fined when fans threw tortillas and other objects onto the field during their last home game.

Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt announced Monday that fans entering Jones AT&T Stadium will now be instructed to discard any tortillas before entering. Stadium workers will remind attendees before kickoff to hand over any tortillas they might have brought so they can be thrown away. Hocutt added that anyone caught tossing tortillas will lose their ticket privileges for all sports events for the remainder of the academic year.

The move follows Texas Tech’s 42–17 win over Kansas, a game in which the team was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct due to debris on the field. With Oklahoma State set to visit Lubbock this Saturday, the university is moving quickly to prevent a repeat of that situation.

Hocutt — who was the only Big 12 athletic director to vote against the new rule penalizing teams for fan-thrown objects — admitted that he had initially supported keeping the tortilla tradition alive. “The situation is on me,” Hocutt said. “I leaned into this at the start of the season. But now I have to ask everyone to stop, and I’ve directed our staff to enforce this on game days.”

Head Coach Joey McGuire, who previously encouraged fans to throw tortillas on the opening kickoff, joined Hocutt in urging restraint moving forward. “We can’t afford to hurt the team,” McGuire said during Monday’s press conference.

Under Big 12 policy, referees issue a warning for the first violation before enforcing 15-yard penalties for any subsequent incidents.

Despite last week’s 26–22 loss to Arizona State — their first of the season — the Red Raiders remain in contention for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and potentially the College Football Playoff. Hocutt emphasized the importance of staying focused on that goal.

“The moment we’re in is one Red Raiders have dreamed about for years,” he said. “We can’t risk letting our own actions cost us penalties that could change the outcome of a game. The stakes are simply too high.”

original source