Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt reveals Big 12 will enforce massive financial punishments for tortilla toss

The cost of tortillas just skyrocketed in Lubbock. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt announced the Big 12 Conference has changed its rules regarding the Red Raiders fan tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field at Jones AT&T Stadium in celebration.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark issued a memo to all league ADs and presidents on Monday revealing tortilla tossing could result in both a penalty and a hefty $100,000 fine. Hocutt revealed the Big 12 policy change in an online video released Wednesday, explaining that the first time Texas Tech fans throw a tortilla onto the Jones AT&T Stadium field, a verbal warning would be issued over the PA system to the entire stadium. But every subsequent tortilla toss would result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty against the Red Raiders and a $100,000 fine.

“They changed it, it’s not the field, it’s the playing enclosure,” Hocutt clarified. “So even if it hits the sideline, if it hits behind the endzone, if it hits the playing enclosure, that second strike is a 15-yard penality and an $100,000 fine. … So you get one chance (during the) opening kickoff, the tortillas can come out, it’s a warning. The second time, it could be that first series, if people keep throwing tortillas into the second and third play, that could cost us 15 yards right there and a $100,000 fine. That’s a big financial penalty that’s associated as we go forward.”

Woah. #TexasTech AD Kirby Hocutt just announced that starting this week, the first time a tortilla is thrown on the field at Jones AT&T Stadium, there will be a warning… the second time, a 15-yard penalty AND a $100,000 fine. pic.twitter.com/cd0dMQ0BNv

— Cole Banker (@colebankertv) October 16, 2025

While the new Big 12 rule will likely overwhelmingly impact Texas Tech, it’s a league-wide policy about objects being thrown onto the field of play and thus not specifically targeting Red Raiders fans.

This change in Big 12 policy comes after the conference fined both Texas Tech and Kansas $25,000 after multiple issues that played out during last Saturday’s 42-17 Red Raiders win. Tech was fined for “repeated instances of objects being thrown onto the playing surface” while the Jayhawks were fined for head coach Lance Leipold’s “disparaging comments” about the league and another member institution.

“After a formal review, Texas Tech did not take sufficient steps to prevent and deter the repeated throwing of objects onto the field and team bench areas,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “Coach Leipold’s comments questioned the integrity and professionalism of both the Conference and a member institution. Both actions warranted a financial penalty. The Big 12 Conference prioritizes integrity and will have no further comment on the matter.”

This past offseason, Big 12 officials voted 15-1 t to implement a new rule that would penalize a team for fans throwing items on the field if they continue to do so after two warnings. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt was the only vote against the measure.

The decision was seen by many as a way to preserve the Red Raiders’ longstanding tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field. Hocutt suggested to fans before this season that they keep the tortilla throwing to the opening kickoff only and otherwise refrain.

Video reveals Kansas staff member dropped pocketknife Lance Leipold accused Texas Tech fans of throwing

University police at Texas Tech were investigating after a closed pocketknife was found on the Kansas sideline during Saturday’s game in Lubbock. The knife was discovered early in the fourth quarter of an eventual 42-17 win for the Red Raiders after Cameron Dickey scored a 55-yard touchdown. The athletics department was reportedly working with the Big 12 to review game footage to see if it could find an answer for how it ended up there.

 On Thursday, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal obtained a copy of a letter sent from Hocutt to the Big 12, revealing Texas Tech’s findings following an investigation from university police.

Tech included a 40-second video in its response that showed a Kansas staffer dropping the closed knife before a Jayhawks player came in behind him a few seconds later and picked it up. The Avalanche-Journal also provided that clip in an article on their website.

“The best possible video available to us shows a Kansas student athlete reach down to pick up an object, now identified as the small pocketknife (in the closed position) in question, on the field apron near the 38-yard line, and immediately hand the object to a KU staff member,” Hocutt wrote to the Big 12.

“We believe this video makes it clear where the pocketknife originated, which will disprove all claims that it may have been thrown from the stands, and certainly makes it clear that it did not hit any member of KU’s staff on the sideline. There also did not appear to be any reaction by anyone on KU’s sideline of it being thrown onto the field prior to it being picked up.”

— On3’s Chandler Vessels and Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.