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

Video from Saturday’s game between Texas Tech and Kansas appears to show a Jayhawks staff member dropped the pocketknife found on the sideline. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal obtained a copy of the letter sent from Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt to the Big 12, revealing the findings of an investigation from university police.

Texas Tech included a 40-second video in its response that showed the Kansas staffer dropping the closed knife before a 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.

Kansas was fined $25,000 after coach Lance Leipold alleged postgame that the knife was thrown by Texas Tech fans and hit one of the Jayhawks staff members. Hocutt believes the video disproves that.

“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.”

Texas Tech also received a fine of $25,000 from the Big 12 for throwing objects onto the field, though it was not for the pocketknife. It had to do with Red Raiders fans continuing to throw tortillas onto the field despite multiple warnings not to. Texas Tech received two 15-yard penalties at different points in the game for this.

Hocutt acknowledged that tortillas were thrown throughout the game and said that Tech employed additional security to areas where it occurred. However, he took issue with the response from the Kansas staff, which he believes is what resulted in the second 15-yard penalty for items being thrown on the field.

“The second 15-yard penalty assessed was in response to KU’s claims on the sideline that a pocketknife was thrown into the KU bench,” Hocutt told Yormark. “The process of allowing an opposing team’s staff to influence substantiation of items being thrown and enforcement of the rules and its associated penalties is in direct conflict of the guidance prescribed by the Conference and threatens the integrity of the game.”

Big 12 officials voted 15-1 this offseason to implement a new rule where a team can be penalized for fans throwing items on the field if they continue to do so after two warnings. Hocutt was the only one who voted against the measure.

It was seen by many as a way to preserve the longstanding tradition of throwing tortillas ahead of the opening kickoff. But it’s clear based onthat Tech will need to do a bit better job of keeping its fans in check the rest of the game.

The matter seems to be settled, with the fines from the Big 12 acknowledging wrongdoing from both parties. It will be interesting to see how the Red Raiders handle things at their next home game against Oklahoma State in two weeks.