Texas Tech and Kansas were each fined $25,000 and reprimanded after a tortilla conflict that spilled over into a messy postgame following Saturday’s 42-17 Red Raiders victory in Lubbock.
Texas Tech’s fine was for “repeated instances” of fans throwing objects onto the playing surface, and Kansas’ fine was due to “disparaging comments about the Conference and a member institution, and an inaccurate statement regarding a pocketknife by head coach Lance Leipold,” the conference said in a statement.
The Red Raiders were penalized twice for foreign objects thrown onto the field after fans threw tortillas toward the playing surface during kickoffs, a longstanding tradition that dates back to the 1990s.
“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.”
Leipold said in a statement that he accepted the ruling and penalty.
“I had an emotional reaction in the aftermath of the game and acknowledge that I need to be better. We are excited to move forward and finish our season strong,” he said.
Texas Tech police confirmed this week that a pocketknife was found on the Kansas sideline during the fourth quarter, but how it got there was under investigation.
“The circumstances of Saturday night were unfortunate, and we take ownership of our emotionally charged response. Further, Coach Leipold should not have addressed the matter publicly. This should have been handled privately with the conference and Texas Tech and not in the heat of the moment when we did not have all the facts,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said in a statement.
In August, Big 12 athletic directors voted 15-to-1 to solidify the conference’s game management policy regarding objects thrown onto the field, with teams receiving warnings for the first two violations, then 15-yard personal foul penalties being assessed for each subsequent violation.
After the rule was passed, athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the tradition could continue with the opening kickoff because it wouldn’t be penalized, but fans have continued to throw tortillas during subsequent kickoffs, leading to penalties.
Red Raiders, the rules can change.
But our tradition will not.
How about the @UnitedWestTexas Opening Kickoff Tortilla Launch? #15To1
— Kirby Hocutt (@kirbyhocutt) August 14, 2025
Leipold, though, said tortillas weren’t the only objects being thrown.
“A pocketknife was thrown and hit one of our staff members,” Leipold said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s supposed to be for safety and things like that, and it’s a culture that’s been accepted to a point, and it hasn’t changed. Eventually, somebody’s going to be seriously hurt, unfortunately.”
Leipold and Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire had a heated meeting at midfield after the game, where coaches traditionally shake hands and share a brief conversation before returning to their locker rooms.
Audio from KAMC-TV in Lubbock captured Leipold telling McGuire he has a “really good team,” then saying something indecipherable that apparently included an expletive.
In response, McGuire said, “Yeah, I know.” After shaking hands, Leipold said, “That’s bulls—” and another expletive.
“Coach, I can’t do anything about it. You want me to do something (expletive) about it?” McGuire replied.
McGuire followed Leipold as he walked away.
“I know! And I said I got it!” he yelled, before the two were separated.
In his postgame news conference, Leipold said officials handled the objects on the field “very poorly.”
“Our conference office and (Big 12 chief football and competition officer) Scott Draper and them were very poor in handling it,” Leipold said. “One of the officials almost got hit (by an object) and tried to throw a flag, and it got picked up. So that was disappointing. We have a policy put in that wasn’t followed through, so I was very disappointed with how that was.”
McGuire called the situation “frustrating” after being asked about the postgame confrontation with Leipold.
“We’ve got a new rule in this league,” he said, “and we know the rule, and we didn’t follow it, and we got penalized tonight with two 15-yard penalties. He was frustrated on that side, and we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to do a better job as a whole, all of us, and we will.”
Officials penalized Texas Tech with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter with the Red Raiders leading 21-7. Kansas’ kickoff went into the end zone, but the Red Raiders were penalized half the distance to the goal and began their drive on the 13.
The Jayhawks began a drive on the 40-yard line with 14:12 to play in the game after another penalty on a kickoff that was a touchback.
At his news conference last Monday, five days before the game, McGuire pleaded with Texas Tech fans to tone down the tortilla tossing.
But come game day, his pleas were left unfulfilled.
