Texas Tech could face six-figure fine, in-game penalty from Big 12 if fans keep up tortilla tossing tradition

The future of the tortilla throwing tradition at Texas Tech is in question after the Big 12 fined the university for "repeated instances of objects being thrown onto the playing surface" in the Red Raiders' Week 7 win over Kansas. Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt announced that the conference will begin to enforce its policies more strictly moving forward and that the Red Raiders could face on-field penalties and additional fines for future infractions.

Beginning this week -- a road trip to Arizona State -- the first time a Texas Tech fan throws a tortilla onto the field, the Big 12 will require a public address announcement as a warning to stop the behavior. Subsequent instances carry a 15-yard penalty and a $100,000 fine.

Big 12 athletic directors voted in August by a 15-1 count to penalize schools if fans throw objects onto the field. The conference this week changed the rule's language, Hocutt said, specifying that objects must not be thrown onto the "playing enclosure," which includes team benches and areas outside of the field of play.

After that rule adoption this summer, Texas Tech encouraged fans to throw tortillas straight into the air rather than onto the field. Fans were also asked to only throw tortillas during the opening kickoff.

Texas Tech faced two 15-yard penalties last week after fans threw tortillas onto the field following kickoffs. The Big 12 later levied a $25,000 fine on the Red Raiders. Kansas coach Lance Leipold took exception to Texas Tech's longstanding tortilla-tossing tradition in last week's contest. He also claimed that one of his staff members was hit by a pocketknife thrown from the stands at Jones AT&T Stadium, but the Big 12 and Texas Tech did not find evidence to support his allegation. Kansas received a $25,000 fine for disparaging comments toward the conference.

"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."

"One of the officials almost got hit and he tried to throw a flag and it got picked up so that was disappointing," Leipold said. "We have a policy put in that wasn't followed through, so that was very disappointing on how that was. … I know the officials were just as frustrated after the one penalty was picked up."