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Texas Tech University put its foot down when it came to fans throwing tortillas.
Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt and football coach Joey McGuire said Monday at a news conference that the school “will no longer encourage or allow the throwing of tortillas” at the opening of their games. That would put the final nail in the coffin for the school’s unofficial tradition that dates back to the 1990s.
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Texas Tech students toss tortillas before the NCAA college football game against Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)
“We know that as the Red Raiders, nobody’s telling us what to do. We make our own decisions,” Hocutt said, via ESPN . “This situation is on me. I leaned into throwing tortillas at the beginning of football season. Now I have to ask everyone to stop.”
Texas Tech felt the effects during their win over the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this month.
The Red Raiders were penalized twice for their fans throwing tortillas onto the field during kickoffs. The Big 12 Conference tried to curb the tradition when athletic directors voted 15-1 to approve a policy to discipline home teams for throwing objects on the field.
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire talks with Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Sept. 20, 2025. (Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
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If the school were to violate the Big 12’s amended policy, they would receive a warning and a $100,000 fine. Fans can lose their ticket privileges to all sporting events if they are caught throwing tortillas into the stands.
McGuire expressed his frustrations with the student body last weekend.
“Is that a Red Raider?” he said. “You came to the game and you love this team and you’re passionate about this team, yet you’re going to throw another tortilla and you know it’s against the rules?”
A general view of tortillas on the sideline thrown by Texas Tech Red Raiders students during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field on November 30, 2024. (Michael C. Johnson/Imagn Images)
Texas Tech also can’t afford to lose any more games this season after an upset loss to Arizona State. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 14 in the nation and welcome Oklahoma State to Lubbock this coming weekend.
