For over three decades, Texas Tech fans have celebrated home football games with a uniquely Texan flair: tossing tortillas into the air as the team took the field for kickoff at Jones AT&T Stadium. The tradition symbolized Raider pride and rowdy enthusiasm. But this fall, that long-standing ritual came to an end.
On October 20th, Texas Tech University announced that throwing tortillas during football games is now banned, marking the first time in program history that the school has explicitly prohibited the practice. The move followed new Big 12 Conference penalties for “object-throwing incidents”, rules that directly tie fan behavior to on-field consequences.
Under the new policy, fans who toss tortillas or any object onto the field will draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against the Red Raiders and repeat offenses can lead to institutional fines of up to $100,000.[1] The Big 12’s athletic directors voted 15–1 to adopt the rule, with Texas Tech’s athletic director, Kirby Hocutt, casting the lone dissent.[2]
The issue came to a head during Tech’s October 11 home game against Kansas, when two separate tortilla tosses led to penalties and a $25,000 fine from the conference.[3] The following week, Tech formally banned the tradition and warned fans that those caught bringing tortillas into the stadium would have them confiscated or risk losing ticket privileges for the remainder of the academic year.[4]
Hocutt, once a defender of the custom, publicly urged compliance:
“We cannot risk letting our actions penalize our football team. The stakes are too high, and we need to help, not risk, penalizing our football team again for throwing tortillas.”[5]
From a sports-law perspective, the tortilla ban captures how tradition collides with regulation in modern collegiate athletics. The Big 12’s authority to discipline teams for fan conduct reflects a growing trend of conferences exercising governance power over member institutions in areas once viewed as purely local. Texas Tech, despite its opposition, is contractually bound by conference bylaws and financial-penalty frameworks that prioritize risk reduction and safety.
Liability also plays a role. What began as harmless fun has evolved into a compliance issue, carrying potential for player injury, field obstruction, or property damage. By banning the practice, the university is mitigating institutional exposure and ensuring adherence to conference standards.
Still, the policy shift raises questions about fan expression and institutional control. While fans may view the tortilla toss as symbolic and celebratory, universities maintain broad discretion to enforce stadium-behavior codes, especially when violations directly impact competition or safety. Unlike political or campus-speech contexts, game-day restrictions in privately managed athletic venues typically face little constitutional challenge.
Ultimately, Texas Tech’s ban underscores the delicate balance between cultural identity and competitive integrity. As conferences expand enforcement authority, from crowd control to in-game penalties, universities must increasingly weigh the cost of preserving tradition against the risk of sanctions.
For Red Raider fans, the tortillas may be gone, but the passion remains. The moment serves as a reminder that even the most beloved college-football customs are subject to the evolving intersection of law, governance, and the business of sport.
[1] Houston Chronicle, “Big 12 places hefty fine, on-field penalty for fans who throw tortillas,” (Oct. 17, 2025).
[2] AP News, “No. 14 Texas Tech Is Banning Tortilla-Throwing Tradition at Football Games,” (Oct. 20, 2025).
[3] Texas Tech Official Release, “Texas Tech Announces Changes to Gameday Policies,” (Oct. 20, 2025).
[4] Texas Tech Official Release, “Texas Tech Announces Changes to Gameday Policies,” (Oct. 20, 2025).
[5] People Magazine, “Texas Tech Bans Decades-Old Tradition of Tossing Tortillas on the Football Field,” (Oct. 21, 2025).
Law student at the University at Buffalo.
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