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Texas Tech’s tortilla-tossing tradition, one of college football’s most iconic and enduring customs, is on life support. And the Big 12’s newly aggressive enforcement has turned what used to be a harmless fan ritual into a financial game of Russian roulette. For decades, Red Raiders fans have launched tortillas into the air during kickoffs at Jones AT&T Stadium, creating one of the most distinctive atmospheres in the sport. But after the Kansas game in mid-October turned chaotic, with Lance Leipold complaining about objects being thrown, the Big 12 decided enough was enough. Now, what was once a celebration of tradition has become a liability. And Joey McGuire’s squad, sitting at 8-1 and potentially headed to the College Football Playoff, is caught in the middle of a battle between nostalgia and conference rules enforcement. On The Triple Option podcast, when BYU’s Kalani Sitake was asked about heading to Lubbock for the biggest game in his program’s history, he didn’t duck the tortilla question. Instead, he leaned into it with good humor, which somehow makes you forget just how tense things have become around this tradition. “We’re looking forward to the game. You know me, I’m a fullback. Tortillas fly in the air. Give me some food so I can put it in,” Kalani Sitake said, immediately establishing himself as someone who actually gets the fun in Texas. ADVERTISEMENT The BYU coach continued with his tongue firmly in cheek: “Let me get after it. You know, I’m just looking forward to the fans and the overall environment.” He was clearly enjoying the moment. But there was also a deeper point buried in there. This is what makes Texas Tech special. This is what fans come for. This is tradition in college football at its finest. But Kalani Sitake wasn’t done. He went full comedy, pivoting from tortillas to an all-you-can-eat buffet that only a fullback could appreciate. “Throw me some, you know, throw me some chicken and some steak while you’re at it. Throw me burritos and then, you know, tacos on. So, I’ll get after it,” he said with a laugh. ADVERTISEMENT What Kalani Sitake’s really doing, without saying it outright, is acknowledging that the Big 12 is daring fans to break the rules one more time. One public service announcement warns that if a tortilla hits the field. Then, a 15-yard penalty was combined with a $100,000 fine. That’s the gamble McGuire’s team has to hope its fans don’t take. The Big 12 vote back in August was 15-1 in favor of penalizing schools for object-throwing, with Kirby Hocutt being the lone dissenter. He was fighting to protect his school’s identity. However, after the Kansas debacle, when fans threw tortillas multiple times despite the new rules, Commissioner Brett Yormark dramatically escalated the punishment. ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Now there’s one opening kickoff warning, and after that, any tortilla that touches the playing enclosure (which includes sidelines and end zones, not just the field itself) triggers both a 15-yard penalty and a six-figure fine. Leipold’s complaints spark the crackdown that threatens everything Lance Leipold walked out of Jones AT&T Stadium with more than just a loss. He had a list of grievances that would essentially blow up the tortilla tradition before it even got a real chance to defend itself. ADVERTISEMENT The Kansas coach escalated the rhetoric by claiming one of his staff members was hit by a pocketknife thrown from the stands. It was an allegation that the Big 12 and Texas Tech both failed to substantiate after investigation. But the damage was already done. Leipold’s tone throughout the post-game comments was one of genuine frustration about a perceived lack of enforcement: “One of the officials almost got hit and he tried to throw a flag and it got picked up so that was disappointing,” he said, clearly bothered by the chaos unfolding in front of him. “We have a policy put in that wasn’t followed through, so that was very disappointing on how that was,” Leipold continued, and then added the kicker: “I know the officials were just as frustrated after the one penalty was picked up.” That last comment was the real indictment. He was saying the Big 12’s own rules enforcement had failed, which set the stage for Commissioner Brett Yormark to step in with an iron fist.
