Texas Tech AD tells fans to no longer throw tortillas at kickoff
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Roger Goodell has often been labeled the commissioner of the “No Fun League.” Today, that title changed hands, traveling nearly 1,800 miles to Kirby Hocutt in Lubbock, TX.
Early Monday afternoon, Hocutt – the Texas Tech Red Raiders’ athletic director — announced that the university will “no longer encourage nor permit the throwing of tortillas at opening kickoff” of home football games.
Hocutt pointed to Big 12 sportsmanship and fan behavior policies as the reasoning for this decision.
“We know that, as Red Raiders, no one tells us what to do,” Hocutt said. “We make our own decisions, and we encourage actions because they are the right thing to do.”
Texas Tech has thrown tortillas at kickoff for more than 3 decades. The tradition, which began in 1989, cost the university $25K when the Big 12 fined it for “repeated instances of objects being thrown onto the playing surface” following its Week 7 game versus Kansas. After that contest, Hocutt told reporters could face “on-field penalties and additional fines for future infractions.”
The Red Raiders took their first loss of the year in Week 8, falling 26-22 at Arizona State. They return home to face Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff for the game is set for 4:00 p.m. E.T. on ESPNU.
