Banning of the Tortilla Toss

Oct 21, 2025 10:11AM ● By Alyssa Cantu

For decades, fans of Texas Tech University (TTU) have tossed tortillas onto the field during home football games, especially at the opening kickoff.
Its origins aren’t fully clear. One popular story: in the early 1990s, an ESPN commentator quipped that Lubbock had “nothing but Texas Tech football and a tortilla factory,” and fans embraced the idea by tossing tortillas.
The toss became a quirky hallmark of game-day at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, a way for fans to celebrate and show school spirit.

The throwing of items onto a playing field is a safety and game-management concern in college football. The conference that Texas Tech plays in, the Big 12 Conference, has addressed the matter.
The Big 12 voted 15-1 to adopt a more stringent policy: after two warnings for items thrown on the field, a team can be penalised (15 yards) if it happens again. Texas Tech was the lone dissenting vote.
Even though tortillas were long considered somewhat benign, they still fall under the rule about “objects thrown onto the playing surface.”

On October 20, 2025, Texas Tech officially announced the end of the tortilla-toss tradition at home football games.
The decision came after:
- Two 15-yard penalties in a recent game (vs. Kansas Jayhawks) where tortillas or other items were thrown.
- A fine of $25,000 by the Big 12 assessed to Texas Tech for the fan behavior. Going forward:
- Fans entering the stadium will be asked to discard tortillas or hand them to staff at entry.
- Any fan caught throwing tortillas onto the field may face revocation of ticket privileges for the rest of the academic year.
- Stadium staff and security will be increasing monitoring to enforce the ban.

TTU’s football program is in a strong competitive position, aiming (according to the announcement) for conference championships and potentially the College Football Playoff. The administration cited a desire to remove distractions and avoid penalties that could hurt the team’s performance.
The Big 12’s stricter enforcement means this isn’t just about tradition, but about compliance and avoiding negative consequences for the team.

The toss is officially discontinued: fans should not bring tortillas to games for the purpose of throwing at kickoff.
Normal cheering, support, and traditions remain, but the throwing of objects onto the field is off-limits.
If you’re attending a game: be aware of the new policy, cooperate with stadium staff, and avoid risking your ticket status.