The Big 12 fined Kansas and Texas Tech $25,000 each on Wednesday for the fallout of a dispute over fan behavior in the Red Raiders’ 42-17 win in Lubbock on Saturday.
Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold also apologized for statements he made after the game.
Texas Tech was twice penalized during the game for fans throwing tortillas onto the field, an old tradition that was banned by the Big 12 before the season.
The rowdy scene at Jones AT&T Stadium led to a postgame dust-up between Leipold and Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire with Leipold chastising McGuire for the fans’ behavior. In postgame video, McGuire can be seen telling Leipold, “Coach, I can’t do anything about it. You want me to do something [expletive] about it?”
In postgame comments, Leipold complained that the officials should have done more to stop the fans from throwing things, but he said the league handled it poorly and alleged that officials were forced to pick up a flag. He also claimed a fan threw a knife at a Kansas staffer.
“A pocket knife was thrown and hit one of our staff members,” Leipold said after the game. “It’s ridiculous. It’s supposed to be for safety and things like that, and it’s a culture that’s been accepted to a point, and it hasn’t changed. Eventually, somebody’s going to be seriously hurt, unfortunately.”
Texas Tech submitted footage to the league this week that proved the claim to be inaccurate.
The Big 12 said Tech’s fine was for the objects thrown onto the playing surface, while Kansas’ was for disparaging comments about the conference and “an inaccurate statement regarding a pocketknife by head coach Lance Leipold.”
“After a formal review, Texas Tech did not take sufficient steps to prevent and deter the repeated throwing of objects onto the field and team bench areas,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “Coach Leipold’s comments questioned the integrity and professionalism of both the Conference and a member institution.”
Kansas issued a statement that expressed its regret for the “emotionally charged” reaction by Leipold.
“I appreciate the Big 12 Conference’s thorough review of events that took place during our game last Saturday at Texas Tech. I accept their findings and ultimate ruling,” Leipold said in a statement. “I had an emotional reaction in the aftermath of the game and acknowledge that I need to be better. We are excited to move forward and finish our season strong.”
Jayhawks athletic director Travis Goff said Leipold should have handled the situation differently.
“Coach Leipold should not have addressed the matter publicly,” he said. “This should have been handled privately with the conference and Texas Tech and not in the heat of the moment when we did not have all the facts. “
Big 12 athletic directors voted in August to solidify the league’s policy about objects thrown onto the field. Teams would get warnings for the first two violations, followed by 15-yard penalties afterward. Texas Tech’s Kirby Hocutt was the lone dissenter in the 15-1 vote; Red Raiders fans have been tossing tortillas from the stands since the 1990s.
But Tech coach Joey McGuire has been frustrated that fans are continuing to cause issues for his team. Tech has tried to start a new tradition of throwing tortillas only during the opening kickoff.
“We’ve got a new rule in this league, and we know the rule and we didn’t follow it and we got penalized tonight with two 15-yard penalties,” McGuire said Saturday night of the postgame scene with Leipold. “He was frustrated on that side, and we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to do a better job as a whole, all of us, and we will.”
He implored Red Raiders fans to follow the rules, questioning how they could want to cost their team penalty yards.
“If you came to the game and you love this team and you’re passionate about this team but yet you’re going to throw another tortilla?” McGuire said. “And you know it’s against the rules?”
This gave me a whole new perspective. Thanks for opening my eyes.