The Saturday Column With No Name
What exactly makes a tradition?
Is it time? Is it lots of folks engaging in it? Is it something sanctioned and celebrated? How does an “activity” become a “tradition”?
Lots of talk around West Texas and beyond this week about the Big 12 strengthening enforcement against fans throwing objects onto the football field. In a 15-1 vote by Big 12 AD’s, with Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt voting NO, they approved several penalties for schools and their teams if fans throw objects, including tortillas on the playing field.
We talked about it in length here, so if you’re late to the party, give this a watch this weekend.
Kirby Hocutt was adamant that fans would still be “allowed” to toss the beautiful bread that is a tortilla. (corn over flour every day…) Tech is even working with United Supermarkets to create a “First Toss” at kick-off. That will buy Tech a warning. The second time… another warning. After that, 15-yard penalties and then officials can remove fans, entire sections; and begin to levy stiff fines against the school.
I can see why Texas Tech feels singled out here.
This rule is for the most part a reaction to negative fan actions. Fans throwing trash when a call goes against them. We’ve seen it all around college football. I get that.
But in Lubbock, when the food flies, it’s out of celebration. It’s a positive. It’s not showing up the officials or the other team. It’s, dare we say… fun.
Well, we can’t have that; can we?
All of this gets the train back to the station with our original question.
Is the throwing of tortillas, the tossing of the bread, a Texas Tech Tradition or is it just something Texas Tech fans do??? How important is the tortilla to the average Tech fan? When we listed off things that make a tradition, tortilla tossing fits in.
It’s been going on now at Texas Tech games since the late 80s/early 90s. It was really around 1993 when it reached a fever pitch. So much that then Texas Tech Athletics Director Bob Bockrath asked the SWC to asses Tech penalties if they hit the field. He thought that might stop it. It did not have the desired affect. . .
So here we are in 2025 and Tech officials are not just embracing the Tortilla but fight on social media, press conferences and in Big 12 meeting rooms to try and protect it. How the turntables…
We ask you this weekend if you consider Tortilla Tossing a legit Texas Tech Tradition. Why or Why not?
Fire away in the comments. Share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Battle it out in the sports bars, alleys and down on Broadway or the South Plains Mall. Has the tortilla placed itself alongside the Masked Rider, The Double T, Guns Up and fried cheese at Spanky’s…. or, is it just something that Tech fans do and you aren’t really that passionate about it either way.
All I know after a few years of living is that if you don’t want a segment of folks to do something they want to do, and you try to strong-arm them, they’re likely to want to do it more… Particularly college students and folks who might have had a cocktail or two on the way into the game.
Big 12, good luck. You’re gonna need it in Lubbock.
Thanks for taking a minute to enjoy our Saturday thoughts. We’ll be back with y’all Sunday morning with our 5 Things We Know column. At least that one has a name.
Hyatt
I think it’s definitely a tradition at this point. It probably became a tradition by 2000.
Good call.
After two or three classes of students going through a school, they think just about anything is a tradition that came before them.
Quad Night at Bash’s…
Hyatt