The pocketknife controversy stemming from Texas Tech’s game against Kansas on Saturday has a ruling — and it involves the Jayhawks getting fined, too.
Kansas was docked $25,000 by the Big 12 after video submitted by the Red Raiders appeared to show a Jayhawks player picking up the pocketknife off the sideline and handing it to a staffer, seemingly squashing the allegation made by Kansas head coach Lance Leipold that a fan threw the knife during the third quarter.
Texas Tech director of athletics Kirby Hocutt wrote in a letter to the conference that the Kansas sideline didn’t react as if a pocketknife was thrown, according to KCBD.
The Jayhawks, according to a Big 12 statement, received the fine due to “disparaging comments about the Conference and a member institution, and an inaccurate statement regarding a pocketknife by head coach Lance Leipold.”
Texas Tech was also fined $25,000 for “repeated instances of objects being thrown onto the playing surface,” with tortillas — a tradition at the university dating back to the 1990s — being hurled toward the field multiple times, according to The Athletic.
“Coach Leipold’s comments questioned the integrity and professionalism of both the Conference and a member institution,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in the statement. “Both actions warranted a financial penalty. The Big 12 Conference prioritizes integrity and will have no further comment on the matter.”
In the immediate aftermath of Texas Tech’s 42-17 home win in Lubbock, Leipold blasted the alleged incident as “ridiculous” and the “culture that’s been accepted to a point.”
“It hasn’t changed,” Leipold said during his press conference, “and eventually someone is going to be seriously hurt unfortunately.”
Leipold said in a statement Wednesday that “I had an emotional reaction in the aftermath of the game and acknowledge that I need to be better,” while Jayhawks director of athletics and vice chancellor Travis Goff acknowledged the incident should have been handled privately instead of Leipold commenting publicly.
Texas Tech received two penalties during the game for objects being thrown onto the field.
The Red Raiders moved to 6-0 with the victory and now sit No. 7 in the AP Top 25 entering its game against Arizona State on Saturday, while Kansas — which dropped to 4-3 after the loss — hosts Kansas State.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
