NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The University of Kansas was fined $25,000 by the Big 12 after discovering that football coach Lance Leipold made “an inaccurate statement” about a knife that was found on his bench during a recent game.
Leipold said a pocket knife “was thrown and hit one of our staff members” during the Jayhawks’ 42-17 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. Texas Tech officials confirmed that a pocket knife was found on the Jayhawks’ bench and were investigating game-day video. The Big 12 did not clarify what part of Leipold’s statement was inaccurate.
However, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported that Texas Tech’s review, which was sent to the Big 12, said the “best possible video available to us” showed a Kansas “student-athlete” pick up the knife and immediately hand it to a Kansas staff member.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold watches the scoreboard during the game between Fresno State and Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on August 23, 2025.
“We believe this video makes it clear where the knife originated, which will refute all claims that it may have been thrown from the stands, and certainly makes it clear that it did not hit any KU staff members on the bench. There also did not appear to be any reaction from anyone on the KU bench to it being thrown onto the field before being picked up,” the review says.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said Leipold’s comments “called into question the integrity and professionalism of both the Conference and a member institution.”
“I appreciate the Big 12 Conference’s thorough review of the events that took place during our game last Saturday at Texas Tech. I accept its conclusions and final decision,” Leipold said in a statement. “I had an emotional reaction after the game and recognized that I need to be better. We are excited to move forward and finish our season strong.”
Texas Tech was also fined $25,000 for fans throwing objects on the field, for which the team was penalized twice. The school had a long tradition of throwing tortillas on the field, but officials voted 15-1 to ban the act before the season.
Texas Tech fans throw tortillas before a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. (Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
BILLS MARSHAL JOSH ALLEN REVEALS WHAT HIS NEWLY MARRIED WIFE HAILEE STEINFELD TAUGHT HIM ABOUT LIFE
“After a formal review, Texas Tech did not take sufficient steps to prevent and deter the repeated throwing of objects onto the field and into the team’s bench areas,” Yormark said in his statement.
“I mean, it’s supposed to be for safety and stuff like that, and it’s a culture that’s been accepted to a certain extent, and it hasn’t changed. And eventually, someone is going to get seriously hurt, unfortunately,” Leipold said after the game.
Leipold appeared animated in his postgame handshake with Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire, calling the actions “dumb—.”
“Coach, I can’t do anything about it. Do you want me to do something about it?” -McGuire asked.
Head coach Joey McGuire of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and head coach Lance Leipold of the Kansas Jayhawks talk at midfield after the game at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
The Red Raiders are ranked seventh in the AP poll and have a date at Arizona State this weekend to improve to 7-0.
