BYU’s Kalani Sitake Reveals Unexpected Truth Behind Texas Tech’s End of Iconic Tortilla Tradition

You ever wonder how a simple tortilla toss could stir up so much passion? Well, BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake sure does—and not in a happy way. With the Texas Tech Red Raiders nixing their iconic tortilla-throwing kickoff tradition thanks to new Big 12 penalties, Sitake’s hit with a genuine pang of disappointment. It’s not just about missed fan fun though; this feels personal. You see, Sitake’s ties to Texas Tech run deep through the late Mike Leach, a legendary offensive mind and BYU alumnus who transformed Red Raiders football. That bond, strengthened further by Sitake’s time working alongside Leach’s son, Cody, makes the tortilla toss tradition’s end feel like losing a piece of a shared history. Despite the sadness, Sitake’s gearing up for the upcoming showdown in Lubbock—no doubt with a few extra layers of emotion this Saturday. LEARN MORE.

BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake isn’t happy about the Texas Tech Red Raiders ending their famous tortilla-throwing tradition. The Red Raiders announced that they would no longer allow fans to throw tortillas during kickoff due to new penalties imposed by the Big 12 Conference.

Sitake has personal ties to Texas Tech through the late Mike Leach, making this decision especially disappointing for the legendary coach ahead of their matchup in Lubbock.

Sitake didn’t hold back his feelings about the ban.

“I don’t have anything personally against what they do,” Sitake said, as per Thomas Goldkamp of On3. “For me it’s sad because I want to see everything.”

The BYU coach explained that his disappointment runs much deeper than just the end of a simple tradition. His connection to Texas Tech is rooted in the legendary Mike Leach, a BYU alumnus who revolutionized Red Raiders football with his famous air raid offense.

“When you’re at BYU, there’s a guy named Mike Leach that coached out at Texas Tech, we all followed him, because he was a BYU guy,” he explained. “I mean I loved him so much, he was a great friend of mine.”

That friendship extended further when Cody Leach, Mike’s son, joined Sitake’s coaching staff before returning to Mississippi State to work with his father.

“Then I had his son Cody, Bubba, over here with us, working for me on our staff for a few years before he went back to work with his dad at Mississippi State,” Sitake shared.

This deep connection made Texas Tech special for BYU over the years.

“We always followed Texas Tech and always cheered for them,” Sitake noted. “I had a lot of former teammates that played for him. So we always saw those games, it’s a really cool environment. All our guys know about it. We’re looking forward to the game.”

Despite the disappointing ban, Sitake remains focused as they prepare for a showdown against Texas Tech this Saturday in Lubbock.

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