Lance Leipold Pocket Knife Accusations Make Kansas Look Foolish

Following last Saturday's loss to Texas Tech, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold was outspoken about his displeasure with the refereeing crew and how they handled Texas Tech's tortilla toss tradition, which ended up costing the Red Raiders two penalties during the game.

In his postgame press conference, Leipold also mentioned an incident in which a Texas Tech fan supposedly threw a pocket knife that struck a KU staff member in the third quarter. He claimed that it was a significant safety issue, which led the conference to open an investigation.

But according to new video evidence obtained by Texas Tech, it looks like Leipold was extremely wrong about the situation. We think the choppy footage shows the knife actually falling out of the pocket of a Kansas staffer before a Jayhawk player picked it up and handed it off to another member of the coaching staff.

Here's the video of the Kansas sideline obtained from Texas Tech as a result of an open records request. https://t.co/tyallPSAQq pic.twitter.com/KdVXqRZpR9
— A David Collier (@CollieronTV) October 15, 2025

All we can say is yikes.

It isn't exactly damning evidence given the poor video quality, but it does make Leipold look foolish in hindsight for commenting on something he didn't have proof of, especially after he confronted opposing coach Joey McGuire angrily after the game.

The Big 12 Conference and Commissioner Brett Yormark were reportedly not pleased with how Leipold handled the situation and fined both schools $25,000 for the false accusation and mishandling of the situation.

"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," Yormark said in a statement. "Coach Leipold's comments questioned the integrity and professionalism of both the Conference and a member institution. Both actions warranted a financial penalty."

Leipold and Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff later released statements acknowledging the fine and apologizing for speaking too soon.

"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. "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."

Now, we know Leipold was only trying to protect his staff, and there was likely no ill intent behind his postgame comments. He was frustrated with what he thought had happened and wanted to stand up for his guys.

But considering that the new video evidence proves him wrong about the throwing accusation and actually puts KU at fault, it is a bad look. It is never a good thing for a coach to whine about something that didn't even impact the outcome of the game, and the facts show his team was the one in the wrong.

Leipold has built a reputation as a composed and level-headed leader, but moments like this can quickly chip away at that public image.

The only thing Leipold should be making headlines for is football, not extracurricular drama like this. During the bye week, he will need to get his team back on track on the gridiron as the Jayhawks prepare for the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State.