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Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
in
Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
. They are a member of the
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
. After 64 seasons at the off-campus Baylor Stadium, renamed Floyd Casey Stadium in 1989, the Bears opened the new on-campus
McLane Stadium McLane Stadium is an American football stadium in Waco, Texas owned and operated by Baylor University. Originally named "Baylor Stadium", the facility's name was changed to "McLane Stadium" in December 2013 to honor Baylor alumnus and business ma ...
for the 2014 season.


History


Early history

Baylor University's football team has seen a wide variation in its success through the years, including an undefeated 3–0 perfect record in 1900. Initially, starting in the year 1898, the university played its home games on an unnamed field near the university campus. Beginning in 1905, the team's home games were played at Carroll Field, between the Carroll Science Building and Waco Creek. Baylor did not adopt a mascot (the Baylor Bears) until December 14, 1914 after the completion of the 1914 football season. Additionally, Baylor did not join an athletic conference until 1914 after the conclusion of the football season, when it became a founding member of the Southwest Conference. Baylor played its first home game against Toby's Business College (located in Waco) in 1899, its first away game on 4 November 1900, at
Austin College Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas.Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and Baylor- TCU series were played.
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciple ...
(known as AddRan Male & Female College until 1902) was located in Waco from 1895 to 1910 and was one of Baylor's greatest football rivals until the dissolution of the
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
in 1995. The 1901 season also welcomed Baylor's first Thanksgiving Day football game, with a 28–0 win over
St. Edward's University St. Edward's University is a private, Catholic university in Austin, Texas. It was founded and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition. History Founding and early history St. Edward's University was founded by the Reverend Edward Sorin, CSC ...
. J.C. Ewing took control of the team in 1902, and led it to its first losing season, with a 3–4–2 record. R.N. Watts restored Baylor's winning tradition in 1903, with a record of 4–3–1. No team was fielded in 1906 following a ban opposing the violence of football; along with 1943 and 1944 (during World War II), 1906 is one of three seasons since 1899 that Baylor has not competed in varsity football. Luther Burleson headed the restored football team in 1907, and managed a 4–3–1 record. E.J. Mills led the team for the 1908 and 1909 seasons; their 3–5–0 and 5–3–0 records were notable for the 1908 loss to
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, and for the world's first "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...
" at the 1909 Thanksgiving Day game, which included a concert, parade, and bonfire. To this day, Baylor claims the honor of having the largest homecoming parade in the world. Baylor has many traditions such as the Baylor-TCU rivalry game which is one of the most played in all of college football, the
Battle of the Brazos The Battle of the Brazos is an American college football rivalry game between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are 90 miles apart. The Battle of the Brazos ...
(through 2011 when Texas A&M left the Big 12), membership in the historic
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
, a live bear mascot since 1915 and the
Baylor Line The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. After 64 seasons at the off-campus Baylor Stadium, renamed Floyd Casey Stadium in 1989, the Bears opened ...
. In 1966, John Hill Westbrook of Elgin, Texas became the first African American to play varsity football in the Southwest Conference when he joined the Baylor team.


Early SWC Championships and Bowl success

Baylor won the SWC Championship in 1915, 1916, 1922 and again in 1924. In 1956 Baylor came close to the SWC title again but finished second and was sent to face the undefeated No. 2
Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegi ...
in the 1957 Sugar Bowl. Baylor defeated
Johnny Majors John Terrill Majors (May 21, 1935June 3, 2020) was an American professional football player and college coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern Confe ...
and the No. 2 Volunteers 13–7. This was the highest ranked opponent Baylor had ever defeated until defeating No. 1 ranked
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
in 2012. The 1924 SWC Championship would be the last for many decades until Baylor won the conference again in 1974 under the leadership of third year head coach
Grant Teaff Grant Garland Teaff (; born November 12, 1933) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University (1960–1965), Angelo State University (1969–1971), and Baylor University (1972–1992), compiling ...
. From the late 1940s until the mid-1960s, Baylor also played in the 1952 Orange Bowl (vs. Georgia Tech), twice in the Gator Bowl (vs. Auburn and Florida), and the Bluebonnet (beating LSU), Dixie (beating Wake Forest) and Gotham Bowl (beating No. 10 ranked Utah St in New York City).


Miracle on the Brazos

Baylor had finished in last place in 4 of the last 7 seasons including the year before and had not won the conference championship in 50 years. Also, prior to this season, they had never appeared in the Cotton Bowl. Furthermore, coming into the 1974 season Baylor had lost 16 consecutive games to the
Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
. The 1974 Texas vs Baylor game looked like another easy win for Texas as the Longhorns took quick control of the game and went into halftime leading 24–7. Baylor was energized starting the 2nd half however, sparked by a blocked punt early in the 3rd quarter. The Bears rallied to a thrilling 34–24 victory over the Longhorns. Baylor went on to win the conference title that year and a first ever trip to the Cotton Bowl (the first time in seven seasons that Texas did not win the
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
title). The entire 1974 Baylor football season was dubbed the "Miracle on the Brazos" by many sports writers at the time. The win over Texas and the SWC championship have thus become a special part of Baylor's athletic history.


Grant Teaff era (1972–1992)

One of the most successful coaches in Baylor football history was
Grant Teaff Grant Garland Teaff (; born November 12, 1933) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University (1960–1965), Angelo State University (1969–1971), and Baylor University (1972–1992), compiling ...
. He led the Bears to conference titles in 1974, his third year in the program, and again in 1980 when he led the Bears to the Cotton Bowl to face the
Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a me ...
. Grant Teaff recruited famous players such as Mike Singletary, Thomas Everett, Walter Abercrombie and James Francis to play football at Baylor University. Teaff was also named National Coach of the Year after the 1974 season. He would go on to serve until 1992 leading Baylor to eight bowl games as well as the aforementioned Southwest Conference championships (1974, 1980) in his 21 years as head coach.


Chuck Reedy era (1993–1996)

Chuck Reedy Charles Reedy (born May 31, 1949) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Baylor University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a record of 23–22. Prior to replacing future College Football Hall of Fame induct ...
was coach for four seasons and compiled a record of 23–22. His 1994 team was part of a 5-way co-championship of the Southwest Conference, though an ineligible Texas A&M held a better conference record. In 1996 Baylor joined Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M, along with the Big 8 conference schools, to form the Big 12 Conference.


Roberts, Steele, and Morriss era (1997–2007)

Baylor was led by a succession of coaches with mediocre results. Dave Roberts was coach from 1997 to 1998 and compiled a 4–18 record.
Kevin Steele Kevin Steele (born March 17, 1958) is an American football coach and former player, currently serving as the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami. Steele has previously worked as defensive coordinator at Auburn, LSU, Clemson, and c ...
followed from 1999 to 2002 and posted a 9–36 record. He was succeeded by
Guy Morriss Guy Walker Morriss (May 13, 1951 – September 5, 2022) was an American football coach and player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky for two seasons (2001–2002) and at Baylor University for five seasons (2003†...
from 2003 to 2007 who compiled an 18–40 record.


Art Briles era (2008–2015)

The 2010 season was a breakthrough for the Baylor Bears. Baylor earned an invitation to the Texas Bowl in Houston after finishing the regular season with a 7–5 record, this was their first bowl appearance since 1995. In the regular season the Bears victories included Big 12 conference wins over Kansas and Kansas St, as well as road wins over Colorado and Texas. Building on the success of the 2010 team, Baylor began the 2011 season at home with an upset of No. 14 TCU, winners of the previous season's Rose Bowl. The Bears also won their next two games before traveling to Kansas State where they lost a tightly contested game by a single point. Baylor then defeated Iowa State 49–26 for the first conference win of the year before finishing October by losing two straight on the road, to A&M and eventual conference champion No. 3 Oklahoma State. The Bears rebounded to finish the regular season, with five straight victories including a Homecoming win over Missouri, a 31–30 overtime victory at Kansas in which Baylor tied a school record by overcoming a 21-point deficit in the 4th quarter, and the program's first win over No. 5 Oklahoma on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Griffin to Terrance Williams with 8 seconds remaining in the game. Baylor concluded November in Dallas playing against Texas Tech in Cowboys Stadium; although Griffin left the game due to a concussion at the half, backup
Nick Florence Nicolas Daryl Florence (born June 21, 1989) is a former American football quarterback for the Baylor Bears. High school career Florence attended South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. During this career, he threw for 8,001 yards and 87 tou ...
entered the game and led the Bears to a 66–42 victory. The Bears finished the regular season at home with a 48–24 victory over No. 22 Texas that propelled the team (9–3, 6–3 Big XII) to the Alamo Bowl with No. 12 and No. 15 BCS and AP rankings respectively, and propelled Griffin to the top of the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
voting; he became the first Baylor player to win the award and the first Baylor player since Don Trull in 1963 to factor significantly in the voting. In the Alamo Bowl, the Bears faced the Washington Huskies in what became the second-highest scoring bowl game in history, and the highest-scoring regulation bowl game ever. Baylor went up 21–7 early in the game, with Griffin throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another. The Huskies roared back with 28 unanswered points, and the teams finished the half with Washington leading 35–24. In the second half, with the defenses showing limited ability to cope with the high-powered offenses led by Griffin and Husky QB
Keith Price Keith Price (born June 28, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Washington, where he was the starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks i ...
, the teams traded scores. The Bears overcame the halftime deficit, going ahead for good 60–56 halfway in the 4th quarter, and Baylor RB Terrance Ganaway tacked on a final 43-yard touchdown run. Ganaway finished with 21 carries for 200 yards and 5 TDs and was recognized as the game's offensive MVP. Baylor's 2012 season opened in Waco against the SMU Mustangs. Quarterback Nick Florence – now a senior, having burned his redshirt season to play the second half against Texas Tech in 2011 after Griffin III left with a concussion – led the Bears to a 59–24 victory. Two weeks later, a victory at home against No. 2 FCS Sam Houston State gave Baylor fans their first glimpse of things to come when Oregon transfer running back Lache Seastrunk, who entered the game in the 4th quarter, put Baylor ahead 41–23 with a 15-yard touchdown rush. Baylor then traveled to Louisiana-Monroe to face a Warhawk team which had notched a stunning victory over No. 8 Arkansas and had subsequently taken Auburn to overtime. A 47–42 Baylor victory represented the Bears' 9th consecutive win (at the time, the 2nd longest streak in the FBS) and gave the Bears a No. 24 ranking. The win streak was broken during Baylor's first trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, by a No. 7 ranked Mountaineer team playing their inaugural Big 12 conference game. The 70–63 shootout saw several Big 12 records set, notably including the single-game receiving record by Baylor receiver Terrance Williams (314 yards). The loss dropped Baylor from the rankings and represented the start of a 4-game skid during which time Baylor lost in Waco to TCU, at No. 25 Texas, and at Iowa State. A win at home against Kansas and a loss at No. 12 Oklahoma left the Bears fighting for bowl eligibility. Baylor shocked the college football world the next week by soundly beating No. 1 Kansas State in Waco 52–24. A 12-yard Florence touchdown rush in the first quarter gave Baylor a 14–7 lead which was never relinquished. The Baylor defense highlighted the game with a stout goal-line stand in the 4th quarter and intercepted Heisman hopeful Collin Klein three times, the last in the endzone to set up an 80-yard touchdown run by Lache Seastrunk. The victory over Kansas State represented the program's first ever win over a No. 1 ranked team and sparked a 3-game win streak for Baylor (with a 52–45 overtime victory over Texas Tech in Cowboys Stadium and a 41–34 victory in Waco over No. 23 Oklahoma State). During the OSU game Seastrunk again achieved recognition for a 76-yard touchdown rush, outrunning the Oklahoma State secondary despite suffering a quadriceps cramp near midfield. The conclusion of Baylor's 7–5 2012 campaign marked the first time since 1949–51 that the Bears have enjoyed three consecutive seasons with 7+ wins. On December 2, Baylor accepted a berth in the Holiday Bowl, sending the Bears to a third consecutive bowl for the first time in program history. Baylor easily defeated the No. 17-ranked UCLA Bruins in the Holiday Bowl on December 27, 2012 by a final margin of 49–26 after jumping out to a 21–0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. Lache Seastrunk (RB) and Chris McAllister (DE) were named Offensive Player and Defensive Player of the game respectively. In 2013, Baylor had arguably its best regular season in school history. A best-ever 9–0 start propelled the Bears to a No. 3 national ranking in the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
. However, after an on-the-road loss to Oklahoma State, the Bears needed victories in their last two games and an Oklahoma State loss to have an opportunity to clinch the outright Big 12 title. With the Cowboys' loss, Baylor's season-closing game against Texas — the final game at Floyd Casey Stadium — became a de facto Big 12 championship game. Baylor defeated the Longhorns, 30–10, to notch a school-record 11th win and its first outright conference title since 1980. It also assured the team a
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pla ...
berth, the Bears' first-ever BCS bowl appearance and their first major bowl in 33 years. Baylor was defeated in the Fiesta Bowl by the University of Central Florida 52–42. Bryce Petty, the Bears' quarterback, placed 7th in the overall 2013–14 Heisman race in New York, the second Heisman Trophy candidate set forth by Baylor in the last three record-breaking seasons. Petty was voted Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year following the season.


Assault scandal

From 2012 to 2016, Baylor was rocked by a sexual assault scandal which resulted in the dismissal of head coach Art Briles, as well as the resignations of Athletic Director Ian McCaw, the University President
Kenneth Starr Kenneth Winston Starr (July 21, 1946 – September 13, 2022) was an American lawyer and judge who authored the Starr Report, which led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He headed an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, know ...
, and the Title IX coordinator Patty Crawford. The Big 12 Conference conditionally withheld $6 million from Baylor's yearly payout until Baylor could certify changes were implemented. In March 2017, the
Texas Ranger Division The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers and also known as ''Los Diablos Tejanos'' (), is an State bureau of investigation, investigative law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in the US state of Texas. It is ba ...
confirmed that it had begun a "preliminary investigation" into whether or not the university or Waco PD had broken any laws. On March 7, 2017, U.S. District Judge
Robert L. Pitman Robert Lee Pitman (born 1962) is an American attorney and jurist who serves as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and former United States Attorney fo ...
dismissed several claims made in a lawsuit against the university while allowing others to proceed.


Jim Grobe era (2016)

Jim Grobe Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
took over as interim head coach for Baylor and led them to their 7th straight bowl appearance and a 31-12 victory over highly favored Boise State (10-2 record) at the Cactus Bowl in Arizona. Baylor finished the season with a 7-6 record.


Matt Rhule era (2017–2019)

In December 2016 former Temple coach,
Matt Rhule Matthew Kenneth Rhule (born January 31, 1975) is an American football coach and former player, who is the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was previously the head coach at Temple University, Baylor University, and for the Carolina Pant ...
, was hired as the head Baylor football coach and given a 7 year contract. Rhule subsequently replaced all of the prior football coaches and support staff and completed the hiring process in February 2017. Coach Rhule and the Bears suffered through a disastrous first season in 2017, finishing the year with a 1-11 record. A 38-9 victory on the road in week 10 over the Kansas Jayhawks was the lone win. The rest of the season was sprinkled with some positives, including a close loss vs No. 3 Oklahoma (49-41) and a 2 point loss to No. 23 West Virginia (38-36). In 2018 Coach Rhule led the Baylor Bears to one of the nations biggest 1 year turnaround seasons, going from 1 win to 7 wins after a thrilling Texas Bowl victory over Vanderbilt (45-38). Baylor finished the year with a 7-6 record but was close to having a very good season as 4 losses came on the road to top 20 competition (No. 6, No. 9, No. 13, No. 20). The 2019 season will go down as one of the best ever in Baylor football history. The Bears finished the regular season T-1st in the Big 12 with an 11-1 record, matching the program record for wins. The Bears played Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game but lost in a close, hard fought game. To finish the season, Baylor was ranked No. 7 in the CFP poll and was selected to play the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. They lost this game by a score of 14-26. On January 7, 2020, Rhule was hired as the head coach of the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
of the NFL, leaving Baylor after completely turning around the football program and its national perception.


Dave Aranda era (2020–present)

In January 2020, after Rhule's departure for the Panthers, Baylor hired former
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. In Aranda's first season, the team compiled a 2–7 record, with wins against Kansas (0–9) and Kansas State (4–6). On December 4, 2021, Baylor held off an Oklahoma State rally to win the Big 12 Championship Game 21-16. Coach Dave Aranda took responsibility for a controversial decision to go for the first down on a 4th-and-1 at their own 36. The failed conversion triggered the Oklahoma State rally. However, Coach Aranda owned up to the call in a post-game interview, explaining that Baylor Football is about seizing opportunities when they are available; an attitude that ultimately won them the game. Oklahoma State had the ball at the Baylor 2-yard line with 1:19 to go. Baylor stopped them on 3 runs and a pass for one of the all-time great goal-line stands.


Conference affiliations

Baylor has been independent and a member of two different conferences. *
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
(1898–1915) *
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
(1915–1996) *
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
(1996–present)


Conference championships

Baylor has won ten conference championships, won in two different conferences, six outright and four shared. † Co-championship


Bowl games

Baylor has played in 27 bowl games, garnering a record of 14–13. Baylor has appeared in 8 New Year's Day bowl games and 8 major bowl games.


Rivalries


TCU

Baylor's rivalry with TCU is one of the oldest and most played in all of college football. Dating back to 1899 the series began while TCU was located in
Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...
, Texas as a cross-town rival to Baylor. Due to the close proximity of the two schools 23 games were played between 1899 and 1910. A fire in 1910 destroyed the Main Building on the TCU campus and financial incentives from the city of
Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
convinced the Board of Trustees to relocate TCU to that city. There was a ten-year break in the series when the dissolution of the
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
in 1996 resulted in the two universities joining separate athletic conferences. The series resumed in Waco for Baylor's 2006 home opener and continued in 2007 in Fort Worth. TCU leads the series 58–53–7 through the conclusion of the 2022 season.


Texas Tech

The Baylor Bears are
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
's most played opponent with 80 meetings between the teams dating back to 1929. From 2009-2018, the Bears played the Red Raiders at
AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. I ...
during the Saturday after Thanksgiving (with the exception of the 2010 game which was played at the Cotton Bowl during the
State Fair of Texas The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas at historic Fair Park. The fair has taken place every year since 1886 except for varying periods during World War I and World War II as well as 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It ...
). Starting with the 2019 season, the series moved back to the two schools respective on campus stadiums with Baylor hosting in Waco in 2019 and Texas Tech hosting in Lubbock in 2020. As of the conclusion of the 2021 season, Baylor leads the overall series 40–39–1.


Texas A&M

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
is one of Baylor's oldest rivals as the series dates from 1899 and the two schools are located only 90 miles apart on the Brazos River. The competitive peak of the series was from 1960–1990 when Baylor won 13 games, A&M won 16 games and 2 games ended in ties. During that time 18 games were decided by 7 points or fewer. The game played in 2011 is likely the end of the series for the foreseeable future given A&M's decision to leave the Big 12 Conference. Texas A&M leads the series 68–31–9 with the most recent game played in 2011.


Facilities


Stadium

The Baylor Bears had played their home games at Floyd Casey Stadium, originally known as Baylor Stadium, since the facility opened in 1950 till closure in 2013. Construction began on what would become Floyd Casey Stadium right after World War II in 1948. The stadium cost $1.8 million to construct and was placed on land donated by a local Baylor landowner. It opened under the name Baylor Stadium in 1950 with a game against Houston, won by Baylor 34–7. When finished the new stadium was the second largest football stadium in the state of Texas. Floyd Casey Stadium had a
seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
of 50,000 and had undergone multiple renovations during its lifetime, most recently in 2009. Prior to the Bears time at Floyd Casey Stadium, the Bears played at Municipal Stadium (1936–1949), Cotton Palace (1926–1929), on campus at
Carroll Field Carroll Field was owned by Baylor University; the Baylor Bears football program played games there from 1906 to 1925, and from 1930 to 1935. Following the construction of the Carroll Science Building in 1902, the field was located between the b ...
(1906–1925 and 1930–1935). As of the 2012 season Carroll Field has been the only on-campus homefield for the Bears. In the Fall of 2012, Baylor University began construction of a new $266 million
stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
on the north bank of the Brazos River. The stadium opened for the 2014 football season with the first game taking place on August 31, 2014 against former Southwest Conference rival
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...
(SMU). The new McLane Stadium was named after Drayton McLane, Jr. who donated a significant amount of money toward the stadium's construction. McLane Stadium is the largest construction project in the history of Waco and Central Texas, and has brought increased revenue to the downtown Waco area. Although McLane Stadium is smaller in capacity than its predecessor, Floyd Casey Stadium, it is expandable to up to 55,000 seats.


Simpson Athletics and Academic Center

The Simpson Center was built in 2009 and provides a 97,000 foot facility to house football operations. The building also houses the 13,500 foot football weight room. The building is built in a classic collegiate style matching the red brick southern architectural style of the Baylor University campus and is over three stories tall. It houses the main athletic training room, football team locker room, equipment room, coach's locker room, and a large primary weight room. The Simpson Center also houses academic support rooms for studying and academic work. Equipment for sports and athletic rehabilitation include the new state of the art underwater treadmills built into the Simpson Center.


Jay and Jenny Allison Indoor Football Practice Facility

The indoor practice facility is a full football field and A/C building that allows Baylor athletics to practice in all weather conditions year round. The Indoor facility was a gift from longtime Baylor letterwinner and successful businessman Jay Allison along with his wife Jenny. The new state of the art indoor field was designed to be a part of the Highers Athletic Complex and backs up to the Brazos river. The building was built in 2010 for an estimated cost of $15.4 million.


Top 25 poll finishes

The Bears have finished in the final season rankings of the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
or
Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
18 times. The
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
first appeared in 1934, and has been published continuously since 1936. The
Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
began its ranking with 20 teams in 1950–51 season, but expanded to 25 teams beginning in the 1990–91 season. The
College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
rankings were used from 2014-23 for a four-team knockout tournament to determine a national champion; a 12-team playoff is planned beginning in 2024.


Hall of Fame

A total of two Baylor coaches and eight Baylor players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame to date.


College Football Hall of Fame inductees


Pro Football Hall of Fame players


Heisman Trophy

Baylor has had four
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
candidates, an award given to the best player in college football, with one candidate winning the trophy.


Traditions


Baylor Line

The Baylor Line is one of the first aspects of Baylor spirit to which freshmen are introduced. The 'Baylor Line' is made entirely of freshmen and is the core of Baylor spirit and tradition. Students wear a gold football jersey with the number of their expected graduation year and a chosen nickname on the back. Before each football game the Baylor Line gathers at one end of
McLane Stadium McLane Stadium is an American football stadium in Waco, Texas owned and operated by Baylor University. Originally named "Baylor Stadium", the facility's name was changed to "McLane Stadium" in December 2013 to honor Baylor alumnus and business ma ...
and waits for the signal to make a 'mad dash' down the field to create a giant human tunnel through which the football team runs through to enter the stadium. Six members of the Baylor Line carry flags with the letters ''B-A-Y-L-O-R'' while the rest of the Line runs behind them. Afterwards students rush the sidelines and stand in an exclusive Baylor Line section behind the opponents' bench where students watch the game, cheer the Bears to another victory, and heckle the opposing team. It began as an all-male organization until 1993, when women were allowed to join. At its inception the Baylor Line was a group of freshmen men who lined the front of Baylor's student section for the express purpose of protecting Baylor women from the other teams more violent fans. The jersey colors of the Line were originally rotated between green in odd numbered years and gold in even numbered years through 1998 (class of 2002). This changed to green every year until around 2001, when in the interest of having a more substantial looking student section the decision was made to use gold every year. The green jerseys are now used for members of the Baylor University Chamber of Commerce who lead the Baylor Line in chants; these jerseys have "CC" on the back instead of a graduation year.


Mascots

Baylor keeps two
American black bears The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black be ...
, Joy and Lady, on campus in their natural habitat enclosure as mascots for the University. American black bears roamed the majority of Texas in considerable abundance when Baylor was founded in 1845, and bears could still be found throughout many areas of the state until the 1940s. The university has had live bears since 1915. The first live bear was a gift from Herbert Mayr, a local businessman who won the bear in a poker game from a member of the troops of the 107th Engineers, which was a unit of the 32nd Infantry Division stationed at
Camp MacArthur Camp MacArthur (or Camp McArthur) was an American military training base in Waco, Texas during World War I. It was named for General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 â€“ September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of ...
in Waco. The soldiers were based in the city during World War I. The Bears are brought to the stadium by the Baylor Chamber spirit group on game days and they attend pre-game events and stay to be the living symbol of the University at the games. However, since 2010 the bears are no longer allowed at football games or other campus events on leashes. The USDA informed Baylor officials that they would no longer be permitted to bring the bears to games per Federal Code of Regulations 2.131(c)(1)which states "During public exhibition, any animal must be handled so there is minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public, with sufficient distance and/or barriers between the animal and the general viewing public so as to assure the safety of the animals and the public."


Alma mater

Before kickoff and after each games conclusion Baylor fans sing the University alma mater 'That Good Old Baylor Line' while holding their "Bear claws" in the air. The tune is set to the 1949 classic "In the Good Old Summertime."


Logos and uniforms

The traditional Baylor uniform worn for home games consists of a gold helmet with a green interlocking BU logo on the sides and green & white stripes down the middle, green jersey, and white or gold pants; a white jersey is substituted for the green one for road games. In recent seasons, both a matte green helmet and a white helmet have been used as alternates to the gold helmet. Black jerseys as well as black or green pants have also been used giving the Bears multiple uniform combinations to choose from. On August 11, 2014, the Baylor Bears won the online fan vote for college football's best uniform awarded by Sporting News Magazine. In 2019, Baylor university updated their athletic marks across all sports, including football. This included an updated primary interlocking "BU" logo, as well as a new proprietary number font and alternate bear head logo. The football uniforms were updated with the new font for the numbers, primary logo on the helmet, and an inclusion of the bear head logo on the collar.


Awards


National

*
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

Most Outstanding Player *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011 *
Biletnikoff Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...

Best Receiver *:
Corey Coleman Corey Defians Coleman (born July 6, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first ...
, Winner-2015 *:
Terrance Williams Terrance Tyrone Williams (born September 8, 1989) is an American football wide receiver for the Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played college football at Baylor, where he earned All-American recognition, before being drafted b ...
, Finalist-2012 (finished 2nd) * Campbell Trophy
Academic Heisman *:
Nick Florence Nicolas Daryl Florence (born June 21, 1989) is a former American football quarterback for the Baylor Bears. High school career Florence attended South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. During this career, he threw for 8,001 yards and 87 tou ...
, Finalist-2012 (finished 2nd) *
Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National C ...

Best SWC Player *: Mike Singletary, Winner-1979, 1980 *
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National C ...

Best Quarterback *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011 *:
Nick Florence Nicolas Daryl Florence (born June 21, 1989) is a former American football quarterback for the Baylor Bears. High school career Florence attended South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. During this career, he threw for 8,001 yards and 87 tou ...
, semifinalist-2012 *
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...

Best Interior Lineman *: Cyril Richardson, Finalist-2013 *:
Spencer Drango Spencer Joseph Drango (born October 15, 1992) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Baylor. A freshman All-American in 2012, Drango was considered one of the best offensive tackles in his class. He was drafted by t ...
, Finalist-2015 *
Chic Harley Award The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...

College Football Player of the Year *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011 *
Sammy Baugh Trophy The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...

Top Passer *:
Don Trull Donald Dean Trull (born October 20, 1941) is a former American football quarterback in the American Football League. Trull played football collegiately at Baylor University, where he was an All-American and twice won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as t ...
, Winner-1962, 1963 *
AFCA Coach of the Year The AFCA Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The award has had several different sponsors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also b ...

Best Coach *:
Grant Teaff Grant Garland Teaff (; born November 12, 1933) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University (1960–1965), Angelo State University (1969–1971), and Baylor University (1972–1992), compiling ...
, Winner-1974 *
Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...

Top Defensive Back *:
Thomas Everett Thomas Gregory Everett (born November 21, 1964) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Baylor University, where he ...
, Winner-1986 *
Ray Guy Award The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter as adjudged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the National F ...

Best Punter *:
Daniel Sepulveda Daniel Wade Sepulveda (born January 12, 1984) is a former American football punter who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for Baylor University, earned All- ...
, Winner-2004, 2006 * The Jim Parker Trophy
Top Offensive Lineman *: Cyril Richardson, Winner-2013 *
Manning Award The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...

Best Quarterback *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011/2012 *
Associated Press College Football Player of the Year The Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award has been awarded annually since 1998 to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the country. The winner is chosen by a vote of AP sportswriters and sports editors from throu ...

Most Outstanding Player *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011 *
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award is an award given annually to the "top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, comm ...

Top Offensive Player *: Bryce Petty, Winner-2013 * AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Year
College Football Player of the Year *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011 *
Sporting News College Football Player of the Year The ''Sporting News'' College Football Player of the Year award is given to the player of the year in college football as adjudged by ''Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Hold ...

College Football Player of the Year *:
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, Winner-2011


Conference

*Southwest Conference Coach of the Year :
Grant Teaff Grant Garland Teaff (; born November 12, 1933) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University (1960–1965), Angelo State University (1969–1971), and Baylor University (1972–1992), compiling ...
, 1974 & 1978 *Southwest Conference Player of the Year : Mike Singletary, 1979 & 1980 :
Thomas Everett Thomas Gregory Everett (born November 21, 1964) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Baylor University, where he ...
, 1986 & 1987 *Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year :
Art Briles Arthur Ray Briles (born December 3, 1955) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach for the Guelfi Firenze in the Italian Football League. Briles was the head coach of the Houston Cougars football, Houston Cougars from 2002 ...
, 2013 : Dave Aranda, 2021 *Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year :
Daniel Sepulveda Daniel Wade Sepulveda (born January 12, 1984) is a former American football punter who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for Baylor University, earned All- ...
, 2006 : Trestan Ebner, 2021 *Big 12 Conference Athlete of the Year :
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, 2011–2012 *Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year :
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, 2008 *Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year :
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, 2011 : Bryce Petty, 2013 *Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year : James Lynch, 2019 :
Jalen Pitre Jalen Pitre ( ; born June 3, 1999) is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor and in 2021, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consens ...
, 2021 *Big 12 Conference Offensive Newcomer of the Year :
Lache Seastrunk Lache J. Seastrunk (pronounced ; born July 29, 1991) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Baylor. Seastrunk was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Early years A nat ...
, 2012 *Big 12 Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year : Saiki Ika, 2021 *Big 12 Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year : Cyril Richardson, 2012 & 2013 :
Spencer Drango Spencer Joseph Drango (born October 15, 1992) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Baylor. A freshman All-American in 2012, Drango was considered one of the best offensive tackles in his class. He was drafted by t ...
, 2014 & 2015 : Connor Galvin, 2021 *Big 12 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year :
Andrew Billings Andrew Mitchell Billings (born March 6, 1995) is an American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth ro ...
, 2015 : James Lynch, 2019 *Big 12 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year :
Nick Florence Nicolas Daryl Florence (born June 21, 1989) is a former American football quarterback for the Baylor Bears. High school career Florence attended South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. During this career, he threw for 8,001 yards and 87 tou ...
, 2012


Bears in the NFL

As of October 18, 2021, 12 former Baylor players were listed on NFL rosters: *
Andrew Billings Andrew Mitchell Billings (born March 6, 1995) is an American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth ro ...
, DT,
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
* Henry Black, S,
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
*
Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and played college ...
, C,
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
*
Xavien Howard Xavien Howard (born July 4, 1993) is an American football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dolphins. ...
, CB,
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
* Clay Johnston, LB,
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
* Blake Lynch, LB,
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
* James Lynch, DT,
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
* Ross Matiscik, LS,
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
*
Denzel Mims Denzel Jeremiah Mims (born October 10, 1997) is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor. Early years Mims attended Daingerfield High School in Dain ...
, WR,
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
*
Bravvion Roy Bravvion Roy (born October 18, 1996) is an American football nose tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor, and was drafted by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Dr ...
, DT,
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
* Sam Tecklenburg, C,
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
*
Jon Weeks Jonathan Donald Weeks (born February 17, 1986) is an American football long snapper for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Baylo ...
, LS,
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...


Consensus All-Americans

* 1930 Barton Koch, G * 1956 Bill Glass, G * 1963
Lawrence Elkins Lawrence Clayton "Larry" Elkins (born July 28, 1943) is a former American football player. He was a two-time All-American flanker at Baylor and later for the AFL's Houston Oilers. Early life Elkins is the youngest of ten children. One of his ...
, E * 1964
Lawrence Elkins Lawrence Clayton "Larry" Elkins (born July 28, 1943) is a former American football player. He was a two-time All-American flanker at Baylor and later for the AFL's Houston Oilers. Early life Elkins is the youngest of ten children. One of his ...
, B * 1976 Gary Green, DB * 1979 Mike Singletary, LB * 1980 Mike Singletary, LB * 1986
Thomas Everett Thomas Gregory Everett (born November 21, 1964) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Baylor University, where he ...
, DB * 1991
Santana Dotson Santana N. Dotson (born December 19, 1969) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was a part of Houston's Yates High School football team when it won the 1985 5A state championship. While at Baylor, ...
, DL * 2006
Daniel Sepulveda Daniel Wade Sepulveda (born January 12, 1984) is a former American football punter who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for Baylor University, earned All- ...
, P * 2011
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...
, QB * 2012
Terrance Williams Terrance Tyrone Williams (born September 8, 1989) is an American football wide receiver for the Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played college football at Baylor, where he earned All-American recognition, before being drafted b ...
, WR * 2013 Cyril Richardson, OL * 2014
Spencer Drango Spencer Joseph Drango (born October 15, 1992) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Baylor. A freshman All-American in 2012, Drango was considered one of the best offensive tackles in his class. He was drafted by t ...
, OL * 2015
Spencer Drango Spencer Joseph Drango (born October 15, 1992) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Baylor. A freshman All-American in 2012, Drango was considered one of the best offensive tackles in his class. He was drafted by t ...
, OL * 2015
Corey Coleman Corey Defians Coleman (born July 6, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first ...
, WR * 2019 James Lynch, DL * 2021
Jalen Pitre Jalen Pitre ( ; born June 3, 1999) is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor and in 2021, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consens ...
, S


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of September 22, 2021. **The games against BYU, an FBS independent in football, have been approved by Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to be recognized as the equivalent of a non-conference game vs. a Power Five opponent in order to fulfill the Big XII requirement of playing one such Out-of-Conference game each season.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baylor Bears Football American football teams established in 1899 1899 establishments in Texas