Competition Season is Here
8/14/2026 5:08:00 PM | Desk of the AD
Baylor Family,
It has been a busy summer around Baylor Athletics, but nothing signals fall like competition. Our student-athletes are back, our venues are coming alive, and we're reminded why college athletics is so special: the moments we experience together.
Competition Season Is Here
Baylor Soccer picked up where it left off last year with a dominant 4-1 win at No. 10 Arkansas to open the season, a great tone-setter for a team facing a formidable non-conference schedule, including four SEC opponents and two more NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. You don't have to wait long to see them at home. The Bears host Texas A&M this Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free. Bring your family and help us give this team a home-field advantage.
Simply put, Baylor Volleyball is one of the nation's most consistent winning programs. The Bears are looking to make a run to their 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament, with 13 matches in the Ferrell Center and four appearances on linear television along the way. Volleyball hosts an exhibition in the Ferrell Center this Sunday at 6 p.m. against defending national champion Texas A&M and hosts North Texas in the home opener of the regular season on September 3.
Football will be here before we know it. The Bears open at Auburn before returning home September 12 at 7 p.m. Fall camp is underway, and our creative and communications teams are giving us an inside look. Follow Baylor Football on social media for daily content, highlights, interviews and behind-the-scenes access throughout fall camp.
Fan First Fun
Football season puts our Fan First initiatives into action, from bringing tailgating back in-house and offering discounted concessions to new experiences like Touchdown Alley concerts and stroller parking for families. There's much more to come, so visit our Fan Experience homepage for the full lineup. We built these experiences with you in mind, and we can't wait to see you enjoy them.
And for our city of Waco residents, don't miss the Waco Rush Pass. A priority is making it easy for our community to be part of Baylor Athletics, and the Waco Rush Pass is another way we hope to invite more of Waco into the experience. If you haven't registered yet, visit the Waco Rush homepage and sign up for your pass. We want you here with us.
We'll also host Meet the Bears on August 22 at 1 p.m., presented by McLane Children's, at Allison Indoor. It's a great opportunity, especially for our younger fans, to meet the football team and get autographs from the Bears they'll cheer for all season. Looking forward to seeing you there!
A Sneak Peek: Baylor Showcase
I also want to give you a quick preview of something we will more fully announce in the coming weeks: the Baylor Showcase.
The Baylor Showcase will be a new annual signature series that draws inspiration from an event I have long admired as one of the most innovative in sports: the NHL Winter Classic. The nearly two-decade tradition of playing a professional hockey game outdoors around New Year's Day has become a signature event, transforming one game into a unique moment that captures the attention of the sports world and creates an experience fans remember. In that spirit, we plan to take one men's and one women's event per year, produce them in a distinctive setting and create memorable experiences that celebrate our teams, our university, our community and, most importantly, our fans.
At its best, college athletics has the ability to become something greater than the competition itself, and we believe we can create those kinds of moments. We're excited to share more soon.
College Athletics on Capitol Hill
Of course, this wave of activity on our campus to begin the 2026-27 year is happening against the backdrop of the ever-changing national landscape of college athletics. The current focus has been in Washington, D.C., where Congress is working through the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). I believe this bill, while understandably not perfect, represents a positive and necessary step for us, the Big 12 and the broader industry. Ultimately, the PCSA bill would bring more stability, which is important as the industry's uncertainty in recent years has caused us too often to lose sight of what really matters, as I wrote last month in a USA Today op-ed. I remain hopeful the PCSA bill will pass this fall, but we will ensure Baylor Athletics is prepared either way.
Fan First Spotlight
Building a Fan First culture takes all of us. So when someone creates a great experience for you at a Baylor event, please tell us about it at fanfirst@baylor.edu. Whether it is department staff, concession staff, event management staff, parking lot attendants, or anyone else, we want to celebrate the people and moments that make your experiences special. We'll highlight some of the best examples right here in future letters.
To kick this off, we want to call out event management staff member Sarah Woodley! If you've been to our games, Sarah is a face you will likely recognize, and her willingness to go the extra mile is often on display.
Last season, George Schroeder and his son, Christopher, attended a women's basketball game. For Christopher, the perfect game includes seeing the mascots. At one point, George and Christopher tried to get a picture with Bruiser, but Bruiser was called away for an on-court promotion, and they missed him. They returned to their seats, and Christopher was understandably disappointed. What happened next is a perfect example of the service we constantly aim to deliver.
Sarah noticed George and Christopher leave their seats and just miss the photo opportunity. So, Sarah made a call and got Bruiser to come back and visit Christopher in their section. George later shared, I am so grateful. I just want to commend her, and Baylor. It's just another reason to love Baylor.
Thank you, Sarah, for embodying Fan First service!
Sic 'em!
Doug
It has been a busy summer around Baylor Athletics, but nothing signals fall like competition. Our student-athletes are back, our venues are coming alive, and we're reminded why college athletics is so special: the moments we experience together.
Competition Season Is Here
Baylor Soccer picked up where it left off last year with a dominant 4-1 win at No. 10 Arkansas to open the season, a great tone-setter for a team facing a formidable non-conference schedule, including four SEC opponents and two more NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. You don't have to wait long to see them at home. The Bears host Texas A&M this Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free. Bring your family and help us give this team a home-field advantage.
Simply put, Baylor Volleyball is one of the nation's most consistent winning programs. The Bears are looking to make a run to their 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament, with 13 matches in the Ferrell Center and four appearances on linear television along the way. Volleyball hosts an exhibition in the Ferrell Center this Sunday at 6 p.m. against defending national champion Texas A&M and hosts North Texas in the home opener of the regular season on September 3.
Football will be here before we know it. The Bears open at Auburn before returning home September 12 at 7 p.m. Fall camp is underway, and our creative and communications teams are giving us an inside look. Follow Baylor Football on social media for daily content, highlights, interviews and behind-the-scenes access throughout fall camp.
Fan First Fun
Football season puts our Fan First initiatives into action, from bringing tailgating back in-house and offering discounted concessions to new experiences like Touchdown Alley concerts and stroller parking for families. There's much more to come, so visit our Fan Experience homepage for the full lineup. We built these experiences with you in mind, and we can't wait to see you enjoy them.
And for our city of Waco residents, don't miss the Waco Rush Pass. A priority is making it easy for our community to be part of Baylor Athletics, and the Waco Rush Pass is another way we hope to invite more of Waco into the experience. If you haven't registered yet, visit the Waco Rush homepage and sign up for your pass. We want you here with us.
We'll also host Meet the Bears on August 22 at 1 p.m., presented by McLane Children's, at Allison Indoor. It's a great opportunity, especially for our younger fans, to meet the football team and get autographs from the Bears they'll cheer for all season. Looking forward to seeing you there!
A Sneak Peek: Baylor Showcase
I also want to give you a quick preview of something we will more fully announce in the coming weeks: the Baylor Showcase.
The Baylor Showcase will be a new annual signature series that draws inspiration from an event I have long admired as one of the most innovative in sports: the NHL Winter Classic. The nearly two-decade tradition of playing a professional hockey game outdoors around New Year's Day has become a signature event, transforming one game into a unique moment that captures the attention of the sports world and creates an experience fans remember. In that spirit, we plan to take one men's and one women's event per year, produce them in a distinctive setting and create memorable experiences that celebrate our teams, our university, our community and, most importantly, our fans.
At its best, college athletics has the ability to become something greater than the competition itself, and we believe we can create those kinds of moments. We're excited to share more soon.
College Athletics on Capitol Hill
Of course, this wave of activity on our campus to begin the 2026-27 year is happening against the backdrop of the ever-changing national landscape of college athletics. The current focus has been in Washington, D.C., where Congress is working through the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). I believe this bill, while understandably not perfect, represents a positive and necessary step for us, the Big 12 and the broader industry. Ultimately, the PCSA bill would bring more stability, which is important as the industry's uncertainty in recent years has caused us too often to lose sight of what really matters, as I wrote last month in a USA Today op-ed. I remain hopeful the PCSA bill will pass this fall, but we will ensure Baylor Athletics is prepared either way.
Fan First Spotlight
Building a Fan First culture takes all of us. So when someone creates a great experience for you at a Baylor event, please tell us about it at fanfirst@baylor.edu. Whether it is department staff, concession staff, event management staff, parking lot attendants, or anyone else, we want to celebrate the people and moments that make your experiences special. We'll highlight some of the best examples right here in future letters.
To kick this off, we want to call out event management staff member Sarah Woodley! If you've been to our games, Sarah is a face you will likely recognize, and her willingness to go the extra mile is often on display.
Last season, George Schroeder and his son, Christopher, attended a women's basketball game. For Christopher, the perfect game includes seeing the mascots. At one point, George and Christopher tried to get a picture with Bruiser, but Bruiser was called away for an on-court promotion, and they missed him. They returned to their seats, and Christopher was understandably disappointed. What happened next is a perfect example of the service we constantly aim to deliver.
Sarah noticed George and Christopher leave their seats and just miss the photo opportunity. So, Sarah made a call and got Bruiser to come back and visit Christopher in their section. George later shared, I am so grateful. I just want to commend her, and Baylor. It's just another reason to love Baylor.
Thank you, Sarah, for embodying Fan First service!
Sic 'em!
Doug
Friday, August 14
Friday, August 14
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13
