Baylor Bears
Encyclopedia
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University
. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA
's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference
. Prior to joining the Big 12, Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996.
Baylor won its first team NCAA
title in 2004 as the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship game. They narrowly lost to UCLA in the 2005 national championship match. The Women's Basketball team won the school's other NCAA Championship in 2005.
The mascot
s of Baylor University are two black bear
s named Joy and Lady.
in 2005. Coached by Kim Mulkey, at that time Mulkey-Robertson, the Lady Bears defeated the Spartans of Michigan State University
84–62. Mulkey became the first women's coach and only the third coach in history to win an NCAA Division I basketball championship as both a player and a coach, joining Dean Smith
and Bob Knight. In 8 of her 9 years as head coach, Mulkey has guided the Lady Bears to the NCAA Tournament. In 2010, Mulkey returned the Lady Bears to the Final Four, where they lost in the national semifinals to eventual champion U-Conn. In 2011, the Lady Bears were knocked out of the tournament by rival and eventual national champion, Texas A&M.
in 2003. Patrick Dennehy, a player for the team, was murdered by a former player for the team, and then-coach Dave Bliss was forced to resign amidst allegations that he had made improper financial payments to players and planned to cover his actions by characterizing Dennehy as a drug dealer. The school placed itself on probation, limited itself to 7 scholarships for two years and imposed a post-season ban for one year. Additionally, the NCAA further punished the team by initiating a non-conference ban for the 2005-2006 season and extending the probationary period during which the school would have limited recruiting privileges.
The 2005 Bears were hindered by only having 7 scholarship players and recorded only one win in conference play. In spite of these challenges, head coach Scott Drew was able to put together a 2005 signing class ranked No. 7 nationally by HoopScoop. The 2006 Bears included Aaron Bruce, the highest scoring freshman in the NCAA in 2005, and Mamadou Diene, rated one of the top 10 centers for the 2007 NBA draft. The program's recovery culminated in 3 straight postseason appearances: an at-large NCAA Men's Tournament berth in March 2008, an NIT championship game appearance in March, 2009, and a trip to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight in March, 2010. In the previous 17 years prior to 2008, BU made one postseason appearance (a first round exit of the NIT in 2001).
Baylor men's teams won five conference championships in the former Southwest Conference (1932, 1946, 1948, 1949*, 1950*; * denotes shared title). The Bears reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1946 and 2010 and the Final Four in 1948 and 1950. The 1948 team advanced to play the Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA championship, but fell 58–42 to Adolph Rupp's first national championship team.
Both the men and women call the Ferrell Center home, which was built in 1988. Previously they played in the Heart of Texas Coliseum. An non-exhaustive list of BU players who played in the NBA include Vinnie Johnson, David Wesley, Michael Williams, Terry Teagle and Brian Skinner. Ekpe Udoh was selected with the #6 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.
team plays at Floyd Casey Stadium
, located a few miles away from campus. It was called Baylor Stadium until 1988. The stadium was built in 1950 and currently officially seats 50,000 fans.
Since joining the Big 12 conference in 1996, Baylor has held a 18–101 record in regular season play, with its best season coming in 2010 when they finished with a 4-4 conference record. In 2004, Baylor defeated its first ranked opponent since 1998, #16 ranked Texas A&M
, by a score of 35-34 in overtime on a two-point conversion
. In 2005 the team opened 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and finished 5-6; Baylor also won its first Big 12 road game in school history at Iowa State
. Also despite a disappointing 4–8 record in 2006, the Bears swept the Big 12 North portion of its conference schedule and won 3 conference games in a season for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 1996. On November 18, 2007, Baylor fired football coach Guy Morriss
and announced on November 28, 2007 that former University of Houston
head coach Art Briles
as the new coach. During the 2010 season, Baylor finished with a 7-5 regular season record, its first winning season since 1995, when they finished 7-4.
During the 2006 campaign, the Bears notched a 3-5 losing record in the Big 12, its best since the Big 12 Conference was created. The record included wins over Kansas State University, Kansas University, and the University of Colorado at Boulder, all teams of the conference's northern division. The Bears' five losses were all to the Big 12 South Division, which includes the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University. Baylor recorded the third largest comeback in its history against the Kansas Jayhawks by scoring 19 points in the 4th quarter to win the contest 36–35. The game also marked Baylor's first homecoming victory since beating Texas in 1997.
. The greatest standout of the track program has been its men's 4x400 relay team, which has sent teams to the NCAA finals in each of the past 27 years and produced three Olympic
gold medalists: Michael Johnson
, Jeremy Wariner
and Darold Williamson
. Baylor grads won gold in the 400 meter dash at three consecutive Olympics (Johnson in '96 and '00, then Wariner in '04). In 2005, Clyde Hart became Director of Track & Field, and Todd Harbour took over as head coach of Baylor's track and field and cross county squads.
and the Texas Longhorns. The Baylor–Texas A&M rivalry is known as the Battle of the Brazos
, as the Brazos River runs near both campuses (which are approximately 90 miles apart).
In recent years, Baylor renewed an old rivalry with Texas Christian University
. TCU and Baylor had the nation's longest "continuous game" rivalry in when the series was temporarily stopped in 1995 upon the SWC's demise, as the schools went to different conferences. The TCU–Baylor rivalry originated around 1900 when both schools were located in Waco. With the restart of the rivalry in 2006, TCU won the first three games in 2006, 2007 and 2010. Baylor evened the series at 50-50-7 by hosting TCU to kick off both teams' 2011 seasons. Baylor beat TCU. Baylor gained a 24 point lead at 47-23, but TCU fought back to take the lead at 48-47 with just 4 minutes to go. Baylor ran down the clock to set up kicker Aaron Jones, who nailed a field goal with just over a minute left. TCU was able to drive past midfield, but a bad pass by TCU QB Casey Pachall
led to an interception by Mike Hicks. Hicks ran for about five seconds, fell over to protect the ball, and won the most important football game Baylor had played in years.
Before each football game, the Baylor Line gathers at one end of Floyd Casey Stadium
and waits for the signal to rush the field and create a giant human tunnel through which the football team runs to enter the stadium. Six members of the Baylor Line carry flags with the letters B-A-Y-L-O-R and a large flag with the "BU" single while the rest of the Line runs behind them. After that, students rush the sidelines and stand in an exclusive Baylor Line section behind the opponents' bench. Here, students heckle the opposing team.
Colors of the Line were rotated among white, Baylor green and Baylor gold, but in the interest of having a more substantial-looking student section, the decision was made to use gold every year.
♫ That Good Old Baylor Line! ♫
That Good Old Baylor Line!
We’ll march forever down the years,
As long as stars shall shine.
We’ll fling our Green and Gold afar
To light the ways of time,
And guide us as we onward go;
That Good Old Baylor Line!
Words Copyright 1952
by Enid Eastland Markham
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. Prior to joining the Big 12, Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996.
Baylor won its first team NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
title in 2004 as the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship game. They narrowly lost to UCLA in the 2005 national championship match. The Women's Basketball team won the school's other NCAA Championship in 2005.
The mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s of Baylor University are two black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s named Joy and Lady.
Varsity sports
Baylor competes in the following 16 varsity sports:
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Baseball
Baylor's baseball team is led by Steve Smith, who has coached the team since the 1995 season. During his tenure, the program has achieved success rarely seen before his arrival. In the 11 seasons from 1998-2009, Coach Smith led the team to 11 NCAA Regional appearances (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010), 3 NCAA Super Regional appearances (1999, 2003, 2005), and a College World Series appearance (2005). The Bears hosted a NCAA Regional in 1999, 2000, and 2005 in addition to hosting a NCAA Super Regional in 1999 and 2005. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor is one of only two teams (Baylor & Oklahoma) to have qualified for the Big 12 Tournament every year.Lady Bears Basketball
The Baylor Lady Bears won the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipNCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
in 2005. Coached by Kim Mulkey, at that time Mulkey-Robertson, the Lady Bears defeated the Spartans of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
84–62. Mulkey became the first women's coach and only the third coach in history to win an NCAA Division I basketball championship as both a player and a coach, joining Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
and Bob Knight. In 8 of her 9 years as head coach, Mulkey has guided the Lady Bears to the NCAA Tournament. In 2010, Mulkey returned the Lady Bears to the Final Four, where they lost in the national semifinals to eventual champion U-Conn. In 2011, the Lady Bears were knocked out of the tournament by rival and eventual national champion, Texas A&M.
Baylor Bears Basketball
The men's basketball program was plagued by scandalBaylor University basketball scandal
The Baylor University basketball scandal was an incident in which the Baylor University men's basketball program was investigated and punished for numerous NCAA violations. The scandal broke out after the 2003 murder of men's basketball player Patrick Dennehy...
in 2003. Patrick Dennehy, a player for the team, was murdered by a former player for the team, and then-coach Dave Bliss was forced to resign amidst allegations that he had made improper financial payments to players and planned to cover his actions by characterizing Dennehy as a drug dealer. The school placed itself on probation, limited itself to 7 scholarships for two years and imposed a post-season ban for one year. Additionally, the NCAA further punished the team by initiating a non-conference ban for the 2005-2006 season and extending the probationary period during which the school would have limited recruiting privileges.
The 2005 Bears were hindered by only having 7 scholarship players and recorded only one win in conference play. In spite of these challenges, head coach Scott Drew was able to put together a 2005 signing class ranked No. 7 nationally by HoopScoop. The 2006 Bears included Aaron Bruce, the highest scoring freshman in the NCAA in 2005, and Mamadou Diene, rated one of the top 10 centers for the 2007 NBA draft. The program's recovery culminated in 3 straight postseason appearances: an at-large NCAA Men's Tournament berth in March 2008, an NIT championship game appearance in March, 2009, and a trip to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight in March, 2010. In the previous 17 years prior to 2008, BU made one postseason appearance (a first round exit of the NIT in 2001).
Baylor men's teams won five conference championships in the former Southwest Conference (1932, 1946, 1948, 1949*, 1950*; * denotes shared title). The Bears reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1946 and 2010 and the Final Four in 1948 and 1950. The 1948 team advanced to play the Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA championship, but fell 58–42 to Adolph Rupp's first national championship team.
Both the men and women call the Ferrell Center home, which was built in 1988. Previously they played in the Heart of Texas Coliseum. An non-exhaustive list of BU players who played in the NBA include Vinnie Johnson, David Wesley, Michael Williams, Terry Teagle and Brian Skinner. Ekpe Udoh was selected with the #6 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.
Football
The Baylor footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team plays at Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium is a stadium in Waco, Texas. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Baylor Bears. Floyd Casey Stadium is about four miles from the Baylor campus. Floyd Casey Stadium was built in 1950 and cost $1.8 million dollars to construct...
, located a few miles away from campus. It was called Baylor Stadium until 1988. The stadium was built in 1950 and currently officially seats 50,000 fans.
Since joining the Big 12 conference in 1996, Baylor has held a 18–101 record in regular season play, with its best season coming in 2010 when they finished with a 4-4 conference record. In 2004, Baylor defeated its first ranked opponent since 1998, #16 ranked Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, by a score of 35-34 in overtime on a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
. In 2005 the team opened 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and finished 5-6; Baylor also won its first Big 12 road game in school history at Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
. Also despite a disappointing 4–8 record in 2006, the Bears swept the Big 12 North portion of its conference schedule and won 3 conference games in a season for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 1996. On November 18, 2007, Baylor fired football coach Guy Morriss
Guy Morriss
Guy W. Morriss is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Morriss served as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky for two seasons and at Baylor...
and announced on November 28, 2007 that former University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
head coach Art Briles
Art Briles
Arthur Ray Briles is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Baylor University, a position he has held since the 2008 season. From 2002 to 2007, Briles was the head coach at the University of Houston.-Playing career:A native of Rule, Texas, Briles...
as the new coach. During the 2010 season, Baylor finished with a 7-5 regular season record, its first winning season since 1995, when they finished 7-4.
Baylor Men's Tennis
Baylor's first national championship in the school's history came when the men's tennis team won in 2004. Merely a year later in 2005 the women's basketball team won the school's second national title.Track and field
Baylor's most notable sports program is undoubtedly its track and field team, producing 466 All-Americans under the 42-year tenure of head coach Clyde HartClyde Hart
Clyde Hart is the director of track and field at Baylor University. Hart retired as head coach for the Baylor track program on June 14, 2005 after 42 years with the program....
. The greatest standout of the track program has been its men's 4x400 relay team, which has sent teams to the NCAA finals in each of the past 27 years and produced three Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalists: Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
, Jeremy Wariner
Jeremy Wariner
Jeremy Mathew Wariner is an American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals and six World Championships medals...
and Darold Williamson
Darold Williamson
Darold Williamson is an American track athlete.He ran the anchor leg on the gold medal winning 4x400 meter relay team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He is 2005 graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he won the Big 12 Conference championship in the 400 meter run three years in...
. Baylor grads won gold in the 400 meter dash at three consecutive Olympics (Johnson in '96 and '00, then Wariner in '04). In 2005, Clyde Hart became Director of Track & Field, and Todd Harbour took over as head coach of Baylor's track and field and cross county squads.
National championships
Baylor has two national titles:- Men's Tennis
- 2004
- Women's Basketball
- 2005
Conference championships
Baylor has won 69 conference titles, 42 of which are from the Big 12, and the other 28 from the Southwest Conference:- Baseball
- Regular Season: 1923, 1966, 2000, 2005
- Men's Basketball
- Regular Season: 1932, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950
- Men's Cross Country
- 1992, 1994
- Fencing (conference competition ended in 1957)
- 1939, 1940, 1941
- Football
- 1922, 1924, 1974, 1980, 1994
- Men's Golf
- 1957, 1966, 2001
- Men's Tennis
- Regular Season: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Tournament: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Men's Indoor Track and Field
- 1976, 1996
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field
- 1960, 1962, 1963
- Women's Basketball
- Regular Season: 2005, 2011
- Tournament: 2005, 2009, 2011
- Women's Cross Country
- 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
- Women's Soccer
- Regular Season: 1998
- Softball
- Regular Season: 2007
- Women's Tennis
- Regular Season: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Tournament: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Rivalries
Baylor has carried over its rivalries from the now-defunct Southwest Conference, the most important of which are with the Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
and the Texas Longhorns. The Baylor–Texas A&M rivalry is known as the Battle of the Brazos
Battle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry 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 only 90 miles apart...
, as the Brazos River runs near both campuses (which are approximately 90 miles apart).
In recent years, Baylor renewed an old rivalry with Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
. TCU and Baylor had the nation's longest "continuous game" rivalry in when the series was temporarily stopped in 1995 upon the SWC's demise, as the schools went to different conferences. The TCU–Baylor rivalry originated around 1900 when both schools were located in Waco. With the restart of the rivalry in 2006, TCU won the first three games in 2006, 2007 and 2010. Baylor evened the series at 50-50-7 by hosting TCU to kick off both teams' 2011 seasons. Baylor beat TCU. Baylor gained a 24 point lead at 47-23, but TCU fought back to take the lead at 48-47 with just 4 minutes to go. Baylor ran down the clock to set up kicker Aaron Jones, who nailed a field goal with just over a minute left. TCU was able to drive past midfield, but a bad pass by TCU QB Casey Pachall
Casey Pachall
Casey Pachall is an American football quarterback for the TCU Horned Frogs.-Early years:Pachall attended Brownwood High School in Brownwood, Texas. As a senior he passed for 2,808 yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions....
led to an interception by Mike Hicks. Hicks ran for about five seconds, fell over to protect the ball, and won the most important football game Baylor had played in years.
About the 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 football jersey with the number of their proposed graduation year and a nickname on the back.Before each football game, the Baylor Line gathers at one end of Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium is a stadium in Waco, Texas. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Baylor Bears. Floyd Casey Stadium is about four miles from the Baylor campus. Floyd Casey Stadium was built in 1950 and cost $1.8 million dollars to construct...
and waits for the signal to rush the field and create a giant human tunnel through which the football team runs to enter the stadium. Six members of the Baylor Line carry flags with the letters B-A-Y-L-O-R and a large flag with the "BU" single while the rest of the Line runs behind them. After that, students rush the sidelines and stand in an exclusive Baylor Line section behind the opponents' bench. Here, students heckle the opposing team.
History of The Line
The Baylor Line was organized in 1970 and was an all male organization until 1993. The Baylor women were previously called the Baylor Sidelines. At its inception, the Baylor Line was a group of men who lined the front of Baylor's student section—for the express purpose of keeping Baylor women away from other teams' fans. Today, however, the Line is limited to freshmen only.Colors of the Line were rotated among white, Baylor green and Baylor gold, but in the interest of having a more substantial-looking student section, the decision was made to use gold every year.
Alma mater
In 1931, Mrs. Enid Markham, wife of music professor Robert Markham, wrote lyrics that were presented in chapel in November and soon sanctioned as the official school song. The "Good Old Summer Time” tune was rearranged to fit Mrs. Markham’s “Baylor Line” by Baylor Band Director Donald I. Moore.♫ That Good Old Baylor Line! ♫
That Good Old Baylor Line!
We’ll march forever down the years,
As long as stars shall shine.
We’ll fling our Green and Gold afar
To light the ways of time,
And guide us as we onward go;
That Good Old Baylor Line!
Words Copyright 1952
by Enid Eastland Markham