Actually, the tailgating in Austin is all done on state office building parking lots, so I don't think the city has anything to do with it. Baylor would need big, empty lots to "host" the tailgating, and I don't know that Waco has that anywhere near the stadium.

Armageddon; You mention Boise St. What Baylor needs is a clever marketing campaign to build excitement around their program. Try a bright gold field at your new stadium! Green is over-played, and blue is obviously taken, but gold! Who has a gold field? Seriously, though, I think you're right. Baylor has the formula in place for success on the field, you just need excitement built around the games. I'm from Waco, and I've been to countless games in Austin. The city really puts on a production for the games and attracts many more to attend tailgates than actually go to the games! Waco could easily do this. The games themselves are a production. There's a lot of pomp and grandiosity built around the games in Austin. My feel in Waco is that Baylor games are just something to do on a Saturday afternoon. Even in the 80s and 90s when Texas was really really bad, our players were heroes and the game was a really really big deal. It always filled the stands. Baylor's marketing could do a better job of this, but it's so much more than offering tickets to certain groups of people. You have to build excitement for the game among the students and the local community.

Moon: No worries, Briles will get it done. The question is will the administration and community give a darn? Must have new stadium in 5 years. Must be positioned in case these superconferences take off. Not even sure BU could get there, but must die trying.

Bulletin just in: Acy sprains ankle after hitting head on Ferrell Center rafters. Reports say basket was disallowed when offensive goal tending was called on Acy when his foot accidentally kicked the ball out of the cylinder. Meanwhile, back on earth...yeah, TexEX04, you are preaching to the choir. Anybody knows you have to win, but I'm not even sure that is good enough really. Too small of a school, small market, lack of Waco support, etc. all play a role in BU's chances of going with the state schools. So, we could build to the level of a Boise St. and still go nowhere should this occur in a few years, although winning would be a nice start. BU needs a new stadium anyway, but they're no worse than Ms. St. or UK or UNC and a few other state schools. I don't get your homeless comment, but I laughed. They need to do both actually, i.e., get consistently bowl elgible and build the digs. The way I see it, the stadium must be built in the next 5 years. The money is definitely available plus it would not be hard to raise in the form of alumni bonds, etc. Waco would be on board and recruiting will take off. You may not know this however, but the practice facilities they now have are awesome and on par with most top 25 schools...thus, can we not round things off with a nice 60K seat stadium with a few style points. And thats the bare minimum it would take to go with ATM or UT or OU...anyway, am done rambling!

Texasexes04: yeah you haven't gotten to play TCU in football recently. But how'd that baseball series go against them last weekend? I imagine that helped out your SOS in baseball, which clearly did a lot of good. It was really weird to see Barnes' hoops teams just stop trying against Baylor last year while Acy dunked again and again. Can't even say that at least the Horn primadonnas had heart.

Alright Baylor, lets do it!!!!!!!!!

I've been a Baylor fan for over 50 years, but I have to agree with TexasExes04. We have to improve our football program. And I think we are on the right track. I think Briles is the coach, and I am heartened by the recruiting--for the first time since I have been following the bears, we are seeing recruits picking Baylor over other conference schools and, in fact, seeing recruits breaking commitments with other schools to come to Baylor. I think we are going to see a big improvement over the next few years. This said, I do not expect the Bears to ever compete, year in and year out, with perenial powers like Texas and Oklahoma (and--boy it hurts to say this--maybe A & M). Those two schools simply have too much of everything--money, prestige, alumni support, etc. But I believe that every few years, for a year or two or three, the Bears can compete for the conference championship. I think that is enough--but we haven't done it yet.

Armageddon, I said Baylor looked to be getting the short end of the stick. Overall across the whole of the former Big XII, they ranked 3rd across the athletic spectrum behind Texas and aggy. Unfortunately for the Bears, you can't seem to pull your money-maker out of the gutter. All this talk about a new stadium is useless without a good team to fill it. Would you give a homeless man a brand new Lexus? At the end of the day, he's still homeless. Build up your team, get some wins and a couple of bowls, then try to justify millions on beautifying the Brazos with some new digs. This new Big X(II) deal won't last forever, and, in my opinion, sooner rather than later, we'll be looking at another realignment. You can't expect the big dogs to bail you out every time. Try to earn it on your own merits. If your mens basketball team can build up from where it was, I suspect your football team can too. Personally, I'm tired of playing you. You hurt our SOS and BCS ratings. Build up so when we continue owning F-CS it actually means something ;)

To Texas Exes 04: I think we'll take your second option and get better at football. I'm OK with Quincy Acy averaging 10 dunks a game on Rick Barnes head, but I'm not OK being beaten like a bass drum week in and out in the big 12. We had high hopes last year before ALL of the injuries that BU cannot play through b/c they just don't have the depth. I know Briles will not settle for anything less, but the injury bug heightens BU's inability to compete. If RG3 stays healthy this year I feel good about their chances. I hope we beat the snot out of CU this year for a going away present and I'm sure every big 12 teams hopes to send NU and CU packing. Long term, you are right. The powers that be at BU must understand that football rules. Just ask Duke. They play in basically a high school stadium and nobody is going to pull them into a higher conference no matter what Coach K says.

As a Longhorn, I've said from the very beginning that Baylor looked to be getting the short end of this stick. Of course, I was saying the same thing about TCU at the demise of the SWC. Baylor almost got a dose of their own medicine, and lord knows I'd much rather be playing the Frogs than the Bears on Saturdays all these years. You've done very little for our SOS. The demise of the Big X(II) is inevitable. The leadership can't seem to hold it together, and the parity between the talent on the football field is telling. Talk all you want about tennis and golf, this is Texas and football is king. Baylor's got a lot of work to do on that front. Good luck. Texas and ou would be better served in a stronger conference, and if Baylor were playing less talented teams, they'd probably go bowling every now and then. Then maybe you can fill up your stadium with a color other than orange, red, or maroon. You can cover a turd in chocolate, but it's still a turd. You're not going to sell out a stadium, or fill it up for free, if you don't have a good product on the field. Get over it, or get better at it, because this is not going to be the last of the Big X(II) demise talk. Get ready for round two when the TV contracts fail to get stronger.

First happiness--the Big 12 (or whatever number) staying together. Second happiness--thinking of Colorado and the Pac 10 looking at each other and saying, "hey, this aint who I thought I had a date with."

In all seriousness though, BU (my alma mater) needs to get cracking on fund raising to build a new stadium near campus in order to be more viable in a takeover next time. Plus, it would lure some better caliber players here. Also, we need a major campaign to fill the stadium. As much as I like kicking back in the end zone, the seats need to be filled however the marketing dept can get it done. Give tickets to m&m mars, etc.

UT was the one that saved the Big XII, and as a BU fan, I'm thankful for that. A&M did nothing to keep it together, and if there's any question, they can go to the SEC and watch the Big XII continue to flourish in their absence. They think they're the #1 school in the country, but are sorely mistaken. We'd be happy to go on without the ever-absent "wrecking crew" and the male cheerleaders.

The guy who wrote the first comment here is full of it when he calls Baylor a "football welfare queen"....given the fact that the state schools suck up billions of tax payer dollars and Baylor sucks up no taxpayer dollars. Who are the "welfare queens"?? The state schools & the kids who get their educations at the expense of taxpayers and the PUF (which belongs to all Texans), not Baylor! Baylor educates its students with private $$$, pays its staff and faculty with private $$$ and builds its facilities with private dollars $$$... No doubt you, Mr. "Baylor Football Welfare Queens", are the real welfare queen in the mix. You probably have a rear end wider than a double axe handle and live your life vicariously through what others do. Your negativity is the result of the sad, sick, pitiful life you must lead. I'll pray for you!

Just what year did all of you tu fans graduate from TU? anyone, anyone...

Yes bearfan, please hang onto those days when "Grant Teaff had Texas's number". Amazing that he was able to beat some of the worst teams UT has had in the last 50 years. Those UT teams had a combined record of 36-41. That's definitely something to brag about. I know that Baylor fans have to hang on to every little past success because it is so rare. I hope we get another article on the Miracle on the Brazos. I've never seen one of those before!

I'd like to take a moment to thank UT for being so greedy. If it weren't for UT's greed, they would have surely gone with a conference like Colorado and Nebraska. "Greed is good."

17, since you appear to be an Aggies, I can understand your lack of math and research skill. I guess in the 27 years you stated that Baylor hasn't beaten Texas, you missed 84, 86, 88, 89, 91, 92, and 97. Grant Teaff had Texas's number.

TCU, Rice, Houston are all deadweight. Texas and A&M already carry DFW, Houston, San Antonio, etc. If the Big XII wishes to expand, they should land BYU and Utah. The Utah tv market replaces what was lost by CU and Nebraska and the Utes and Cougars are better than the Huskers and Buffs have been for awhile.

Houston, TCU, and Rice are just deadweight as far as tv goes. Texas and Texas A&M already carry DFW, Houston, San Antonio. If the Big XII(X?) expands back to 12 teams, Utah and BYU bring the best combination of television audience and competition on the football field. Both are better than Nebraska and CU and they bring more tvs than we lost.

Way to go Kenneth Starr and Ian McCaw!! Thank you for all you did!

Scout90: You are not "blogging." You are posting a comment -- or "commenting" -- on a news article/news story. (Sorry, but this pervasive factual drives me crazy.)

Texas deserves credit for saving the Big 12. They also deserve the most money because they bring in the most money. I cannot understand the Pac 10. One week after Colorado was penalized by the NCAA and Big 12 for their poor academics, the Pac 10 announces they (Colorado) will become a new member and are a great fit for that league because of their athletics and academics??

Baylor athletic employee's, administrators, fans, etc...you should send thank you notes to the administrators of UT, OU, and A&M. Without those three deciding to continue on in the "big 12" you would have nothing left. Instead, because of THEIR decision you now will get paid more than your program is worth to continue to be in a big league conference! Please don't remind me how good your tennis team, baseball team, and basketball teams are...at the end of the day FOOTBALL drives Div. I athletics and athletic budgets, until your football program starts producing, you are merely a tag along accepting Big 12 welfare while not bringing anything to the table, that is why no other big conference was willing to give you an invite while chasing after the others....yesterday was BU's lucky day and it is all thanks to the big boys deciding to stay and play, not due to the fact BU administrators worked tirelessly..UT and OU could care less where Baylor ended up, you need to believe that...and please stop using the word rivalry, I do not think those three or Tech see Baylor as a rivalry..maybe as an easy win most years and some years as a thorn in their side.....just sayin'..

Pete who's negative? It is what it is!! These football players want to go bowling and can't do it because of the muscle we have to play...The larger percentage top recruits will not go to Baylor!!PERIOD!!! They want to win,they want to play before 60-100 thousand fans,they want a bowl game.Baylor can't do it in football Pete,not happening! Never happen in this conference Pete.Talent like Robert Griffin only shows every so often. So we get the money but we get our butt handed to us on the football field...Briles can't match athletic talent player for player against these bigger schools.I will be there with my green and gold cheering the Bears. What has our record been the last 15 years? I dont even know how many games we lost in football because its so common to get beat.Every year we "have turned the corner" yet look at our record.

Mike, loosen up, we are just doing a little blogging here, no reason for name calling. I have inside information that says Arkansas would at least listen if the money was right. I would agree that LSU is likely a long shot, but an interesting scenario all the same. I mean what can be so interesting about playing Vandy, Kentucky, or Miss State. The only thing interesting about South Carolina is their coach...and we know that can change. Texas presents some interesting geography and recruiting grounds for LSU to consider. Personally, I would like Iowa State and Mizzou to move over to the Big East, and with my earlier scenario we are back to the a 12-team BIG XII.

How about the Big XII with 14 teams, since the Big 10 can’t count either. Invite Arkansas, LSU, TCU, and U of H to join the ten remaining teams. This captures the Dallas, Houston, and a portion of the SEC TV markets. Create two rotating 7-team divisions and limit non-conference play to three games. The remaining 2-games for each team would be a BIG XII school that isn’t in their division that season. This allows for the traditional warm-up games, while creating better overall conference schedules, which creates more fan interest for TV and better overall game day attendance for all of the schools. This works very well geographically. It allows for many great, drivable, road trips for all the fans, not to mention the friends and families of all the players. I know that at the end of the day money is the major driving force, but it would rally be ashamed if the players and their families aren’t at least a part of this decision matrix. I promise you that players enjoy having their friends and family in the stands at as many games as possible. After all, this is one of the things that will keep college football just that, and not another NFL type league or just another TV production company for the power programs. If requested, U of H would need to play those conference foes in Reliant Stadium, and TCU would play them in Cowboy Stadium, at least for the initial 5-years until their on campus facilities are upgraded to a 60,000 or 70,000 seating capacity.

Thank you....Texas...your decision was beautiful news..... Baylor Fan

If ut people really knew their football, we've had ut's number any number of years. we were .500 or almost close to that through the 1990s against ut. It's OU that we have a problem with. .000.

While we all voiced our opinion prior to the repreive, we brought this on ourselves!! Now that we weathered the storm, it is UP TO BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, THE BAYLOR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI and the WACO COMMUNITY to ensure that this will not happen again! WACO......YOU MUST SUPPORT Baylor by attending athletic events. BAYLOR....You MUST promote these events by making them attractive (both visually and finacially) to new fans and old fans. Get the students out of their apartments and dormrooms and into the stands. If the attendance does not increase, then do not complain when this occurs in the future!! Support Baylor!!

I am sick and tired of all the negative people condemning the Baylor football program and mentioning it getting "killed" by UT. Is that all people care about is the fact that the Baylor football team gets beat by UT? Give Coach Briles a chance to work with the program. Success does not happen over night. It takes time. I am relieved that Baylor is remaining in the Big 12, along with UT and Texas A&M.

Oh Boy!!! Im sure Briles cherishes the thought of getting killed by TU for the 27th straight year!!!!!