Baylor University’s wakeup call couldn’t have resounded more clearly or harshly.

After the Big 12’s near-death experience in June, Baylor officials have urged fans to “Rise Up” and support the football program like never before.

Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw thinks the response has been overwhelming.

A billboard on campus urges football fans to “rise up” in support of Baylor’s team this season.
Duane A. Laverty/Waco Tribune-Herald

McCaw expects Baylor to draw close to 40,000 fans for Saturday’s 6 p.m. season opener against Sam Houston State at Floyd Casey Stadium. A combination of increased season ticket sales, fervent student interest and an energetic marketing campaign has created an optimistic atmosphere heading into the season.

“The response to the Rise Up campaign has been real positive,” McCaw said. “I think people recognized the Big 12 situation earlier in the summer and are excited about the progress the team is making under Coach (Art) Briles. I think the cumulative effect is that we’ll fill the stands.”

The situation couldn’t have looked much more dire for Baylor in early June when the Big 12 appeared on the verge of extinction after Nebraska jumped to the Big Ten and Colorado accepted an invitation to the Pac-10.

It appeared the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State would also bolt to the Pac-10, leaving Baylor out in the cold. But at the 11th hour, Texas decided it wanted to stay in the Big 12 and the other South teams fell in line.

Baylor already had initiated its Rise Up campaign in the spring, but it took on a larger meaning after the Big 12 was saved. Baylor President Ken Starr has been at the forefront of the movement, encouraging Baylor fans at every opportunity to support the football team. He repeated the Rise Up theme at Thursday’s Waco Chamber of Commerce Kickoff Luncheon.

“We need to send a message to the doubters that Baylor has the culture of support that the Big 12 can count on,” Starr said. “It’s very important for our fans to get to the games early, stay there throughout and be there at the end to sing ‘That Good Old Baylor Line.’ Our fans need to be there to salute our 120 student-athletes that have worked so hard.”

Baylor, the only private school in the Big 12, ranked last in football attendance last season with an average home crowd of 36,306. In games against Texas and Nebraska, the visiting fans appeared to outnumber the Baylor fans at the 50,000-seat Floyd Casey Stadium.

Rising numbers

With its aggressive marketing campaign, Baylor already has sold more than 12,000 season tickets after topping out at 11,700 last year.

McCaw hopes season ticket sales will near 13,000 as the season opener approaches.

“We want to get Baylor football back in Waco on a larger scale,” Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin said. “It’s very important for us to see our fans in the stands. You always want to have a home-field advantage, and there were a couple of times last year when it felt like an away game.”

For the Sam Houston State game, Baylor officials have been working with the United Way to distribute tickets to its member agencies. Baylor also has provided vouchers for tickets to elementary students and teachers at the Waco, La Vega, Lorena and Connally school districts.

Baylor athletic department officials have been working with Baylor student organizations to get as many students to the game as possible.

Student attendance

“I’ve noticed a great energy on campus, and I think we’re going to have a record student turnout,” McCaw said. “We’d love to have all 15,000 students at the game. At some of our better games in the past, we’ve drawn about 8,000 students.”

The most visible elements of the Rise Up campaign have been a series of billboards throughout Central Texas featuring Baylor players, and commercials that have appeared on television and baylorbears.com.

Commercials have featured Briles, linebacker Antonio Johnson and offensive tackle Danny Watkins.

The Briles spot shows him in a darkened room watching film and jotting down notes in preparation for the season. The Johnson commercial shows him lifting weights and saying a few inspirational words interspersed with game video of him delivering big tackles.

“They (Baylor marketing) wrote the script, and I just said the words like I meant them,” Johnson said. “They wanted me to show my passion and aggressiveness, and I really didn’t have to act to get that across.”

Community involvement

To get more community involvement, Baylor’s athletic marketing department has promoted a spirit program that now includes about 850 local businesses.

“Baylor is putting dollars behind what it’s preaching,” said Jeffrey Paul, vice president for sales at QTI Apparel and Promotions. “They’ve asked us to display items like posters and schedule cards that show Baylor sports. I also think you’re going to see more Baylor flags and banners waving around town. I think the spirit program is already very successful.”

Baylor is busy trying to create a better game-day atmosphere. The university has already sold 118 full season tailgating spots after topping out at 38 several years ago. Snickers Touchdown Alley, which features pre-game entertainment, will open three hours before the game outside of Floyd Casey Stadium.

Another new feature will be the “March of the Bears,” in which the team will walk through the tailgating area on their way into the stadium 2 1/2 hours before kickoff.

“We want to make the game an event,” said John Garrison, Baylor associate athletic director for marketing. “We want fans to get there early for tailgating, go to the game, and then go back to tailgating after the game.”

jwerner@wacotrib.com

757-5716

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