During the past 12 years, I have often started many of my columns with the phrase, “It’s a great day to be a Baylor Bear.” I use it often in my letters, speeches, emails, and texts. I love that phrase because it is such a positive expression of the pride many of us feel in our athletics program, bearing in mind the unprecedented success Baylor Athletics has experienced in recent years.

As I began writing this column, I paused and took a quiet inventory of just a few great things going on at Baylor and decided to share them with you:

1. Caring Student Athletes

Despite what ESPN and other media sources would like you to believe, student athletes at Baylor are some of the brightest, most accomplished young people in the country. In addition to being leaders in the Big 12 in Graduation Success Rates, Baylor athletes continue to demonstrate their Christian faith and commitment to humanity by participating in yearly Sports Ministry mission trips abroad, and they eagerly participate in programs aimed at helping feed starving children around the world.

2. Top-Notch Coaches 

One thing immediately noticed by outsiders who closely examine Baylor sports programs is the extended tenure of Baylor head coaches. While building championship caliber programs with class and dignity, Baylor head coaches have shown a special commitment to their programs and their players by choosing to make Baylor their destination rather than a launching platform to pursue coaching opportunities elsewhere. 

3. Campus Beauty

With the additions of the dazzling McLane Stadium, Clyde Hart Track & Field Complex, and the state of-the-art Paul J. Foster Business School, Baylor University has become one of the nation’s most beautiful college campuses. Nestled along the scenic Brazos River, the Baylor campus has also become the crown jewel of the Big 12 Conference.

4. First-Class Facilities

Once considered to be in the cellar of Big 12 Conference facilities, Baylor Athletics has become an industry leader in sports facility design, technology, and innovation.  

5. Competent and Experienced Athletic Administrative Staff

Without a doubt, your athletic administrators and staff members are among the best in the business. They are smart, hard-working, and they are genuinely concerned about the welfare of our student-athletes. I work with these men and women daily and I witness their team-oriented efforts to support each other in making our athletics programs successful. You should be proud of that fact. While no one individual is perfect, it is their collective efforts that have helped make Baylor Athletics a model program of excellence. 

6. Loyal and Committed Athletic Alumni

In the last 12 years, Baylor has experience an explosion of support from its former athletes, sport managers, and athletic trainers. One has to look no further than the number of athletic facilities bearing the names of Baylor letterwinners. With the addition of the stunning Letterwinners Lounge located in McLane Stadium, letterwinners now have a permanent home that demonstrates the level of their commitment and solidifies their legacy for generations to come.

These are just a few of the amazing things that exist at our beloved alma mater in Waco. So, despite the recent setbacks, when we simply pause for a moment to consider these remarkable things, I believe you will agree it is still a great day to be a Baylor Bear.

Sic ’em!

Walter Abercrombie
Executive Director, Baylor “B” Association