Oct. 12, 2004
Ian,
Congratulations on a job well done. We have a great football staff and other sports staff. Since there is a small window of opportunity when a new staff is hired, especially in football, when will the on campus football practice field and building be built?
James Grissett
Austin, Texas
James,
Thank you for the kind words and e-mail.
I have been greatly encouraged by the work of Coach Morriss and his staff. Baylor is fortunate to have a dedicated and talented collection of football coaches who are building the football program the right way.
We are making great process in terms of recruiting, strength and conditioning, attitude and academic performance. All of these gains will pay dividends for Baylor football as we move forward.
The football practice facility is also progressing. We have taken soundings from several donors and found strong support for this project. At this time, we do not have a timeline, but we are excited about the prospects of this project coming to fruition.
Ian
Ian, What schools are you looking at in terms of Baylor's third non-conference opponent next year? Please don't repeat recent history and cancel one of the two games already scheduled for the sake of having 6 home games. The following for the SMU game in Dallas could easily make it almost a sixth "home" game in Dallas.
John Ferrell
Hurst, Texas
John,
I appreciate your e-mail and excellent question.
Our desire is to play six home games during 11-game seasons and either six or seven home games during 12-game seasons. It is not ideal to have five home games in any season at a Big 12 or BCS conference institution.
As I have mentioned in previous Ask Ian sessions, the Big 12 has sponsored NCAA legislation to move to a consistent 12-game schedule beginning in 2006.
We expect to add a home game to the schedule to complete it very shortly. This game along with non-conference games against Army and SMU will make up the first three games of the 2005 schedule. I agree that the SMU game in Dallas will be attractive to Baylor's strong alumni base in that market.
Ian
Dear Ian, We are so excited about the new Baylor equestrian team. When we moved from Florida last year, we looked at relocating to Waco, but the lack of a hunter/jumper training facility for my daughter steered us away from Waco and onto San Antonio. She is a freshman in high school now and works out with the Trinity equestrian team at her stables. How can we be an active part of this new sport for the Bears?
My husband and I are both grads and my son is presently a sophomore there. The idea of her being a part of some other equestrian team in the Big 12 is unthinkable!
In His Service,
Sharla Griffin
Spring Branch, Texas
Sharla,
We have heard similar comments from a number of people over the past couple of weeks.
There has been a very strong and positive response to the Board of Regents' recent resolution to add women's equestrian as Baylor's 18th intercollegiate program. A number of current students as well as prospective student-athletes and their parents have reached out to our department to inquire and express interest in the program.
We will begin to post equestrian information on our website at BaylorBears.com as it becomes available. We expect to have a head coach in place towards the end of the year and at that time will be able to provide more specific information.
In the meantime, anyone interested in general information about the equestrian program may contact the athletic department at 254-710-1234.
Ian
Ian, Congrats on the fireworks. Very professional touch.
Anything we can do to promote a full crowd at the Missouri game for national TV exposure would be great.
I also agree a This is Bear Country sign across the luxury suites or similar promoting our historic football success.
Keep up the good work.
Art Stricklin
Plano, Texas
Art,
Thank you for the questions and comments.
The fireworks have been a huge hit with fans and have added a great deal to the atmosphere at Floyd Casey Stadium. We intend to continue with them throughout the season.
We are looking forward to a large and energized crowd for the Missouri game. We will host a Battle of the Bands event in Touchdown Alley prior to the game, along with our regular student tailgate area. As a way of rewarding our loyal season ticket holders, we provided each person holding an account with two complimentary tickets and asked them to bring along friends or family to the game.
Finally, as an incentive to keep fans at the game through the second half, we will be providing complimentary coffee at half-time. As someone who is usually asleep by 10:00, I may need more than one cup!
Finally, our marketing staff deserves a great deal of credit for their work. They have dramatically enhanced the game day experience for Baylor fans.
Ian
Ian, I noticed the attendance figure for the UNT game was listed at approximately 33,000. However, being at the game, it sure appeared that attendance was much greater than that. Can you comment on that?
Thanks!
Quentin
Waco,Texas
Quentin,
The North Texas game was a great night at Floyd Casey Stadium!
Your observation was shared by a number of people who attended the game. In fact, several fans have told me that the student attendance was the best they had seen in a decade. Needless to say, we were very excited about both the attendance numbers and atmosphere that was created.
My sense is that the crowd seemed larger than 33,500 because of the energy, enthusiasm and noise that was generated. Especially during the second half, it was a very festive atmosphere and we look forward to replicating it throughout the year.
Ian
Ian, Hey I just had a quick question about the Big 12. Recently I have heard rumors that there may be some restructuring going on in the Big 12? Are there any validity to these rumors?
Randy Gonzalez
Corpus Christi, Texas
Randy,
In my view, the Big 12 is rock solid and as stable a conference as exists in college athletics. The conference is enjoying great success by every measure ... competitive excellence, post-season appearances, revenue generation, television and media exposure and academic performance.
Baylor is fortunate to enjoy membership in this outstanding conference and look forward to a long and successful relationship with the Big 12 and the 11 other member institutions.
Ian
Ian, I am so proud of the way the volleyball team is playing! Attendance has been pretty good but what can be done to get more students to the game?
Tracy Pittman
Waco, Texas
Tracy,
I have been very impressed with the work of Coach Barnes, his staff and student-athletes. The team has made positive strides this year highlighted by its thrilling win over No. 24 Kansas last week at the Ferrell Center.
Our marketing staff has worked hard to build attendance and create exciting promotions for Bear fans. We need to encourage all Baylor students, alumni and fans to come out and watch this exciting team play in the coming weeks.
Baylor volleyball plays two matches at home this week (Texas Tech on Wednesday, October 13 at 7:00 and Northwestern State on Saturday, October 16 at 2:00) and I encourage everyone to come out to support the team and enjoy an outstanding entertainment experience.
Ian
