Nov. 4, 2004
Ian,
I am still excited about the win over the Aggies and was hardly able to sleep on Saturday night. I have a question about the goal posts.
How much does it cost to replace the goal posts and when will you have them replaced?
Randy
McGregor, Texas
Randy,
Saturday night will go down as one of the most memorable games in the history of Floyd Casey Stadium. Of course it was an incredible victory for the football program to defeat the 16th-ranked Aggies, but we also had a tremendous crowd of 42,000 fans, it was an electric atmosphere and one of the most exciting games that Baylor has ever played in. The fans from both schools were terrific and it was a great night of college football.
The south goalpost was taken down by students after the overtime win and then carried by them to campus. The university had the goal post cut into one-inch pieces and then provided the pieces to the waiting students.
The Friends of Baylor, a generous support group of the university, has come forward and offered to underwrite the cost of the new goal post. The cost of the replacement goal post is approximately $5,000 and we expect to have it back in place within a week.
Ian
Dear Ian, I want to congratulate the Baylor family and especially the football team on the historic beating of Texas A&M. We are all very proud as we have been waiting for this moment for many long years. While all BU fans would like to see this happen on a more regular basis in the future, I am just content to cherish this moment for now.
I was wondering if the Athletic Dept. would make a tape or DVD of the game available for purchase since many of us fans were not able to see it in person and the game was not on television.
Thanks and best wishes in the future.
Aldo A Ghobriel
Plano, Texas
Editor's Note: Similar question received from Randy Gonzalez (Waco, Texas), Matt Rodgers (Waco, Texas), Michael Andrews (Seguin, Texas)
Aldo,
Thank you for the congratulations. It has been an exciting week for the entire Baylor family!
Our staff has been working since Saturday evening to develop commemorative items that we believe Baylor fans will want to purchase.
We have produced a DVD of Saturday's 35-34 overtime victory over Texas A&M called "2 Priceless." This keepsake DVD includes the pre-game, game highlights, locker room footage and post-game press conference from Saturday's win and is available beginning today for $25. The two-disc DVD and two commemorative T-shirts ($14 each) can be purchased at the Baylor Bookstore or online at www.baylorbears.com.
In the coming days, we will make available several limited edition articles to select supporters of the athletic program. Some of these items will also be available through our new on-line auction at www.baylorbears.com.
Ian
Ian, Do you have an Athletic Hall of Fame? If so what are your requirements for Induction?
Thanks!
Tony Leone
Rocky Hill, Conn.
Tony,
Thank you for the timely question regarding the Athletic Hall of Fame. Yes, it does exist, and we actually held our annual induction ceremony last Friday evening.
Baylor's Hall of Fame was organized in 1960 to recognize and honor persons whose participation and contributions enriched and strengthened the university athletic program. All athletes are required to wait 10 years after they complete their eligibility before they qualify for the honor.
This year, we inducted four outstanding individuals including football's Santana Dotson, women's basketball's Lynnell Pyron Pilgrim, men's basketball's Richard Tinsley and veteran sportswriter Dave Campbell. Also, track and field head coach Clyde Hart and football's Kyle Woods received the B Association's highest level of distinction as they were added to the Wall of Honor.
Friday's induction ceremony was the best and most widely celebrated in Baylor history. We opened the event to Baylor alumni and friends for the first time and more than 420 attended the induction ceremony. Our new Associate Athletic Director/Executive Director of the B Association Walter Abercrombie and his staff deserve the credit for this overwhelming success!
The following is a link providing more information about the 2004 B Association Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
http://baylorbears.collegesports.com/genrel/102504aaa.html
Ian
Ian, I saw the story in Sunday's paper about the high graduation rates. It seems like Baylor does so well in this area. How much of a role does this play in recruiting?
Ken
Woodway, Texas
Ken,
I appreciate your raising this subject and you ask an excellent question.
Baylor's NCAA graduate rate for student-athletes this year is 78 percent which is a new school record. In addition, the football team's graduation rate is 88 percent which is truly outstanding and among the nation's leaders in that category. Both of these rates compare favorably to the general student population graduation rate at Baylor which stands at 70 percent. As a point of reference, the national average for student-athletes is 62 percent.
Baylor has now led the Big 12 in graduation rates in five of the last nine years, and has consistently produced outstanding results in this important area.
In my view, this is a critical consideration for prospective student-athletes and their families to evaluate in the recruiting process. Baylor has consistently demonstrated the highest level of success in the Big 12 in graduating its student-athletes and this is a credit to our coaches and academic support services. If earning a degree is important to a prospective student-athlete, and more particularly earning a highly valued degree from an outstanding private institution, then Baylor has a tremendous advantage in the recruiting process.
We have been pleased that Baylor's graduation rate success has been covered so thoroughly in the media including the Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman and Waco Tribune (front page of newspaper).
Ian
Ian, While watching the fans at Baylor-A&M game this week it became obvious to me that Baylor fans need to adopt a consistent color to wear to Baylor athletic events. There was not doubt on Saturday where the A&M fans were sitting since almost every A&M fan wore a matching maroon shirt.
While most of the Baylor students were wearing gold jerseys, the rest of the Baylor fans and alumni were wearing various logo items in green, gold, and white with many variations in color and logo.
As we promote Baylor athletics, I urge you to consider adopting a consistent color and logo for all fans to wear to athletic events so that Baylor fans can show a more visible presence.
Kevin Tippen
Waco, Texas
Kevin,
I could not agree any more with your comment. As you know, there was a "Gold Rush" campaign several years ago designed to encourage fans to purchase gold t-shirts and wear them to Baylor games to support the team. This campaign met with some success, however, after seeing the maroon in the stands for the A&M game and witnessing nearly 80,000 fans at Nebraska all wearing red, we need to continue and build upon this emphasis.
I want to encourage all Baylor fans to show your school spirit and pride in the team by wearing gold to games and cheering loudly for the Bears. Believe me, it makes a difference to the coaches, student-athletes, recruits and other fans. We need to strengthen and grow our fan base in order to develop the level of program that we desire at Baylor.
Also, as a way of honoring the football team, please purchase tickets for senior day and send off the 2004 Baylor Bears the right way by attending the Oklahoma game on November 20. We will recognize all of the seniors, who played such a large role in the victory over Texas A&M, and pay tribute to the team that brought Baylor its biggest win in football in many years!
Ian
Ian, My wife and I are longtime members of both the Fast Break Club and the Tip Off Club. Why are there differences in club dues and special parking fees for members who attend varsity games in those two sports at Baylor? We are excited about our basketball teams this year.
Thomas L. Charlton
Waco, Texas
Thomas,
We are grateful for your generous support of both basketball support groups. These clubs provide support and financial backing to the men's and women's basketball programs that is vital to enhancing these teams.
We are very excited about the outstanding leadership that Coach Mulkey-Robertson and Coach Drew are providing our basketball programs. Contributing to these support groups will assist them in building championship programs at Baylor.
I have linked more specific membership information about both groups. The membership levels are set by the coaches in consultation with the Bear Foundation. We appreciate each of you who contribute to these clubs.
The women's basketball Tip-Off Club
http://www.baylorbearfoundation.com/index.php?id=4643
The men's basketball Fast Break Club
http://www.baylorbearfoundation.com/index.php?id=4642
Ian
