May. 2, 2005
Ian,
With tennis on its way to another national championship, it's a good time to ask how the indoor facility is progressing. I think it would be great to get them the best facility they need and to get volleyball into a great arena as well.
Bill H.
Houston, Texas
Bill,
We are excited about men's tennis capturing its fourth straight Big 12 regular season and tournament championship in recent days. This team has truly become a dominant program in the Big 12 and nation.
We have received some donor interest in the indoor tennis and multi-purpose facility, however, gifts toward this project have lagged behind some other projects. We are hopeful that as alumni and friends follow this team on its run through the NCAA tournament they will make the decisive gifts that allow this project to progress in a timely fashion.
Sic'em Bears!
Ian
Hey Dad, What do you do at work all day? Can we go to Baylor when we grow up? We are happy the Lady Bears won!
Christy & Paul McCaw
McGregor, Texas
Christy and Paul,
Thanks for the e-mail.
One of the aspects of my job that I enjoy most is that no two days are alike. On a given day, I may be meeting with alumni and friends of Baylor, discussing strategy and working with senior staff on a variety of administrative topics, discussing program issues with coaches, dealing with on-campus administrative issues, conducting media interviews, interacting with students or student-athletes, or participating in Big 12 or NCAA meetings.
I hope that both of you will have the privilege of attending Baylor when you graduate from high school. It is an outstanding Christian academic institution and will afford you a terrific education. In the meantime, keep working hard in school!
Dad
Ian, Could you re-think the background music that accompanies the radio broadcast for the football team? We've been listening to it for years and it seems rather outdated. Perhaps it's because we associate it with the team's performance over the past 10 years and would like a fresh start to go with Coach Morriss' bright future ahead. Thanks for considering this request.
Christopher Taylor
Waco, Texas
Christopher,
We will be making some improvements in the radio broadcasts for the upcoming year as a result of a new partnership that we have yet to publicly announce. In the coming days we will share more information.
Coach Morriss, his staff and student-athletes are doing their part in elevating Baylor football and we look forward to a great season. Season tickets have just been put on sale and renewal letters and order forms are in the mail to fans. Please contact the Baylor Athletic Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 if you have any questions. You will want to be a part of the action in 2005!
Ian
Hi Ian, Thanks for taking my question. One of the many things I've seen improve since you came on board is our merchandising. I was especially impressed that the baylorbears.com online store was up so quickly after the women won the national championship with a wide array of merchandise. That was honestly the most professional thing I've seen come out of Baylor's merchandising department in a long time. They should be very proud. That said, my question is this--where can I get some Baylor baseball gear?
Connor Stephens
Waco, Texas
Editor's Note: Similar questions with regard to baseball merchandise was received from Billy J. (Austin, Texas)
Connor,
Thanks for the comments regarding the merchandising progress that has been made. We still have much work to do, but have been pleased with the improvements in several areas.
We have baseball replica jerseys, caps and other apparel available on-line at BaylorBears.com and in the Baylor Bookstore. In addition, select other retail stores carry caps and replica jerseys.
Best wishes.
Ian
Hi Ian, I just have a quick question. I've noticed that others schools seem to have uniform contracts with one company for their entire athletic departments. It seems like Baylor, on the other hand, is all over the map in this area. What can we do to consolidate and try and get one supplier for everything?
Aaron B.
Arlington, Va.
Aaron,
You have made an excellent observation and ask a good question.
Baylor does have a series of apparel contracts with vendors, however, in the past they were handled on a sport-by-sport basis and that has resulted in the athletic department and respective teams receiving less than market value apparel relationships.
We are currently exploring an all-school partnership and look forward to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with a company in the near future.
This will also address some of the disparities that you mention and increase our merchandising opportunities.
Ian
Ian, I just read an article in the SA Express News that says "Tied into the NCAA measure to add a 12th game permanently is a provision that would count one victory over a Division I-AA opponent each year for bowl rating purposes. The NCAA's current rule allows a victory over a Division I-AA foe once every four years."
In an earlier Ask Ian column, you commented that future schedules posted on this site allow for expansion to 12 games. Do you think the additional ruling regarding DI-AA scheduling will alter existing scheduling agreements for the '06 and '07 schedules, or merely add the 12th game? Also, since there is less revenue generated when playing a DI-AA team, what mix of DI-A and DI-AA non-conference matchups do you foresee?
Andrew Pennington
Helotes, Texas
Andrew,
Thanks for the question,
Well, the 12th game has become a reality in Division I-A and I believe that this is very good legislation. In addition, the legislation allows for a I-AA game to be countable each year towards bowl eligibility.
We will be adding future games over the coming months to fill in holes in our schedule. I expect that in most years Baylor will play three non-conference games against I-A opponents and a I-AA contest.
Ian
Ian, Is Baylor planning on releasing a championship DVD for the Lady Bears? If so what would it include?
Brandon Avants
Atlanta Ga.
Brandon,
The BaylorBears.com website provides fans an opportunity to purchase an NCAA championship DVD featuring the Lady Bears. Baylor does not own the rights to post-season competition video so as a result this is the best opportunity for fans to purchase a DVD of the Lady Bears national championship season. The cost is $19.99 and a portion of the proceeds goes to Baylor Athletics.
Ian
Ian, Has there been any progress made towards signing with a satellite radio provider? Last time I asked about this you said that the University was holding its own rights separate from the Big 12. I subscribe to XM and would love to hear that we are joining that service.
Trent Collier
Waco, Texas
Trent,
Thanks for the question regarding satellite radio. We are making progress in this regard and have entered into a partnership that we believe will be advantageous to Baylor achieving a satellite relationship in the near future. We will keep you posted on this front.
Ian
Ian, Congratulations on the first of what I believe will be several national championships for, not only the women's basketball program and Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson, but also the football and men's basketball programs as well.
Specifically, I wish to commend to you the excellent and professional radio coverage of the women's basketball games provided by Rick May and Lori Fogleman. The play-by-play accounts and descriptions provided by Rick are, in my opinion reminiscent of and on a par with the earlier broadcasts I heard as Baylor student during the late 60s and early 70s by the legendary voice of the great Frank Fallon.
Thank you again and congratulations to you, Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson and the entire women's basketball team for a job well done.
Gregory A. Shumpert
Terrell, Texas
Gregory,
Thank you for the kind e-mail and your words of appreciation for the Lady Bears broadcast team.
I concur that Rick May and Lori Scott Fogelman did an excellent job in bringing all of the Lady Bears action to listeners on the Baylor Radio Network this year. They are talented professionals and had a wonderful story to tell with the NCAA championship run!
Ian
Closing Comments This year is shaping up as perhaps the best in the history of Baylor Athletics. Success abounds on so many fronts. Whether it was the football win over Texas A&M, women's basketball national championship, baseball's sweep of No. 11 Texas, men's and women's tennis Big 12 titles, or our school-record five Big 12 championships, there have been so many special accomplishments to celebrate.
We are having a very strong development month and are making great progress toward both the Bear Foundation fund drive goal and the Victory With Integrity campaign goal of $90 million. In fact, a great deal of alumni and friends have been contacting the athletic department asking what they can do to help. We have even had alumni from other prominent in-state institutions who have become caught up in the success of the Lady Bears and our spring sports teams become financial supporters of the Baylor Bears. Welcome aboard and we are glad to have you involved!
It is a great time to be a Baylor Bear. If you have not already done so, please contact the Baylor Bear Foundation at 254-710-4214 to join today!
