Aug. 25, 2005
Ian,
First off, its been nice meeting you and I've been impressed with the hard work and determination you have shown while at Baylor.
Second, thanks for your help in getting Baylor back in the air in San Antonio.
Last, what progress is being made regarding Baylor joining 10 of the other Big XII teams on Sirius satellite radio? I would love knowing that I could ALWAYS get Baylor no matter where I might be.
Thanks,
Jeff Kleck
San Antonio, Texas
Jeff,
Thank you for the kind e-mail. The credit for getting Baylor football back on the radio in San Antonio goes to our new partners from ISP Sports along with Nick Joos and John Morris on our staff. We are very excited about the addition of San Antonio to the Baylor - ISP Radio Network.
ISP Sports is pursuing a relationship with Sirius for satellite radio coverage, however, we do not have anything to report as of yet.
Ian
Ian, I went to "Meet the Bears" Saturday and spent a little time afterwards wandering around the stadium.
I noticed that the chairback seats had not been installed. Has there been a change in plans or maybe a problem with putting them in?
Mike Dunham
Woodway, Texas
Mike,
Thank you for joining us at Meet the Bears last Saturday. There was a tremendous crowd and I want to thank our coaches, student-athletes and staff for doing such an excellent job with this event.
You are correct that the chairback seats in the Bear Club section have yet to be installed. We have contractual assurance that they will be completed by Sept. 1 and the vendor has repeatedly confirmed that they will be ready for the home opener versus Samford.
Ian
Ian, This August, just like every August for the past 10-12 years, I waited with great anticipation for my Baylor football season tickets to arrive in the mail. That day finally came a few days ago, however when I opened the envelope my joy turned into disappointment as I noticed that my seats had been changed without notice.
As a Super Fan ticket holder I don't expect seats on the 50-yard line, but being pushed to the corner of the stadium without first notifying me that this was going to happen is a poor way to treat some very loyal fans. As someone who has supported Baylor football through a miserably lean stretch I would expect to be notified that my seats were being downgraded so that I could decide if I wanted to renew those seats or upgrade to the section I wanted to be in and have been in for many seasons. It hurts to know that, evidently, long time season ticket holders are thought so poorly of that they are just dismissed without reason.
Sincerely,
Robert Adams
Waco, Texas
Robert,
Thank you for the question. Our staff made a decision this year to alter the seating of our Super Fan sections based on two primary factors. The creation of additional premium seating on the west side reduced the number of available seats on the west side and we decided to re-manifest the stadium.
In some cases, fans have received the exact same seats as they always have but they now just might be labeled differently due to re-manifesting. In some other instances we actually did have to relocate some fans.
In analyzing our pricing structure with our peer institutions within the Big 12, we continue to be the only institution to afford some of our faithful fans with the opportunity of a season ticket in the price range that the Super Fan package provides. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we believe that this is in the best interests of our fans and football program.
Ian
Ian, It looks like there is a lot of progress on the Grant Teaff Plaza. I've heard that it should be complete by the first home game against Samford. Will the statue that honors the football players be in place by that time as well?
Jim Wright
Dallas, Texas
Jim,
We have posted updates on the completion of the Grant Teaff Plaza, I Believe Walkway project on BaylorBears.com. The project is turning out beautifully and scheduled to be completed in advance of the first home football game.
We expect that the statue honoring former Baylor football players to be in place in the Letterwinners Plaza section of the Walkway. I encourage all of our fans to come out to the home opener against Samford early to take part in the pre-game festivities at Snickers Touchdown Alley. HEB will serve as the sponsor in a game dubbed "Hero Day". Two ticket promotions will also be available as fans can purchase a Family Four Pack which is good for four tickets, four hot dogs, and four Dr Peppers all for $50.00. The athletic department will also allow all military personnel with a valid military ID two complimentary tickets to the game. Other highlights will also include special halftime recognition of the 2004-05 national champion Lady Bears basketball team. The Lady Bears will also be available for autographs in Snicker's Touchdown Alley prior to the game in the First National Bank of Central Texas Champions Tent. The game will also serve as Baylor's annual United Way game. Finally, the "B' Association will honor Gary Joe Kinne as its Baylor Legend. Make sure that you purchase your tickets today by calling 710-1000 to be a part of all of this excitement!
Ian
Greetings Ian, I want to thank you for the good job you have been doing since taking over the AD job. I am a 1984 graduate who was spoiled by the success of the football team during my time at Baylor. I think we are on the right track to return to winning ways in football and know you are trying to do whatever possible to make that happen.
I do have a request that I'm sure you've heard from many of the older alumni. That is, I think it is imperative that we put "This is Bear Country" back up on the stadium.
Additionally, you could hang some banners inside to add some ambiance and salute our past tradition and the great players to have given their all for the Bears.
J. Robert Drury, Jr.
Fredericksburg, Texas
Robert,
Thank you for the comments. Baylor fans will notice a great many improvements that have been made at Floyd Casey Stadium during the off-season. These include the completion of the Grant Teaff Plaza, painting of the interior of the stadium, new directional signage and Bear Club seating.
In addition, a less visible but very important improvement has been the renovation of the visiting team locker room that is used by Big 12 opponents and visiting high school teams. There will be further improvements made to the Stadium as we move forward including the addition of banners that commemorate the football program's tradition.
Ian
Closing Comments Football season is now just days away and the excitement's captivating everyone on campus and in the community. We have experienced overwhelming interest in Baylor fans wanting to attend the SMU game in Dallas on September 3. A few tickets still remain by calling the Baylor ticket office at 710-1000. Be sure to wear gold and cheer loudly for the Bears!
There has been significant interest and funding committed toward the Basketball Practice Facility project in recent days. We are closing in on the fundraising goal for this project, but we need everyone's support to "Finish the Job." If you have not already made a contribution to this project, please contact the Baylor Bear Foundation at 710-4214 for more information!
Fans in the Houston area will be excited to learn that we just executed a contract for a four-game football series with Rice beginning in 2007. This affords Baylor an opportunity to renew a Southwest Conference rivalry in a key recruiting and alumni market. We believe that this is an excellent addition to our future football schedules.
We are looking forward to another great year for Baylor Athletics!
