Baylor Family,

This has been an extraordinary week for Baylor Athletics highlighted by the announcement that the University's Board of Regents unanimously approved the construction of the $34 million Highers Athletics Complex and its centerpiece, Simpson Athletics and Academic Center. This facility will make a dramatic impact on the experience of every Baylor student-athlete across 18 intercollegiate sports.

This project and its development success is a major advancement toward reaching our goals in the Victory With Integrity campaign. In the coming days, we will be providing an update of where we stand in the campaign two years after Board of Regent approval. Fundraising for the project is on-going and we desire to develop an indoor practice facility based upon additional financial support being forthcoming.

The lead gifts provided by the Highers and Simpson families have provided this project with great momentum and led to Board of Regent approval. My hope is that these major gifts will encourage other members of the Baylor Family and Waco community to participate in the Victory With Integrity campaign at the level they are able to contribute.

This is the largest athletics facility project that Baylor has ever undertaken. To be able to integrate the athletics department and football program into the campus environment for the first time in the modern era fulfills one of the key principles in Imperative X of Vision 2012.

The impact of this facility cannot be underestimated as it will have a dramatic impact on recruiting and operations in football, and all of our sports. The project will include a state-of-the art academic center for student-athletes, modern strength and conditioning and sports medicine areas, video room, equipment room, coaching and administrative offices, meeting rooms and the football locker room. The Highers Athletics Complex will also include three practice fields (two natural grass and one synthetic surface) along with parking.

We are grateful to so many who played important roles in the development of this facility including the members of the Board of Regents, President Lilley and his executive council, and in particular the donors to this project. We look forward to this project beginning in the coming weeks and its completion prior to the fall of 2008.

We have some much anticipated home basketball games in the days ahead and I hope that we will fill the Ferrell Center. Both the men's and women's teams host Texas this weekend. The following week the Bears host Nebraska and the Lady Bears host Texas A&M in a nationally television game on ESPN2 when we will hold a white out promotion. Tickets remain available by calling 710-1000.

The following are the most recent round of Ask Ian questions.

Ian,

It seems every year after we sign our recruits we hear that one or two will "grayshirt." What is a "grayshirt", how does it work, and why would this be a choice for a player who has signed an LOI? Thank You. And thanks for the continued great job being done by all.

Sincerely,

Frank Ward

Bakersfield, Calif.

Frank,

Thank you for the kind comments. A grayshirt is a student-athlete who is offered admission and athletics financial aid beginning in the spring semester following signing a national letter of intent. Typically, this is a result of a program being at its limit in terms of initial counters (25 is the NCAA maximum in football), and thus becoming a grayshirt and counting toward the following year's limit.

Ian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian,

It looks like the Streich Tennis Courts will be torn down for the new football practice facilities. Will new courts be built somewhere else on campus to replace these eight courts? Thank you.

David Fleuriet

Robinson, Texas

David,

Thank you for the e-mail. We are excited about the approval of the Highers Athletics Complex and Simpson Athletics and Academic Center and the project getting underway in the coming weeks. The Design and Construction Services area at Baylor will be managing all aspects of the project including any replacement of facilities and services that take place.

Ian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian,

I understand your frustration with the Baylorfans.com site. In your previous posting you said that it hurts Baylor because of all the miss information. Is there anyway to have a forum with you on a regular basis that asks and answers the tough questions about Baylor sports?

Brandon Avants

Waco, Texas

Brandon,

Yours is one of several questions and comments since the last Ask Ian regarding the effect that internet sites have in recruiting. I have direct knowledge that free internet sites like Baylorfans.com are viewed by prospective student-athletes and parents, as well as current student-athletes and their families. With that, I want to encourage posters to be positive and represent Baylor appropriately because these families' opinions of the university, athletics program and sport program are influenced by what they read on these sites.

I would hope that all Baylor fans agree that giving rival schools an advantage in the recruiting process by irresponsible posts or failure to adequately monitor websites is unacceptable. Especially given the fact that there are so many positive developments and such progress has taken place in our athletics program over the past several years.

I am always pleased to speak with Baylor fans about our athletics program and answer both tough and easy questions. That is the reason that we began the Ask Ian forum in 2003. However, fans need to understand that there are certain subjects that I am not able to comment upon for reasons of confidentially, policy or in serving the best interests of the university

I am very proud of the coaches, staff and student-athletes at Baylor, and it is to our benefit to be transparent and communicate the incredible success that is taking place within our athletics program. Moreover, I am very appreciative of the wonderful support that we are receiving from season ticket holders, Bear Foundation members and all of those who support the athletics program.

Ian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian,

Congratulations on getting the approval for the practice facility. That's very big news. I was wondering if it had been decided whether or not the facility will have an indoor football field/track along with an outdoor field? Hope to hear from you soon.

Jason Safier

Houston, Texas

Jason,

Thank you for the questions. The Highers Athletics Complex will have three fields and it is possible to cover one of the fields to create an indoor practice facility should enough donor support be provided.

A separate project identified in the Victory With Integrity campaign calls for the development of an on-campus track and field facility. This project is currently being studied.

Ian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian,

There has been some discussion in the past that a gift for the indoor tennis courts was a real possibility. Is there any chance that that gift would arrive in such a timeframe that the tennis facility could be built in conjunction with the on campus football practice facility? It would be nice to have the Turner Athletic Complex complete.

Fred Barber

Lubbock, Texas

Fred,

I hope you and your family are well. The indoor tennis facility project is also part of the Victory With Integrity campaign and we have made some progress in fundraising efforts. We look forward to receiving additional financial support and completing the project. As you mentioned, we are going to have a truly extraordinary set of facilities at the Turner Riverfront Complex and Highers Athletics Complex upon completion of all of these projects.

Ian

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian,

For the last three years that we have traveled to College Station for the BU/TAMU women's basketball game, the Aggies have used a promotion to fill the arena.

My question - with that being a very important game in Waco later on -

what is the possibility of a special promotion night (wear green or

gold for $1.00 general admission ticket, $1.00 hot dogs, etc) to fill the stands?

Thanks

Jonathan Jones

McGregor, Texas

Thank you for your thoughts about the upcoming game with the Aggies on

February 25. We are excited about it as well especially since it will be aired on ESPN 2 starting at 1 p.m.

We are planning to do some special promotions surrounding the game but at this point charging $1.00 for admission is not on the radar screen. We are very fortunate that Baylor itself provides free admission as a benefit for all of our employees and that our student body is able to access games for free so the ability to reach out to a very large and interested constituency is at our disposal and we plan to take full advantage of that.

In addition, with a season ticket base close to 5,000 we are very sensitive as to what we charge per game. Finally and most importantly, I believe that our women's basketball program's value for a game such as A&M is far greater than $1.00 and we want to uphold that value. I am extremely confident with the combination of advertising and providing promotion for the game as well as our team's continued great play, we will again have a tremendous crowd in the Ferrell Center.

Ian