Aug. 15, 2007
Baylor Family,
Where has the summer gone! Baylor fall sports will begin competition next week as the volleyball team plays in a tournament at the University of Buffalo on August 24-25 followed by the women's soccer team playing an exhibition match at the University of Houston on August 25. Pre-season camps for all of our fall sports are going very well and we are looking forward to our best fall sports season in many years!
Football season ticket sales are going briskly and we remain ahead of the same time last year when we set a new season attendance record. Good seats are still available by calling the athletics ticket office at 254-710-1000. We expect a large contingent of fans to make their way to Fort Worth for the opener against TCU on September 1. The Baylor Network will be hosting a pre-game function from 3:00 until 5:00.
Our athletics facilities projects continue to proceed well. The Highers Athletics Complex and Simpson Athletics and Academic Center construction is underway. The final designs and floor plans are nearly complete. This facility is going to be truly spectacular and afford Baylor Athletics one of the finest athletics centers in the nation. The Bear Place/Bear Heights/Skybox Complex project is scheduled to be complete next week and it is turning out beautifully. Premium season ticket holder in Bear Heights, Bear Club and Bear Place are going to be in for a treat. In addition, our Skybox patrons are going to notice wonderful upgrades that have taken place during the summer.
The improvements to the Ferrell Center first floor are underway and we look forward to having a new athletics training room and visitor's locker room complete prior to basketball season with the remaining aesthetic improvements ready by the end of the year. The improvements to the Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field that includes an ornamental fence and brick façade are complete.
You may have seen the announcement on BaylorBears.com about another record year for the Baylor Bear Foundation. We are excited that every year the Baylor Family becomes increasingly generous and provides tremendous support for student-athlete scholarships. Thank you to each of you who have joined the BBF. If you have not done so, please join this year. Memberships begin at $150 per year.
We are ahead of last year's football season ticket pace and look forward to challenging the single- season attendance record that was set last season.
The following are the most recent round of Ask Ian questions.
Ian;
When do basketball season tickets go on sale?
Hal Austin, Texas
Hal,
Thank you for the question. Basketball is right around the corner and our invoices went out this week to season ticket holders. New season tickets will go on sale in early September. We are looking forward to great years for both the Bears and Lady Bears. I appreciate your support!
Ian
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian;
How have football practices been? I hear the team looks good.
Dennis Dallas, Texas
Dennis,
I am very encouraged based upon the parts of five practices that I have watched to date. In particular, the team's conditioning and attitude is the best that I have observed in my five seasons at Baylor. The offense has been disrupted with injuries to several key players, however, it appears that most are not very serious.
With that, we are excited about the season and looking forward to the opener against TCU on September 1. We need to have a strong showing of fans in Fort Worth!
Ian
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian;
Are there any plans to launch a web cam so that we can watch construction of the Highers Athletics Complex?
James Johnson McGregor, Texas
James,
That is a great idea. Thanks to the efforts of the Baylor ITS staff and Nick Joos, Associate AD for Communications, we will have a web cam that will show the progress of the Highers Athletics Complex and Simpson Athletics and Academic Center on BaylorBears.com in the coming days.
Ian
