Oct. 10, 2002
WACO, Texas -
Baylor is ranked 43rd in a recent Sports Illustrated listing of America's Best Sports Colleges. Baylor was one of only 11 schools in the magazine's top 50 to be cited for producing a student-athlete graduation rate of 67 percent or higher, and the Bears were rated sixth among Big 12 Conference institutions.
The magazine combined a variety of factors in arriving at its 2002 rankings of Division I schools, including performance during the 2001-02 school year in what it calls the 'big five' sports (baseball, men's and women's basketball, football and hockey); position in the 2001-02 Sears Directors' Cup all-sports standings; number of varsity, club and intramural sports; range of recreational facilities; and whether or not spirit-boosting events such as Midnight Madness were held.
About Baylor, SI says: "Women's hoops, three other teams made top 20; strong intramurals (80% participate); Quartermiler U produced Michael Johnson."
Baylor's ranking closely mirrored its 40th-place finish in the 2001-02 Sears Directors' Cup all-sports standings, which awards points for success in NCAA postseason events.
Big 12 conference rival Texas was rated first nationally, while league members No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 14 Colorado, No. 17 Nebraska and No. 42 Texas Tech were slated above the No. 43 Bears. Big 12 schools ranked below Baylor included No. 46 Texas A&M, No. 49 Kansas, No. 53 Kansas State, No. 55 Missouri, No. 60 Oklahoma State and No. 61 Iowa State.
