Baylor University - Athletics

Athletics

Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and the women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I.

Baylor was a charter member of the Southwest Conference and remained a member until its dissolution in 1996. Baylor is now a member of the Big 12 Conference along with former SWC members TCU, Texas and Texas Tech. Baylor has 42 Big 12 conference titles; these 42 titles place Baylor in fourth place among Big 12 member schools, behind Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

Baylor has won three NCAA titles. In 2004, the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship match. In 2005, the Baylor Lady Bears basketball team beat Michigan State in the championship game. In 2012, the Baylor Lady Bears basketball team beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA national championship; the first college basketball team ever to finish with a perfect 40-0 record.

Baylor's 2011 football team completed a 10-3 season with a win over the University of Washington Huskies in the Alamo Bowl and finished the season ranked #12 in the nation. Quarterback Robert Griffin III was the recipient of the Heisman Trophy as the nation's most outstanding college football player.

During the past 3 three seasons, the Baylor men's basketball team has twice advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA 'March Madness' Championship tournament. Under the direction of head coach Scott Drew, Baylor has acheived a record of 121-55 (.688) over the past 5 seasons and reached post season play in 4 of those 5 years. Four former Baylor basketball players have been drafted in the 1st or 2nd round of the NBA Draft in the past 2 seasons; Epke Udoh (1st round), Perry Jones III (1st round), Quincy Acy (2nd round), and Quincy Miller (2nd round).

"THE YEAR OF THE BEAR" This is the name given to the incredibly successful 2011-2012 year in Baylor Athletics. The four major sports of football, men's & women's basketball, and baseball won an NCAA record 129 games combined (129-28, .822 winning %) for the year. Football and men's & women's basketball also set an NCAA record with a combined 80 wins. In addition, Baylor was the only school in the nation that all 4 of these major sports finished the season ranked (football 12th, men's basketball 10th, women's basketball 1st, baseball 9th), and also only 1 of 2 schools that had all 19 sports advance to the post season. Baylor is also the home to the winner of the Heisman Trophy and National Player of the Year in football (Robert Griffin III) and the National Player of the Year in women's Basketball (Brittney Griner). Also, the National Coach of the Year in women's basketball was Baylor's Kim Mulkey. Finally, Baylor Athletics claimed 2 NCAA National Championships during their historic Year of the Bear; one in women's basketball and the other in equestrian (hunter seat).