This has been the obvious solution for a long time. The questions are 1) are the schools going to accept it (at least in sufficient quantities to make it work) and 2) are the NFL and NBA going to accept it. The latter question is way more important than you think. We are dismantling their developmental model and pre-league promotional system as well.

Bearknuckle said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Realitybites said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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You really think Title IX is going to go away that simply ? Baylor and other schools as well, will have to pay the tab for men's and women's athletics that lose money each year ie. everything except football and maybe men's basketball. The alternative is to shut down all of those programs. The government is NOT going to allow that to happen.

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Baylor would not be paying the tab for *any* athletics programs. All sports played by actual students with athletic talent would be demoted to club status.

They would simply be offering the school's NIL to the team.

Baylor's athletics budget would be zero. If your football budget and mens basketball budget is zero there is no obligation to fund non revenue sports.

McLane's maintenance would be rolled into grounds maintenance.

McLane would be rented to the team for games.

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That is why I said they would have to shut down all sports that don't generate enough revenue to cover the cost. Student enrollment would PLUMMET, as they would go somewhere else that offered a true college experience along with a good education. Baylor could not have any affiliation with either football or men's basketball without
the government being involved. That is unless NO government assistance for students or research is accepted. Waco would not provide support for either sport and alumni would be disenfranchised as well. Total disaster.

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clarification request: you think student enrollment is high *because* of unprofitable sports?

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Students attend a college or university for the "whole" experience and yes the social aspect is a huge part of that. If was all about academics, Trinity or Rice would be a lot larger. Baylor offers a lot, but so do a bunch of other places in Texas alone. College athletics isn't going away, so trying to circumvent Title IX by having a professional sports team as an asset of the university will be a non starter. If universities gut their sports activities because they can't pay for themselves, OK, but expect demand for what they do provide to take a hit.

PRIVATE school conference is the ticket. Build and lead a private school conference that adheres to old school football the way it was intended to be played.

Set stringent budgets for the conference in every sport

Differentiate Baylor further by playing on our strengths in an environment where only 1.5% of college players go pro and even then the average lifespan of an NFL player is 53 to 59 years old and time spent in the league being less than 4 years.

The value of a private school education should be marketed as a tremendous win over the "puppy mill" schooling currently set up to just keep kids eligible.

Bring back students dressing up for games in coat & ties.

Baylor could lead this charge and Presidents at other private schools around the country are watching the $$$ falling into a black hole.

RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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KaiBear said:

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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Thee University said:

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Long article but worth the read.



https://mail.uofl.me/t/r-e-tkujtiud-nttkjhijyl-y/

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Great article, my friend. Thanks for posting. The days of student-athletes are long gone. As is loyalty to a school.

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Ended back in the 60's.

But some illusions die hard.

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So NIL and the transfer portal started in the 60's? Please don't be offended with me for asking, but are you an Aggie?

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No

However the best players have been receiving money from boosters for decades.

BEAR 45 said:

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Bearknuckle said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Realitybites said:

---

BEAR 45 said:

---

You really think Title IX is going to go away that simply ? Baylor and other schools as well, will have to pay the tab for men's and women's athletics that lose money each year ie. everything except football and maybe men's basketball. The alternative is to shut down all of those programs. The government is NOT going to allow that to happen.

---

Baylor would not be paying the tab for *any* athletics programs. All sports played by actual students with athletic talent would be demoted to club status.

They would simply be offering the school's NIL to the team.

Baylor's athletics budget would be zero. If your football budget and mens basketball budget is zero there is no obligation to fund non revenue sports.

McLane's maintenance would be rolled into grounds maintenance.

McLane would be rented to the team for games.

---

That is why I said they would have to shut down all sports that don't generate enough revenue to cover the cost. Student enrollment would PLUMMET, as they would go somewhere else that offered a true college experience along with a good education. Baylor could not have any affiliation with either football or men's basketball without
the government being involved. That is unless NO government assistance for students or research is accepted. Waco would not provide support for either sport and alumni would be disenfranchised as well. Total disaster.

---

clarification request: you think student enrollment is high *because* of unprofitable sports?

---

Students attend a college or university for the "whole" experience and yes the social aspect is a huge part of that. If was all about academics, Trinity or Rice would be a lot larger. Baylor offers a lot, but so do a bunch of other places in Texas alone. College athletics isn't going away, so trying to circumvent Title IX by having a professional sports team as an asset of the university will be a non starter. If universities gut their sports activities because they can't pay for themselves, OK, but expect demand for what they do provide to take a hit.

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Bingo

And if Baylor wants to maintain itself at its current enrollment level of several times the size of Rice...it needs to not forget that.

Put the breaks on the social progressive stuff and maybe realize that doing things like letting the sororities build mansions/houses is not that bad of a thing (helps recruit prospective students and keep students re-enrolling)

BEAR 45 said:

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Students attend a college or university for the "whole" experience and yes the social aspect is a huge part of that. If was all about academics, Trinity or Rice would be a lot larger. Baylor offers a lot, but so do a bunch of other places in Texas alone. College athletics isn't going away, so trying to circumvent Title IX by having a professional sports team as an asset of the university will be a non starter. If universities gut their sports activities because they can't pay for themselves, OK, but expect demand for what they do provide to take a hit.

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I'm not saying that people don't attend for the "whole" college experience.

I'm saying that for 99.9% of the student body whether or not there is a men's baseball team or a women's swimming team is completely irrelevant.

To the extent that college branded athletics have much of an influence on the whole college experience it is men's football in the fall semester, and men's basketball in the spring.

My observations over the past 50 years is that Baylor is not your typical college experience and the alumni are not like any other university alumni in Texas. Certainly not like most of the US.

Baylor fans that are rabid is a very small percentage. Most fans really don't care much where we finish as long as it is above .500.

Baylor fans that travel with the team to away games are a very small group.

The current makeup of the Big 12 teams yields only 1 game each year that even comes close to a rivalry game. Gone is bad blood between us and the Ags, the Horns, the Hogs. TCU is all we got left to get our blood pressure up a little bit.

A very large percentage of alumni did not even play beyond Pop Warner or junior high level hence the lack of passion for the game.

I will admit that the Briles teams of 2013 and 2014 and the Aranda team of 2021 gave the alumni a spark and the ability to brag in Sunday School on Sunday morning.

We have a huge mountain to climb if we remain in the Big 12 trying to pay players to keep them in Waco.

I admit I am sickened by NIL and the Transfer Portal and losing interest in this current landscape of NCAA football.

KaiBear said:

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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KaiBear said:

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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Thee University said:

---

Long article but worth the read.



https://mail.uofl.me/t/r-e-tkujtiud-nttkjhijyl-y/

---

Great article, my friend. Thanks for posting. The days of student-athletes are long gone. As is loyalty to a school.

---

Ended back in the 60's.

But some illusions die hard.

---

So NIL and the transfer portal started in the 60's? Please don't be offended with me for asking, but are you an Aggie?

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No

However the best players have been receiving money from boosters for decades.

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Shame on you. You should be proud to be an Aggie instead of disowning them. WHOOOPPPP!!!!!

Loved it when I learned Eric Dickerson drove his marroon Trans Am that A & M bought him to Dallas to sign with SMU!

LOL!!!!!

Thee University said:

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A very large percentage of alumni did not even play beyond Pop Warner or junior high level hence the lack of passion for the game.

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You make some good points…but this one is out there as a comparison

You think the average ut-Austin, smu, tcu, or aggy kid in 2026 comes from a generational Texas family that loved football and is a football playing small town athlete who lives and dies by Friday night lights?

I mean half of TCU undergrads are from outside of Texas and a ton of them from California (looked up the data and it's 60% of all undergrads are out of state and 15% from California)

Ut-Austin campus looks like New Deli (Approximately 67% of the student body at UT Austin identifies as a person of color, according to 20242025 enrollment trends). Only 33% of the school is White American only 5.4% is Black American…the two historic groups most likely to love American football. And ut now being so hard to get into you can bet those student groups fall on the more nerdy side.

Smu is also full of coastal kids flying into Dallas for college

And even Aggy is far more suburban lock key kid now days than small town football lovers

Tech honestly might be the last more good ole boy-ish "we love football" type normal middle & working class kids school among our old rivals.... if you are looking for a place like that as a comparison.

The average Baylor student is not some kind of outlier…and in fact is probably more into football than many peers. Our student body is certainly more socially conservative on average than peers and that often correlates with liking traditional sports more.

Thee University said:

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My observations over the past 50 years is that Baylor is not your typical college experience and the alumni are not like any other university alumni in Texas. Certainly not like most of the US.

Baylor fans that are rabid is a very small percentage. Most fans really don't care much where we finish as long as it is above .500.

Baylor fans that travel with the team to away games are a very small group.

The current makeup of the Big 12 teams yields only 1 game each year that even comes close to a rivalry game. Gone is bad blood between us and the Ags, the Horns, the Hogs. TCU is all we got left to get our blood pressure up a little bit.

A very large percentage of alumni did not even play beyond Pop Warner or junior high level hence the lack of passion for the game.

I will admit that the Briles teams of 2013 and 2014 and the Aranda team of 2021 gave the alumni a spark and the ability to brag in Sunday School on Sunday morning.

We have a huge mountain to climb if we remain in the Big 12 trying to pay players to keep them in Waco.

I admit I am sickened by NIL and the Transfer Portal and losing interest in this current landscape of NCAA football.

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Gee, how will we know when you lose interest altogether?

Realitybites said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Students attend a college or university for the "whole" experience and yes the social aspect is a huge part of that. If was all about academics, Trinity or Rice would be a lot larger. Baylor offers a lot, but so do a bunch of other places in Texas alone. College athletics isn't going away, so trying to circumvent Title IX by having a professional sports team as an asset of the university will be a non starter. If universities gut their sports activities because they can't pay for themselves, OK, but expect demand for what they do provide to take a hit.

---

I'm not saying that people don't attend for the "whole" college experience.

I'm saying that for 99.9% of the student body whether or not there is a men's baseball team or a women's swimming team is completely irrelevant.

To the extent that college branded athletics have much of an influence on the whole college experience it is men's football in the fall semester, and men's basketball in the spring.

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Here is a little reality check, just drop all sports and see what happens to demand for enrollment , what happens to gifts from alumni who no longer have a connection to Baylor except "SING" . You are living in a dream world if you believe 99% of the student body does not care. Is it possible to attract enough students to keep enrollment at current levels, maybe, but the culture would be totally different and not in a good way.

Go spend some time on the Baylor website and tell me what someone who has never stepped foot on campus would think about us.

I didn't come to Baylor primarily because of the athletic programs and I was on a full football scholarship. Baylor is always going to attract excellent students. I know a decent number of kids want to be associated and thought of as winners. Having great or very good sports programs is a way of feeling good about yourself but deep down what does it truly matter? Who really cares other than the players, the coaches who earn great $$$, some alumni (not all) and the city of university residence.

It is fleeting anyway. Sports participation by kids around the nation is dropping and the commitment levels off-season are large in time required and $$ mom & dad have to pour out of to get off-season training that becomes year round for those that are delusional.

The stats presented a post or two above are interesting. SMU & TCU have long attracted out-of-state students. Baylor has even a larger percentage today of non-Texans than ever before I would imagine.

Hide and watch universities continue to try to crawl out of the money pit. Only a few will be able to do so.

This caste system of transfers already existed to a degree before NIL/portal… I wonder how much the percentages have gone up since before all this started?

How often do 1st or 2nd-team all-conference players transfer? Data from the 2026 portal cycle shows a notable divide between the conferences, via @CBSSports:

G-6: 70.5%

ACC/Big 12: 43.2%

Big Ten/SEC: 2.6% https://t.co/B6OqqpuPml pic.twitter.com/wuKPYyewY2

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) March 31, 2026

BEAR 45 said:

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Here is a little reality check, just drop all sports and see what happens to demand for enrollment , what happens to gifts from alumni who no longer have a connection to Baylor except "SING" . You are living in a dream world if you believe 99% of the student body does not care. Is it possible to attract enough students to keep enrollment at current levels, maybe, but the culture would be totally different and not in a good way.

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Never said "drop all sports".

Football, and to a lesser extent men's basketball drive student body engagement with school branded athletic programs.

Keep them, drop the rest.