Navigating Change in the Athletics Landscape

“Michigan Flips No. 1 QB Bryce Underwood With Reported Eight-Figure NIL Deal.” “Plaintiffs’ letter adds wrinkle to $2.8 billion NCAA settlement.” “Can College Athletes Unionize Within A Conference?”

Headlines regarding the changing nature of college sports can be found across news platforms of every type these days. To be sure, athletics looks quite different from when I stepped onto the basketball court during my college days. Student-athletes can now freely transfer from one university to another, where they are eligible to compete upon arrival. Maturing name, image and likeness (NIL) programs offer student-athletes financial support extending well beyond scholarships. Recent rulings on the number of athletic scholarships universities may provide and talk of revenue sharing between athletics programs and student-athletes will certainly challenge university leaders across the country.

I recently invited Presidents and Chancellors from other “Power 4” universities to join an in-person roundtable conversation held in Dallas to discuss the collective challenges we face, with the realization that while there are uncertain times ahead, the role of big-time athletics on a university campus has many benefits beyond those seen on the field, court or other competitive venue.  

Amid these significant changes, there remain a few constants at Baylor.

The most important is the role of our Christian mission, which ascends throughout our athletics department — and across the Baylor campus — as we commit to “Preparing Champions for Life.”

Secondly is the pride our student-athletes feel while representing our University — a pride that reflects the school spirit of Baylor stretching back one decade after another. Whether they’re on the field or cheering on our teams as members of the Baylor “B” Association, our letterwinners love the Green and Gold!

Throughout our history, Baylor athletics has brought the Baylor Family together and served as a front-porch to the University. From Homecoming to March Madness, athletics serves as a gathering place for the Baylor Family. The visibility our athletics programs bring to the University is an important part of our recruiting future students to Baylor and our outreach into the community and the surrounding world.

Steadfast Commitment

We know from our institutional research that Baylor’s membership in a Power 4 athletic conference is important to our prospective and current students. Alongside our Christian mission, academic excellence and dynamic on-campus student engagement, our participation in college athletics at the highest level forms an invaluable component of our ability to attract and retain outstanding students.

Accordingly, among the non-negotiables we set in creating our new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, was a commitment to sustained excellence in athletics.

Position of Leadership

As a Christian research university, Baylor has a unique opportunity to contribute to the foundational shaping of intercollegiate athletics. 

I recently have been blessed with the opportunity to chair the NCAA Board of Governors for a third term after serving on the NCAA Constitution Committee charged with developing a new, streamlined constitution for the NCAA. In addition, I am chair of the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors. As such, I enjoy a place at the head of the table as I join my fellow leaders in higher education to ensure that the system of collegiate athletics maintains its integrity and compatibility with the academic enterprise of our institutions while empowering student-athletes to most beneficially pursue success during their time on campus and beyond.

Baylor’s more than 500 student-athletes across 19 sports consistently rank among the Big 12’s and the nation’s best on the field, on the court, and in the classroom. We are extremely proud of these young men and women and are excited to see the impact they will make in the world. 

Whether they are on our campus for one year or four years (or even more), and regardless of their sport, we are doing all we can to ensure that Baylor’s student-athletes flourish by receiving an education rooted in Christian values. This is a commitment that will never change.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President
Baylor University