Baylor Line Crowned College Football’s Best Walk-Out Tradition

The Baylor Line was voted No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports’ 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Walk-Out Tradition, beating 19 other nominees from some of the nation’s most passionate football programs. 

The Baylor Line is one of the first major traditions new students experience. Established in 1970, the Baylor Line has been running strong at home games for more than five decades. First-year students rush the field to form a tunnel for the Bears football team, and during the game, they sit behind the opponents’ bench to cheer the Bears on to victory. Each student wears a gold jersey with their graduation year and a nickname on the back, making the Line an unmistakable, unified sea of gold. The students running the Line are not simply watching the game — they are part of the fanfare of game day.

For Baylor, the victory is more than another award. It is recognition of a tradition that exemplifies the Baylor spirit and has become an enduring symbol of the belonging that ties together generations of Bears. As first-year students run onto the field, they represent the thousands of alumni who have come before them and who love the green and gold. The shared Baylor experience continues to link graduates across decades.

The final winner of the 2026 Readers’ Choice Award was determined by public voting. The annual awards highlight fan-favorite experiences across sports, giving readers the opportunity to recognize the traditions, venues and moments that make college athletics unique. Auburn’s Tiger Walk and War Eagle Flight finished second, followed by Penn State’s “White Out” Walkout, Iowa’s Swarm and Texas A&M’s “Power.” But when the votes were counted, the message from college football fans was clear: the Baylor Line stands alone.