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Every Saturday at McLane is like a Baylor Family reunion — but Homecoming weekend is THE annual family reunion, the one you don’t want to miss.

The nostalgia factor was high for the thousands of Bears who made their way home to Waco this past weekend for Baylor Homecoming 2025. For those who couldn’t make it — or for those who want to relive it — we bring you a look back at the weekend:

Baylor has announced a gift from Michael and Jennifer Hillman of Waco, establishing The Kathy Robinson Hillman Endowed Chair in Communication in honor of Kathy Hillman, B.A. ’73, and her 50 years of service at Baylor. 

For so many in the Baylor Family, Homecoming is more than just a weekend — it’s the joy of showing loved ones that Baylor spirit, revisiting old stomping grounds, and reconnecting with the people and places that shaped their stories. Every October, that first glimpse of the bonfire signals that we’re home again.

For Scott Floyd (BA ’11, MDiv ’14) and his wife, Olivia (BS ’15), Homecoming has always carried extra meaning. The couple met in 2012 when Scott was in his second year at Truett Seminary and his future wife was a Baylor sophomore. Their friendship quickly blossomed into something more, and by the time Homecoming rolled around in October, they were officially dating.

“What school hosted the first collegiate homecoming?”

It’s a question that’s been long debated. But if you picture an alumni event centered around a varsity football game when you think of homecoming, then there’s no question that Baylor University hosted the first collegiate homecoming, all the way back in 1909.

College basketball season hasn’t yet arrived, and already Baylor basketball fans have had plenty to celebrate in recent weeks — from former BU All-American NaLyssa Smith earning a championship ring with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, to former men’s standout VJ Edgecombe’s historic NBA debut.

Such success is a reminder that we again have the chance to cheer on some of the best in the sport at Foster Pavilion. This year, both the Baylor men’s and women’s teams begin with familiar expectations and goals, but different roster makeups.

Serving others is a principle that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It is in the pursuit of this service that Baylor University places an emphasis on excellence in teaching and research that addresses the needs of the surrounding world. 

Fast-rising Texas country music star Hudson Westbrook, whose new album Texas Forever features hit songs like “House Again” and “Sober,” is coming to Baylor's Foster Pavilion Friday, April 24, 2026.

In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week (Oct. 27-Nov. 1), we again renew that tradition, as the Baylor Family returns to campus to “catch that Baylor spirit again,” as President Samuel Palmer Brooks famously wrote more than a century ago.

At Homecoming, Baylor rolls out the red carpet to welcome you — alumni and friends — home. It’s the biggest Baylor Family reunion of the year — all about seeing old friends, recalling fond memories, sharing those stories with the next generation, and celebrating together as one.

Whether you’re a Homecoming regular or this is your first trip to campus in years, you’ll want to start your Baylor Homecoming experience this year at the Hurd Welcome Center.

The Hurd will serve as “Homecoming headquarters” for visitors, with Baylor staff on hand Friday and Saturday to answer questions and help you connect with school/college/campus events — plus a host of activities, photo ops, student performances and more for Bears of all ages.

Study challenges long-held assumptions, finding late-surviving dinosaurs lived in vibrant, regionally distinct communities.

For a decade now (!!), Baylor Traditions Ornaments have helped add a little green and gold to Christmas trees across the Baylor Family.

This year’s ornament features the cherished opening lyric from our school song: “That Good Old Baylor Line.” (And to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary: If you missed one from the last few years, you can catch up — either with individual ornaments from the last five years, or a special Legacy Ornaments Set that includes past ornaments and a special display hanger.)

Looking for a great undergraduate experience? You can’t do much better than Baylor.

Baylor is one of just three colleges to rank among U.S. News‘ top 10 nationally for both first-year experience and learning communities, and the only one of those three to be either an R1 research institution or offer Power 4 athletics.

Launched with a $1.5M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Baylor’s Soundings Project brought together 12 Texas congregations over seven years to explore Christian vocation.

What is the best prescription for the challenges faced by communities and the individuals that comprise them? Dr. Tyshawn Gardner says the answer is “Christian proclamation” — the preaching that takes place in churches around the world. He has applied his scholarship and experiences toward resources that equip pastors to share the Good News in ways that are “faithful to God, faithful to the Biblical text and [done] in wisdom.”

Baylor is building upon a foundation of excellence in teaching and character development that has proven to be effective in cultivating leadership skills among its students. 

New Baylor research shows the right kind of support during pregnancy can make all the difference for new mothers returning to work after maternity leave. 

One of the goals of a college degree, especially a graduate degree, is to help land a job. Few MBA programs are better at that than Baylor’s.

Baylor’s full-time MBA program ranks No. 6 in the nation for helping graduates find employment after graduation, according to U.S. News‘ most recent data. Last year’s class saw 92% of graduates employed within three months of graduation — one of just nine programs nationally to top 90%, and the only one in Texas.

Amid rising antibiotic resistance, the MIGHTY initiative unites top academic and industry partners to develop a rapid, AI-powered platform for precision phage therapies – starting with oral health and expanding to chronic diseases

It all started in 1942, when Mary Allen English (BA ’42), a young Baylor graduate, stepped into the halls of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. At the time, pediatric cardiology wasn’t a specialty; in fact, it barely existed. But under the mentorship of groundbreaking physician Helen Taussig, English finished first in her class and helped define an entirely new field. (She also married a classmate on her graduation day, becoming Dr. Mary Allen Engle.)

By the 1950s, Engle was leading the charge to treat congenital heart defects in infants — without invasive surgery. After completing fellowships at both Johns Hopkins and Cornell, she joined the faculty at New York Hospital–Cornell University Medical Center, where she founded and led the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. The innovations coming out of her lab would save countless children’s lives.

Baylor is filled with great stories to tell, and for the last eight years, Baylor Connections has been a key place where Bears share their stories in their own voices. After nearly 400 audio episodes, Baylor Connections has expanded — now offering both audio and video formats!

As the world’s largest Baptist university, Baylor stands as a beacon within the landscape of Christian higher education. 

For many Baylor students, summer is a chance for special experiences — whether through internships, study abroad or or mission trips, or research opportunities.

Baylor senior Greatness Adewumi is an example of that last group — a psychology/neuroscience major on the pre-med track whose experience this past summer in Houston has only fueled her desire to delve into medical research.

Baylor volunteers with the BearAid disaster relief organization served with Texans on Mission to rebuild homes damaged during the catastrophic July 4 flooding in the Texas Hill Country.

About a decade ago, Baylor set out to complete major renovations of each of its legacy residence halls. Each would go offline for a year, during which time it would receive a head-to-toe update.

Penland went first, followed by North Russell, South Russell, Martin, Collins, Memorial and Alexander — and now, newly completed in time for the 2025-26 school year, Allen and Dawson. (Work is already underway on Kokernot, which should reopen in 2026 to welcome the next class of Bears.)

Research led by Baylor biology assistant professor Jake Minich, Ph.D., followed over 1000 children in the African nation of Malawi to reveal how gut bacteria play a critical role in childhood undernutrition.

When Tiffany Jones‑Smith (BA ’95) graduated from Baylor, she couldn’t have known that her future would involve leading a statewide health initiative. Still, her heart for service and community was already clear. Today, as president and CEO of the Texas Kidney Foundation and chair of the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, she’s become a fierce advocate for health equity, early screening, and life-saving policy. Her work reaches thousands of Texans each year, especially in communities where access to care has been historically limited.

Helping each student to thrive and grow during his or her time on campus lies at the heart of the University’s mission of preparing students for worldwide leadership and service.

For well over a decade, Baylor has been a staple among the universities recognized as a “Great College to Work For” — appearing on the elite annual list’s honor roll for 14 of the last 16 years. And while that alone makes for a good headline (and is emblematic of a BaylorProud faculty and staff), it’s far from the only honor that Baylor has earned this year for being an elite workplace.

October is designated as Christian Higher Education Month. For more than 180 years, Baylor has been pursuing excellence in academics and fostering a vibrant campus community grounded in Christian faith.

It all started in 1951, when Jarrell McCracken (BA ’50, MA ’53), then a Baylor student, reimagined the Gospel with a twist: as a play‑by‑play radio game featuring two teams, Jesus vs. Satan, refereed by God. He dubbed it “The Game of Life,” pressed a mere 100 vinyl records — and changed the course of contemporary Christian music forever.

Baylor is once again among the nation's top 50 private universities and top 100 national universities, according to new U.S. News rankings for 2025-26.

Baylor moved up one place to No. 46 among private colleges and universities, and up three spots to No. 88 among the national universities (both public and private), ranking among the top 20% of all major universities nationwide.

Baylor Homecoming is just a month away — time to make your plans (if you haven’t already)! Here’s a round-up of what you’ll want to work into your schedule:

At Baylor, the student experience — creating a place where students can thrive academically, spiritually and socially — is at the heart of what we do. From our small student-to-faculty ratio and Christian environment to the 400+ student organizations on campus, Baylor offers countless ways for students to get involved and feel at home.

With so many opportunities, there’s something for everyone — literally from A to Z:

Baylor University’s first-year experiences for students jumped to No. 4 nationally while its learning communities landed in the Top 10 in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

Dave Morehead, C.F.A., chief investment officer at Baylor, has been named Endowment/Foundation Chief Investment Officer of the Year by Institutional Investor.

Music has long added elements of pageantry and aura for the U.S. Armed Forces. For the U.S. Navy, the Navy Band Sea Chanters is the musical voice of the aquatic branch. And now, a Baylor alumna stands among their ranks.

Alissa Ruth Suver (MM ’25), a conductor and soprano vocalist who graduated from Baylor in May, earned a highly coveted and highly competitive spot among the Sea Chanters — and then further demonstrated her commitment to the role and the cause it supports by completing Navy boot camp.

Baylor has once again attained elite Honor Roll status as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program - this year in all 10 categories.

Last week, Baylor and Texas Baptists representatives came together for a ceremonial groundbreaking on a new Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) building that will be built at the corner of South Fourth Street and Daughtrey Avenue — near East Village and the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

Ten Baylor faculty members have been selected as 2025-2026 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and desire to advance the University’s commitment to transformational education.

From an early age, Thasunda Brown Duckett’s father taught her an old proverb: Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.

That advice has served Duckett (MBA ’01) well. Over the last decade, she’s served as CEO of Chase Consumer Banking (2016-21) and, since 2021, as CEO of TIAA — a leading financial services provider that ranks among the 100 largest corporations in America. Her success earned her recognition as Baylor’s Alumna of the Year for 2022.

Baylor has always been about family — so it was a joy to welcome thousands of BU parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and more to campus this past weekend for Family Weekend 2025.

From the “Meet the Faculty” Welcome Hour on Friday afternoon, through the Lauren Daigle concert that night, and on to Baylor Football’s victory Saturday, the weekend was a joyful celebration of our extended Baylor Family.

This Family Weekend, students’ loved ones aren’t the only ones coming to Waco. Also returning: Baylor’s iconic Growling Bear, which is coming out of the vault for a limited time.

First introduced in 1969 after a design contest organized by head football coach Bill Beall, the Growling Bear logo was selected from more than 75 entries. The winning design was created by Elmer Fisher (BA ’51), a longtime classics professor and diehard Baylor football fan, in collaboration with law student Joey Taylor (BA ’68, JD ’71).

Returning to Waco for Homecoming? Make Homecoming at the Hurd your first stop. Located in the Mark and Paul Hurd Welcome Center at the corner of I-35 and University Parks Drive, this hub of information, performances and activities for the entire family is your Homecoming headquarters. 

Clean water is something many of us take for granted; when we turn on a faucet, clean water just pours out. Not everyone is so lucky.

At Baylor, many researchers are individually and collectively focused on maintaining and improving water quality — building an internationally recognized name for excellence in water quality research that is relied on by communities, state governments, reservoir management agencies, and more.

Cheering on our Bears in the NFL is second nature to Baylor fans — from legends like Mike Singletary (BBA ’83) to current stars such as Jalen Pitre (BBA ’20, MSED ’21), there’s no shortage of Baylor alums who have made us proud at the next level.

But it’s not just on the field; all across the NFL, Baylor Bears can be found in front offices and training rooms, discovering talent on the scouting trail and generating revenue in tickets and sales. 

Whether returning to Waco or finding your own Baylor community wherever you call home, these shared experiences continue to bring the Baylor Family together.

Former Baylor quarterback Nick Florence joined the Baylor Sports Media Network as the new color analyst for football games this fall.

Baylor women’s basketball Head Coach Nicki Collen enters her fifth season at the helm of the program. Here are five things that fans can look forward to in her fifth campaign:

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson was selected to serve as a counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy in June 2025, following in the footsteps of former Baylor greats and Manning counselors like Bryce Petty and Seth Russell.

Baylor men’s basketball star V.J. Edgecombe made history, becoming the highest NBA draft pick in program history after being selected third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Former Baylor men’s basketball legend Adam Flagler has added another championship to his resume, winning the 2025 NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nathaniel Ezekiel, who etched his name in gold as one of the most dominant athletes in Baylor track and field history, capped off his collegiate career with a historic run of success.

Long before she earned national recognition for her work in Baylor’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Liela Romero, B.S. ’11, Ph.D., was a Baylor student.

A team of Baylor archaeologists has uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb in central Italy — a discovery hailed as one of the most significant finds in recent decades for understanding the ancient pre-Roman civilization.

At the beginning of 2025, Baylor’s physics department changed its name to the Department of Physics and Astronomy, a title emblematic of the growing space research portfolio within the department and growing interest in space among students.

Although Matthew T. Lee, Ph.D., did not initially intend to pursue high-level human flourishing research, he’s built a national reputation as a top voice in the field.

Baylor faculty serve as leaders in their field in many ways.

Jonathan M. Larson, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, combines his passion, expertise and experience to forge new techniques in the science world.

When the Baylor Family gathers bright and early on Saturday, November 1, for this year’s Homecoming parade, they will be continuing a fun tradition that goes all the way back to 1909.

I love this time of year. It brings opportunities to reconnect with familiar faces on campus and around Waco and to welcome new friends into the Baylor Family.

Baylor University and Baptist World Alliance Launches New Partnership

At Baylor, first-year students begin their journey with Baylor Line Camp in the summer.

Baylor Parents play an important role in the success of students. 

Baylor leaders, professors and staff have meaningful stories to tell about the work they do in support of the Baylor mission.

The past year saw the second-highest fundraising year in Baylor’s history, with more than $192 million given during the 2025 fiscal year (FY25).

Since 1982, the Beall-Russell Lecture in the Humanities series in the College of Arts & Sciences, founded by the late Virginia Beall Ball, B.A. ’40, has welcomed some of the leading intellectuals of varied professions from around the world to Baylor’s campus.

In October 2025, Baylor University welcomes its inaugural cohort of Master of Physician Assistant Studies students.

This November, Baylor University will host its inaugural TEDx event, presenting “Innovation in Deeds.”

What began at Baylor in 1980 as the merger of two departments — computer science and engineering science — became an established School of Engineering and Computer Science in 1995.

The inaugural Baylor New Play Initiative (BNPI) is one of the first initiatives of its kind, focused not only on identifying promising playwrights but also on cultivating their work in partnership with professional theatres and academic institutions.

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business will launch a groundbreaking student competition designed to spark creative business ventures powered by artificial intelligence.

The new Baylor Libraries Book Arts & Letterpress Lab, housed in two rooms on the first floor of Baylor’s Jesse H. Jones Library, introduces Baylor students, faculty and staff to historical printing practices, allowing them to create their own books by hand using paper and ink.

This fall, one of Baylor's own steps into a new role: Charles Ramsey, Ph.D., B.A. ’97, M.A. ’00, was selected to serve as university chaplain and dean of spiritual life.

While scrolling through social media, mothers may find more than memes — they might also find connection, particularly as they navigate the challenges of raising children.

At Baylor, career development is a personalized journey that begins the moment students arrive on campus.

This summer, Baylor students Emily Zimmer and Ishaan Patel were busy with elite internships in the field of engineering.

Baylor University boasts the “just-right” fit that attracts some of the most academically prepared applicants.

Faculty apply elite research focus to ensure clean water for communities in the future — close to home and around the world.

Chaplains have served the spiritual needs of American military members since the Continental Congress established them in 1775. For 250 years, these ministers have attended to the spiritual, moral, counseling, and guidance to servicepersons worldwide.

Recognizing Baylor’s legacy of Chaplain ministry service, the 21st U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Major General) Trent Davis, visited Baylor earlier this week to speak during Truett Seminary’s Chapel Service. 

Baylor is consistently ranked among TIME magazine's "100 Best Colleges for Leaders." Learn how leadership is a calling and commitment at Baylor, embedded in the student experience in practical ways.

When thinking about space exploration in the years ahead, it doesn’t get much bigger than a groundbreaking new telescope or a future mission to the moon. NASA is preparing for both — and calling on Baylor professors to help them.

By now, you probably recognize the photo above. It was a powerful moment from last year’s Texas Bowl that resonated across social media — Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson stopping to pray for an injured opponent.

The person who captured that meaningful moment was not a professional sports photographer (at the time), but a Baylor student. Joaquin Torre (BA ’25) was on the sideline, advancing toward his dream of becoming a full-time sports photographer. He was moved by the response to his photo, which represented a meaningful moment for him as well.

When 20th-ranked Baylor volleyball begins the 2025 season Friday afternoon in Baton Rouge, a new-look team will pursue the same high standards that have become the norm under head coach Ryan McGuyre. Over the last decade, McGuyre has led the program into a golden age. The Bears have earned nine straight NCAA tournament berths, including four Sweet 16s and a Final Four, and look to extend that success in 2025.

One of the world’s premier surfing destinations is located about 15 minutes from the Baylor campus.

Yes, you read that right.

In recent years, Waco Surf has gained international intention from surfers seeking the perfect wave year-round. Such prominent surfers as Kelly Slater (11-time World Surf League champion) and Carissa Moore (2020 Olympic gold medalist) have come to Central Texas from California, Hawaii and beyond to run the perfect waves at the touch of a button.

As Baylor football prepares to kick off the 2025 season Friday night at McLane Stadium, the buzz surrounding the team feels elevated — and it’s easy to see why. The Bears finished 2024 as one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning their last six regular season games and delivering a top-20 national offense. This year’s squad returns key performers on both sides of the ball, led by breakout quarterback Sawyer Robertson; his performance is just one of many reasons Baylor fans are so excited:

Baylor University’s award-winning Dr Pepper Hour Tour kicks off its fifth year staying close to home, visiting the Waco community throughout the first week of the fall tour. 

Over the course of four days last week, Baylor welcomed to Waco 3,500+ new freshmen (and their families), another 15,000+ returning students — and almost 40,000 concertgoers who came for The Boys From Oklahoma Texas Encore, a country music festival held at McLane Stadium Saturday night.

Less than an hour after the bands left the stage, crews began the process of readying McLane for another big event this coming Friday — Baylor football’s sold-out season opener against Auburn. Slated for a national FOX broadcast, the game is one of the biggest of college football’s opening weekend.

What a week! From Move2BU to Welcome Week and then the first day of classes — not to mention Saturday night’s big concert — Baylor and Waco are once again buzzing with activity!