BYU Football Displays Big 12 Gift From Baylor Bears
Apr 28, 2022, 1:59 PM | Updated: 2:05 pm
A banner in the BYU football offices displaying the 12 teams in the new Big 12 Conference. (Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
(Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football is looking more like a Big 12 Conference member as the days pass.
The Cougars will officially join the Power Five league on July 1, 2023, but that’s not slowing the excitement.
Whenever BYU football players roll through the Mick Hill and Floyd Johnson Equipment Room, they’ll have a prominent reminder of their future league home, courtesy of a gift from the Baylor Bears.
Finally installing the sweet gift from @BUFootball. Thanks for the warm welcome—Excited for the @Big12Conference!! pic.twitter.com/5bf3CNkmNQ
— Billy Nixon (@byuequipment) April 28, 2022
Last October in Waco, Baylor rolled out the Big 12 carpet for the future league foes in BYU for a game between the two schools that the Bears won 38-24.
The Bears recognized BYU during their homecoming parade. They also celebrated BYU football history in the pregame on their video board. Baylor’s media relations staff also provided assembled media in attendance with a flyer that read, “A United Future in the Big 12 Conference,” and gave BYU athletics leaders a vast piece of wall art featuring BYU’s logo above the Big 12 Conference logo.
BYU football received a warm welcome to the Big 12 from Baylor
BYU football Director of Player Experience and Equipment Operations Billy Nixon shared a picture of the installation of the gift.
Baylor with a #Big12 welcome to @BYUfootball. #GoCougs #BYU #BYUvsBaylor pic.twitter.com/3m9F528Hv0
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 16, 2021
It was initially displayed in the visitor Athletic Director booth at McLane Stadium, according to Greg Wrubell. BYU AD Tom Holmoe, President Tom Holmoe, Advancement VP Keith Vorkink, and Associate Athletic Director Brian Santiago were all in that traveling party last October.
Baylor has this flyer for all media today.
“A United Future in the @Big12Conference.”#BYU #BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/CrPOgyeQPD
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 16, 2021
BYU and Baylor will meet again this fall as non-conference foes before the two schools become league mates in 2023. The Cougars will host the defending Big 12 Champion Bears at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 10 in the home opener for the 2022 season. It will serve as a chance for BYU to return the hospitality shown by Baylor last year to BYU.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
