The Baylor Line has added another distinction to its long run of game-day theater: USA Today Sports’ 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards named it the Best Walk-Out Tradition.
The announcement came Wednesday morning, with the Baylor Line finishing as the top pre-game tradition in college football after fan voting from a field of 20 nominees. USA Today Sports said the top 10 vote-getters were recognized as winners, and Baylor came out on top with the most votes.
For more than five decades, the Baylor Line has been one of the sport’s most recognizable sights. Before kickoff at McLane Stadium, incoming first-year students sprint onto the field to form a human tunnel for the football team’s entrance.
They do it in gold jerseys marked with their graduation year and chosen nickname. After the Bears run through, those students head to an exclusive section behind the opponent’s bench to continue the cheering.
Baylor finished ahead of Auburn’s Tiger Walk/War Eagle flight, which placed second. Penn State’s "White Out" Walkout was third, followed by Iowa’s Swarm and Texas A&M’s "Power" to complete the top five.
The nominees were selected by a panel of USA Today Sports editors before the public cast its votes.
Best Walk-Out Tradition Nominees:
- Baylor - Baylor Line
- Auburn - Tiger Walk/War Eagle Flight
- Penn State - The "White Out" Walkout
- Iowa - Swarm
- Texas A&M - "Power"
- South Carolina - 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Colorado - Running Ralphie
- USC - Sword Plunge
- Tennessee - Running Through the T
- Virginia Tech - Enter Sandman
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