After USC’s loss to Wisconsin, the questions around Lincoln Riley are getting louder, and the fit in Los Angeles looks increasingly uneasy. The source material frames it bluntly: the situation feels like it is going nowhere, with low home attendance, unmet fan expectations, and missed chances in conference play all adding to the strain.
That’s why Baylor has entered the conversation, even if Riley was not on the initial hot board. The connection makes sense on paper.
Riley is a Texas native, he came up under Mike Leach, and he has deep Big 12 roots from his time at Oklahoma. He has also had success across his career, and the idea of him landing in Waco is not being treated as far-fetched.
Baylor would be getting an offensive coach built from the Air Raid tree, and the roster fits that background in at least one obvious way: the Bears have a deep receiving group. Gavin Freeman is the headliner, but the unit is not a one-man show.
Speed has been a major emphasis this season, and Riley’s offensive approach could line up neatly with that. After seven seasons of Dave Aranda’s defensive-minded leadership, Baylor finished 40-40, while Riley’s record at USC stands at 41-20.
The money piece is a major part of the discussion, too. Dave Aranda’s buyout for the rest of his contract after being fired was $12 million, while Riley would be owed $57 million if USC fired him under the same terms.
But the contract wrinkle matters: because former athletic director Mike Bohn hired Riley, and USC later fired Bohn before bringing in Jennifer Cohen from Washington, Riley’s buyout to leave USC would be waived. If Riley were to leave after the season, that waiver would also apply.
The reporting also points to a larger split between Riley and USC. USA Today’s John Brice has described it as an “unhappy marriage,” and Riley’s own comments have fed the sense that something is off between the two sides.
From USC’s perspective, the appeal is obvious: avoiding a massive buyout. For Riley, it would mean a fresh start at a school with strong resources but a smaller, less punishing media environment. For Baylor, it would be a swing at an elite offense-first coach.
There is also the travel angle. USC’s move to the Big Ten has brought in more money, but it has turned the road schedule into a mess of flights and cross-country trips. The source material puts it in simple terms: at a conservative 3:1 ratio, USC’s Big Ten road games involve travel distances of more than 3,000 miles, while Baylor’s Big 12 road slate likely would not reach that total over an entire season.
In Other News...
Baylors Next Coach Faces One Urgent Roster Fight
Joe Klandermans first big challenge at Baylor is bigger than drawing up a plan for next fall. He has to keep the Bears moving toward bowl eligibility while also navigating the kind of offseason roster turbulence that comes with a coaching change and the transfer portal era. Around the program, the conversation is already less about scheme and more about who stays put long enough to become part of the next foundation.
The retention list is clear enough, with six players standing out as priorities because of what they could mean to Baylors future. Quarterbacks Lagway and Bennett sit at the top of that group, while running back Ryelan Morris and cornerback Devon Jordan also loom as especially important pieces. For Klanderman, the early test is not just building a staff or setting a tone. It is holding together enough of the roster to give the Bears a real chance to stabilize quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Taliah Scott Just Raised The Stakes For Baylors Season
Taliah Scotts profile keeps climbing before Baylor has even settled into the 2026-27 season. The senior has been named to the Jersey Mikes Naismith Trophy Womens College Player of the Year Watch List, a sign that her production from last season continues to carry real national weight. Scott was already coming off a strong year filled with scoring and efficient shooting, and she picked up both postseason honors and preseason recognition along the way.
For Baylor, the bigger meaning is obvious: Scott is no longer just one of the teams featured players, she is among the names the sport is watching most closely. She is one of eight Big 12 players on the watch list, which gives the conference a familiar kind of early-season depth, but it also puts an added spotlight on what Scott does next. With expectations rising around her again, Baylors season now comes with another layer of attention attached to her game. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Gets Another Crack At TCU With The Rivalry Suddenly Tilting
Baylor volleyball gets another swing at TCU with the rivalry leaning the Bears way after a recent 3-0 road win over the Horned Frogs. Now the setting flips back to Waco, where Baylor has long been tough to handle, and the Bears have backed that up by winning 15 of the last 19 meetings in the series.
There is also a milestone feel around this stretch of the schedule, with Ksenia Rakhmanchik and Isabela Haggard both closing in on career marks worth watching. And after Ryan McGuyre recently picked up his 250th win at Baylor, the Bears have a coach who has seen this matchup from every angle, which makes the next meeting with TCU feel like more than just another date on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]