Baylor track and field’s 2026-27 slate will send the Bears all over the map, but the headline is right at home: two home meets at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium and a long-awaited return to the Drake Relays.
The schedule, announced Wednesday, opens next month with the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Mass., on Dec. 4-5.
After that early indoor start, Baylor will disappear from the track for six weeks before jumping back in at the Corky Classic in Lubbock on Jan. 15-16.
The Bears then head to College Station for the Ted Nelson Invitational on Jan. 22-23, before finishing January with a trip to Reno, Nev., for the Wolf Pack Invitational on Jan. 28-29.
February keeps the indoor season moving fast. Baylor returns to College Station for the Charlie Thomas Invitational on Feb. 5-6, then splits the squad the following weekend. The distance group goes back to Boston for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 12-13, while the rest of the team stays in Texas for the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock.
The indoor stretch wraps with another trip to Lubbock for the Big 12 Indoor Championships on Feb. 26-27, then the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
“Always looking forward to our Big 12 championships, with the indoor being in Lubbock this year. We're very familiar with that place,' Baylor coach Mike Ford said "And then, going outdoor to (Kansas State).
They've done a great job with the indoor meets they've had there. I think the last time we were at K-State for outdoor conference was 2021.
So, definitely looking forward to having it there."
Outdoor season starts March 19-20 at the TCU Alumni Invitational in Fort Worth, then Baylor finally gets back to its own facility for the Clyde Hart Classic on March 26-27. Ford said that meet will carry extra meaning after Hart’s death on Nov. 1, 2025.
“It'll be a special Clyde Hart meet, just because it's another year without him," Ford said of Hart, who died Nov. 1, 2025. "I'm just glad that we're still able to honor him for his meet."
April brings one road stop before the Bears host their biggest home meet of the year. Baylor goes to Baton Rouge, La., for the LSU Battle of the Bayou on April 2-3, then welcomes teams to Waco for the Michael Johnson Invitational on April 16-17.
Ford pointed to that meet as a reunion point for Baylor alumni and a chance to recognize a milestone team.
“A lot of our alumni come back for the MJ," Ford said. "This year, we'll recognize the 2017 Big 12 champions on the ladies' side for winning conference. I can't believe it's been 10 years already."
Baylor’s April also includes a notable detour to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays on April 22-24. It will be the Bears’ first appearance there in 11 years. The regular season ends in College Station at the Texas Alumni Muster on April 30-May 1.
“Going back to Drake for the first time in probably over a decade," Ford said. "The fans at Drake have always been really supportive of the Baylor Bears. I just wanted to go somewhere different this year. "
The postseason begins May 13-15 with the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Manhattan, Kan. Baylor then returns to College Station for the NCAA West Preliminaries on May 26-29, its fourth trip there overall and second outdoors.
From there, qualifiers move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 9-12 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Baylor brings back several key performers from last year’s qualifiers, including All-American hurdler Demario Prince and second-team All-Americans Serafima Lucero in the 400 hurdles, Janae De Gannes in the long jump, Ruth Kimeli in the 10,000 meters and Hannah Lowe and Jada Edwards in the 4x100 relay.
“Ultimately, we want to get ready for Eugene and we want to get ready for Arkansas for the national championship meets this year," Ford said. "I think we have a really good schedule and looking forward to seeing what the Bears do in '27."
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