The Big 12 enters 2026 with a roster profile that looks all over the map, and Baylor lands right in the middle of that mess. The Bears are low on one experience metric, respectable on another, and comfortably near the top in a third. That split tells the story: this is a league loaded with teams that have been around the block.
Start with career starts, where Baylor checks in at 55th overall among Power 4 teams, or 14th fewest, with 345. That number puts the Bears well behind the league’s biggest heavyweights in this category.
Oklahoma State leads the entire Power 4 with 650 cumulative career starts, while Texas Tech is right behind at 3rd with 614. Houston comes in 5th with 564, Cincinnati is 6th with 558, Colorado is 7th with 542, and UCF rounds out the Big 12’s strong showing at 9th with 538.
Baylor looks better in total career snaps, even if it still doesn’t crack the upper tier. The Bears sit 33rd among Power 4 teams with 37,456 career snaps.
Virginia tops that list with 54,375, but the Big 12 is still heavily represented near the front. Oklahoma State is 2nd with 53,040, Texas Tech is 3rd with 51,165, Colorado is 5th with 45,900, and Houston is 6th with 45,806.
UCF also lands ahead of Baylor at 11th, followed by Cincinnati at 17th, Arizona at 20th, and Arizona State at 29th.
On the games-played side, Baylor climbs again. The Bears are 9th overall in the Power 4 with 1,512 cumulative career games played by their players.
That puts them behind Oklahoma State, which sits alone at the top with 1,846. Texas Tech is 4th with 1,618, Iowa State is 7th with 1,535, and Colorado is 8th with 1,533.
Indiana, the incumbent CFB champion, also shows up in the experience conversation with 44,500 career snaps, 532 career starts, and 1,448 career games, good for 8th, 10th, and 13th respectively.
The larger point is simple enough: there’s no perfect blueprint here. Teams can lean into proven veterans or gamble on younger talent with more upside, and the answer never seems settled for long. What is clear is that the playoff race will be worth tracking through the season, especially as these experience numbers help shape the teams that rise later on.
In Other News...
Baylor Opens With An Auburn Twist Bears Fans Will Feel Fast
There is already a little added edge to the Baylor-Auburn matchup before the first snap, thanks to the recent back-and-forth from Alex Golesh and Dave Aranda. Both coaches have publicly shown respect for what the other program has built, and the crossover only adds to the intrigue as each side heads into a season defined by change, with new quarterbacks in place and defenses that look very different from a year ago.
Bryson Washington gives the opener another layer, too, since the former Baylor player will be lining up for Auburn against his old team. With so much roster turnover and so many fresh faces on both sideline and field, the game already feels like more than a standard nonconference opener, especially for Baylor fans who know the matchup will arrive with a familiar name on the other side. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Big Three Still Belong In A National Power Debate
Since 2011, Baylor has been part of a small and unusual conversation that says as much about institutional strength as it does about any single sport. Connecticut has piled up the most combined wins across mens basketball, womens basketball and football, but the Bears have stayed right there in the picture, and their overall win percentage has actually been better. For a school that has seen elite moments in all three programs, thats a reminder that Baylors profile has been built on more than one good run.
The football side has provided some of the biggest swings, from a Big 12 championship to a Sugar Bowl victory, even as recent struggles have put Dave Aranda under pressure. The basketball programs have carried plenty of weight too, with both the men and women winning NCAA titles and keeping Baylor in national conversations that go beyond one season or one roster. The current results have been uneven, but the broader argument remains the same: Baylor still belongs in the discussion of the nations most powerful all-around athletic departments. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Volleyball Just Gave Fans More Reasons To Pack The Ferrell
Baylor volleyball is already laying the groundwork for next falls atmosphere at the Ferrell Center, rolling out a 2026 home promotions schedule designed to make every match feel like more than just a match. The slate mixes themed nights, fan giveaways, special recognitions and family-friendly activities, with familiar staples like Opening Night, Gold Rush, Baylor Classic, Fairytale at the Ferrell, Dig Pink and Blackout on the Brazos all part of the plan.
There is also a clear push to turn home dates into full-event experiences, from Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations to Espresso and Aces and Faith and Family Night, along with discounted tickets, encouraged themed attire and chances for fans to meet the team and get autographs. For a program trying to keep the Ferrell loud and full, the message is obvious: Baylor wants its home floor to feel like an appointment, not just a stop on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]