Baylor’s first home game of the season against Prairie View A&M comes with a built-in theme: the “254” game, a nod to the Central Texas area code where the school sits. Saturday night in Waco is being set up as more than just a football game, with the program leaning into fan appreciation and a home-field atmosphere that’s meant to feel personal.
That idea showed up clearly in this week’s player availability. Safety Reggie Bush spoke about what Baylor and the community have meant to him in his fifth year in Waco.
"They're super important to me. It's my fifth year in Waco.
I love it here. I love the community.
I go outside. There's smiles every day.
Everyone I meet is super nice. I love being here.
It means a lot to me to be able to compete and have the support of our community and show out for them."
Offensive lineman Nate Kibble had a lighter take, but his appreciation for the fan experience came through just the same.
"I want to show out for the community, man. Everything I've felt has been great from this community.
From Meet the Bears to all that. Everything's been great.
I heard that there's four hot dogs and four sodas for $19. That's something I would be into."
When the original questioner added, "Pringles, too," Kibble answered, "Oh, yeah. See, I didn't even know that. A little bit more."
He was then asked, "How many hot dogs do you think the offensive line can take down?" and didn’t exactly sell the unit short.
"Between all of us, we're definitely going probably around 125, 150. We can throw down. A hot dog is nothing, so trust me."
Tight end Hawkins Polley also talked about the chance to keep playing at home over the next stretch. Asked, "Next three [games] at home, how excited are you to be over there and take advantage of being at home?" he pointed to the people in the stands and the setting at McLane.
"I'm super excited. We get to play in front of our fellow students, the Waco community.
We take pride in playing in McLane. We want to win in McLane, win in front of our students, our families, so more of them will come to the games.
It's awesome whenever you get to play in McLane. It feels like home"
The fan-first push has also shown up in the concession stands. Doug McNamee, Baylor’s first-year vice president and director of athletics, has made that a priority early in his tenure. Baylor says its prices are now lower than the rest of the Big XII and among the lowest in Texas, with a “254 Classics Menu” that includes popcorn and fountain drinks for $2 apiece, nachos for $5, and hot dogs and pretzels for $4 each.
Kibble’s mention of the “1845 Bear Family Pack” matched up with a real offer: four hot dogs, four sodas, and four Pringles for $18.45.
The game-day atmosphere will also include a familiar Baylor touch. The live bear that was once a staple for the program from 1972 until the turn of the century is long gone, but the Bear Bell will be back in play this season. Bruiser and Marigold will ring it after every Baylor touchdown, making the bell a permanent fixture at McLane Stadium.
In Other News...
Baylor Is Trying To Make McLane Stadium A Bigger Game-Day Draw
Baylor is taking a fresh approach to the McLane Stadium experience, rolling out a slate of new fan offerings for the 2026 football home opener and beyond. The university announced expanded tailgating areas, new concessions, upgraded stadium lighting and live concerts, along with the return of the Bear Bell and a wider mix of fan engagement activities designed to make game day feel bigger from the moment people arrive.
The changes also reach beyond the building itself, with stroller parking and exclusive ticket opportunities for Waco residents among the additions aimed at making attendance more convenient and more local-friendly. It is a clear sign Baylor wants McLane to be more than just the site of football Saturdays, and the details suggest the school is trying to build a fuller event around the game without losing the traditions that already give the stadium its identity. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Leavitt Faces An Early Big 12 Test Arizona State Fans Should Track
Week 1 did not offer much clarity on the Big 12 quarterback pecking order, mostly because so many of the leagues passers opened against Group of Six or FCS defenses. A few did get real tests right away, including Floridas DJ Lagway and UCFs Barnett, but for the most part the first weekend was about sorting through box scores, identifying who looked comfortable and who still has work to do before the schedule gets tougher.
Sam Leavitt is next in that line of quarterbacks to watch, with Arizona State set for an early Big 12 barometer that should tell a lot more than last week did. The matchup gives fans a chance to see how he handles a stronger defense after a relatively soft opening slate around the conference, and it is part of a Week 2 schedule that starts separating the pretenders from the passers who are ready for the leagues tougher stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has One Offensive Problem It Needs To Fix Fast
Baylor walked away from Week 1 with a one-point loss to Auburn, and the part that will stick in Waco is how close the Bears came without ever quite finishing the job. The offense moved the ball well enough to pile up 436 yards, but too many drives stalled when the field got tight, turning what should have been points into frustration in a 17-16 defeat.
Now the attention shifts to Prairie View A&M, which arrives after a 52-14 win over Texas Southern in the first meeting between the programs. Baylor will have a chance to reset at home, and the next step is pretty clear: turn the production between the 20s into something more reliable when the Bears get near the goal line, with Dawson Pendergrass and DJ Lagway expected to remain central to whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]