The Baylor-Texas basketball rivalry has been too good, too long-running and too intertwined to simply disappear because the Longhorns changed conferences.
These two programs met every season from 1909 through 2024, a stretch that covered 263 games across two conferences. Baylor was also Texas’ first-ever basketball opponent back in 1906, when the Bears fell 27-17. That kind of history doesn’t just fade because the schedule got shuffled.
And yet, that’s what happened after Texas left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2024. The teams have not played on the court in the last two seasons, leaving a noticeable gap for Baylor. That changes in November, when the Bears and Longhorns are set to meet in San Antonio for the “San Antonio Hoops Showdown.”
Texas has the edge in the all-time series, 165-98, but Baylor has made plenty of noise in the matchup recently. The Bears have won 12 of the last 15 meetings, which is a pretty strong reminder that this has not been a one-sided story in recent years.
There’s also no shortage of logic for keeping the game alive. Texas has shown it’s willing to schedule non-conference tests against teams like Louisville and Duke, so why not keep a familiar in-state rival on the calendar before SEC play begins?
That’s especially true in basketball, where Scott Drew has had plenty of success against Texas and both schools have become regular March Madness teams. Waco and Austin are only an hour and a half apart, and the overlap between the programs runs deep. They’re recruiting from the same talent pool, and that has helped fuel some tense moments between Drew and former Texas coach Rick Barnes, along with other Big 12 coaches.
With the history, the level of competition and the recruiting connection, there’s a strong case for this matchup to happen more often than once in a while. At the very least, it should be every other year. The good news is that the rivalry is back on the hardwood this season - and it ought to stay there.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisian Is In A Heated Fight For Must Have Texas Lineman
Texas has made interior offensive line a priority in the 2028 class, and Kendrick Harris sits near the top of that board. The four-star prospect from Duncanville has already drawn serious attention as one of the best interior linemen in his cycle, which is exactly why Steve Sarkisian and his staff are treating this recruitment like an early heavyweight battle rather than a distant future decision.
The Longhorns are trying to sell more than just the brand name, because Texas A&M, Oklahoma, LSU and SMU are all in the mix as well. For a program that has dealt with the offensive line as one of its biggest question marks under Sarkisian, landing a player like Harris would carry obvious value, but the real challenge is still ahead as he weighs the coaches and the fit that matter most to him. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Still Has A Shot At A Massive 2027 Recruiting Flip
Texas has already put together a strong 2027 recruiting class, but the Longhorns are still working through the usual churn that comes with chasing elite prospects this far out. Even after a few losses and decommitment flips, the staff is staying active on the trail, and one of the names it continues to circle is a highly regarded athlete whose profile fits what Texas likes to target on both sides of the ball.
Honor Fa'alave-Johnson remains one of the more intriguing players in the 2027 cycle because evaluators see real value beyond one position. He is widely viewed as a safety at the Power 4 level, yet his high school production has included major work as a runner and receiver, which is part of why Texas is still so interested. If the Longhorns are going to make a late move here, they will need to keep pressing on a recruitment that already has plenty of attention and no shortage of moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Miller Has Texas In The Hunt For A Massive 5-Star Win
Sean Millers first months in Austin have already brought a noticeable recruiting jolt, and Texas is now in the mix for one of the biggest names in the 2027 class. Five-star center Darius Wabbington has emerged as a major target for the Longhorns, a sign that the program is aiming high as it tries to stack elite talent around the foundation it has already built through recent commitments and a strong run in the portal.
Wabbington has trimmed his list to a small group of heavy hitters, and Texas is still standing alongside some of the sports most established powers. He has official visits lined up to several of those programs, including Texas, which keeps the Longhorns firmly in the conversation as the race moves into a more serious phase. For Miller, this is the kind of battle that can help define how quickly Texas can turn momentum on the recruiting trail into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]