- published: 19 Sep 2015
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Baylor Bears (variously Baylor or BU) refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference. Prior to joining the Big 12, Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996.
Baylor won its first team NCAA title in 2004 as the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship game. They narrowly lost to UCLA in the 2005 national championship match. The Lady Bears won the school's other two championships in women's basketball, in 2005 and 2012.
The mascots of Baylor University are two black bears named Joy and Lady.
Baylor competes in the following 17 varsity sports:
Baylor's baseball team is led by Steve Smith, who has coached the team since the 1995 season. During his tenure, the program has achieved success rarely seen before his arrival. In the 11 seasons from 1998-2009, Coach Smith led the team to 11 NCAA Regional appearances (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010), 3 NCAA Super Regional appearances (1999, 2003, 2005), and a College World Series appearance (2005). The Bears hosted an NCAA Regional in 1999, 2000, and 2005 in addition to hosting a NCAA Super Regional in 1999 and 2005. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor is one of only two teams (Baylor & Oklahoma) to have qualified for the Big 12 Tournament every year. However, Baylor has never won the Big 12 Tournament.