Baylor sets foundation for sports success in the future - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

From the court to the field, every where you look, Baylor sports teams are winning.

Sophomore Cheerleader Allison Williams said, "All sports are doing awesome this year, and I'm excited for the rest of the basketball season."

It was the basketball season that got 2010 off to a great start.

Athletic Director Ian McCaw said, "2010 has been an amazing run for us, starting with the men's basketball going to the Elite 8, women's basketball the final Four."

Then, deep play-off runs for men's and women's tennis and baseball, and now a football team playing in it's first bowl game since 1994.

McCaw said, "Football is the engine that drives the train, and having more than 40,000 fans per game this year made a big impact."

More fans in the stands leads to more money coming in for Baylor sports, both from ticket sales, and donations to the annual fund.

"The more money we're able to raise, and the more ticket revenue we're able to generate, we just reinvest that in our program, and that allows us to recruit and retain great coaches, pay for scholarships," McCaw says.

Even though this success is young, Baylor coaches are already reaping the benefits.

We spoke with head football coach Art Briles while he was on a recruiting trip in South Texas.

He said, "We're reaching players that really have a good feeling about Baylor University and Baylor football right now that we couldn't reach a year ago."

But for the school's long term success in all sports, winning is only part the recipe.

"People are really excited about us, and it's all genuine.  I go out and the coaches and the players and the parents are all just, I mean they're pumped that Baylor's really doing well," Briles said.

Another ingredient is everything else a Baylor education provides.

McCaw said, "Certainly the university is known for being a Christian university, a Christian environment, strong academics, put all that together, we've become a very attractive choice."

The final ingredient is the growing fan support.

Bears fan Melissa Mullins said, "Just the fact that there's a perception that we have a lot of winning teams, it brings up the excitement level."

Together, all those ingredients could make up a long term recipe for success.

"We want Baylor to become the preeminent Protestant athletic program in the country, and we feel like we're on track to do that," McCaw said.

 Reporter:Matthew LeBlanc/Photographer:Chris Buford