kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and KilleenBaylor Releases 2012 Football Schedule

Waco, TX – Baylor's 2012 football schedule will include six home games, including five against teams which played in the postseason a year ago. All-told, the 2012 Bears will play nine games against 2011 postseason participants.

                After opening its 111^th football season with home games against 2012 BBVA Compass Bowl champion SMU (Sept. 1) and 2011 NCAA FBS runner-up Sam Houston State (Sept. 15), Baylor will conclude non-conference play with a Sept. 22 game at Louisiana-Monroe.

                Coach Art Briles' Bears then open Big 12 Conference play with four straight games against teams which earned bowl bids a year ago—at Discover Orange Bowl champion West Virginia (Sept. 29), vs. Poinsettia Bowl champion TCU (Oct. 13), at Pacific Life Holiday Bowl champion Texas (Oct. 20) and at New Era Pinstripe Bowl participant Iowa State (Oct. 27).

                Baylor will host Kansas for Homecoming on Nov. 3, followed by a road game at Insight Bowl champion Oklahoma on Nov. 10, before returning home to host AT&T Cotton Bowl entrant Kansas State on Nov. 17.

                The Bears then close their schedule with the 2012 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Shootout Nov. 24 against Texas Tech at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and then host Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma State, Dec. 1.

                Fresh off their first 10-win season since 1980, the Bears return 55 lettermen, including 14 position starters, from last year's 10-3 Valero Alamo Bowl championship squad that finished No. 12 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and No. 13 in the season-ending AP listing. It marked BU's highest finish in the polls since 1986.

                Season ticket information will be available in early March, just ahead of spring practice which is slated to begin March 19 and conclude April 14.

2012 Baylor Football Schedule

                                Date                      Opponent                                                           Site

                                Sept. 1                  SMU                                                                      Waco, Texas

                                Sept. 15                Sam Houston State                                         Waco, Texas

                                Sept. 22                at Louisiana-Monroe                                      Monroe, La.

                                Sept. 29                at West Virginia                                                Morgantown, W.Va.

                                Oct. 13                  TCU                                                                        Waco, Texas

                                Oct. 20                  at Texas                                                               Austin, Texas

                                Oct. 27                  at Iowa State                                                     Ames, Iowa

Nov. 3                  Kansas (Homecoming)                                   Waco, Texas

                                Nov. 10                 at Oklahoma                                                      Norman, Okla.

                                Nov. 17                 Kansas State                                                      Waco, Texas

                                Nov. 24                 vs. Texas Tech (Cowboys Stadium)          Arlington, Texas

                                Dec. 1                    Oklahoma State                                               Waco, Texas

                                Note:  All dates subject to change; times TBA.