What Happened Over the NCAA’s Five Year Baylor Investigation
Fans of the Bears took to Twitter to take part in an interesting change over time exercise to evaluate what has happened in their lives.
The news of the Baylor University sexual assault scandal—of which the Baylor football team was deeply intertwined— broke in 2016. Former head football coach Art Briles was suspended with the intent to terminate (and then subsequently fired) on May 26, 2016. Former Athletic Director Ian McCaw and President Ken Starr then resigned.
The NCAA then proceeded to start their investigation into all that occurred in Waco shortly thereafter. It took the NCAA just over five years to publish this 51-page report with their findings, verdicts and penalties. We covered the consequences of this report earlier this week.
A lot of time has passed. Here is a snapshot of what things looked like in May 2016:
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“One Dance” by Drake topped the Billboard 100
Average gallon of gas cost: $2.14
The global pandemic of Covid-19 has changed humanity’s way of life; the United States has had two historic Presidential elections; billionaires are successfully commercializing space travel; and Texas and Oklahoma are committed to joining the SEC.
All before the NCAA figured this out.
On Twitter, Sarah Rogers posed this brilliant question, forcing many Baylor fans to reflect on exactly what has transpired since the NCAA investigation began and ended.
It doesn’t feel like such a long time has passed, but when you start reading the thread on the vast and awe-inspiring accomplishments that a wide variety of people have done, well, it kinda sinks in.
Sarah mentioned that her son was a college student at the time, but has since graduated, got married and is expecting his first child.
There are a ton of “I was in school, now I’m graduated and doing xyz” stories during this time. Ahh Shortys…
My own brother started his freshman year at Baylor in August 2016. He has since graduated with both his Bachelors and Masters degrees. My youngest brother is about to begin his junior year at Baylor after beginning in August 2019.
I found Hunter’s story extremely interesting. He graduated from Baylor’s ProSales program a semester before I did, and was a way better salesperson than I was. To see that he left sales to pursue his passion of music is an outstanding leap of faith.
From the job I held at the time of the scandal in May 2016, I have since changed roles five separate times in a bizarre mixing of promotions and firings. Since 2017, I have covered Baylor athletics simultaneously which included over 500 articles and over 30 credentialed games—including the NCAA Final Four, College Gameday for football and basketball, the Texas Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Big 12 title game.
Somewhere in between, I got married to my beautiful bride and moved into an apartment, then house in Houston. Most recently, in the span of less than a week, we watched Baylor win a national championship in Indianapolis and then completed an Ironman 70.3.
And that pales in comparison to this journey:
Perhaps one of the most intriguing things to look at the various accomplishments in Baylor athletics.
Baylor Sports
During this time span, Baylor racked up 19 total Big 12 championships across eight different sports.
Baylor football had two 7-6 seasons, a one-win season, a two-win season, and an 11-win season where they were an overtime away from making the College Football Playoff. With three different coaches over the last five years, Baylor has compiled a 28-33 record.
Both Baylor basketball teams have won national championships— Lady Bears in 2019 and the Bears in 2021– during this stretch and despite one NCAA Tournament being cancelled. Many fans had not heard of the players that would be on these championship teams back in 2016.
The Bears have played on the biggest postseason stages. Here is a list of their accomplishments:
Football: Big 12 Championship Game (‘19) and Sugar Bowl (‘20)
Men’s Basketball: National Champions (‘21)
Women’s Basketball: National Champions (‘19); Elite 8 (‘17 & ‘21)
Volleyball: Final Four (‘19)
Softball: Women’s College World Series (‘17)
Men’s Tennis: Final Four (‘21)
Women’s Soccer: Elite 8 (‘17 & ‘18)
Acrobatics and Tumbling: Six straight national championships (2015-19 & ‘21)
Time is our greatest resource, and cannot be slowed. It is quite interesting to take stock on ‘how it started’ and see ‘how its going’ in wake of an event such as this one. Everything just keeps on moving.