Baylor University is a private Baptist university in Waco, Texas. Chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas, Baylor University is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas, one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States, and the largest Baptist university in the world. The university’s 1,000-acre campus is located on the banks of the Brazos River next to freeway I-35, between the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin. Baylor University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Baylor University athletic teams, known as the Bears, participate in 19 intercollegiate sports. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference for all NCAADivision I athletics.