Baylor University has reshaped its non‑conference football schedule after a planned series with Oregon was abruptly dropped. The cancellation forced the Bears to look elsewhere for meaningful matchups that could bolster recruiting and regional exposure.
A Revised Non‑Conference Landscape
For the 2027 season the Bears will travel to College Park, Maryland, to meet the Terrapins, and a year later they will host Maryland in Waco, Texas. The two programs previously met twice in the 1950s, splitting the series one‑win each, a modest historical footnote that adds intrigue to the upcoming meetings.
Maryland’s recent record under head coach Mike Locksley has been uneven, with the team posting a 4‑8 mark in each of the last two seasons and battling a defense that has struggled to contain opponents. Locksley, now entering a critical year, faces pressure to turn the tide, and the program has recently secured commitments from edge rusher Zion Elee and former four‑star receiver Malik Washington, hoping those additions will bolster both sides of the ball.
The revised schedule also slots UIW, Air Force and North Texas into Baylor’s non‑conference slate, while the 2028 slate will see the Bears welcome North Texas and Maryland to Waco. These moves reflect a broader trend among Big 12 programs to seek diverse opponents and regional exposure, a strategy that could influence future conference realignment discussions.