Baylor basketball 2024-25 schedule: 3 biggest games for Bears in the upcoming season
The Baylor Bears will embark on their first 20-game schedule in the 2024-25 season, thanks to the conference extension that pits 16 programs against each other in the Big 12.
The Bears are aligned for five home and away games (Arizona, Houston, Cincinnati, Utah and TCU) alongside five home games and five road games. With that, let's look at the biggest games coach Scott Drew and the Bears could enter in the 2024-25 season.
Baylor Bears' biggest games in the 2024-25 season
Cross-town rivalry with TCU
The Bears' rivalry with TCU is one of the oldest ongoing battles. The cross-town rivalry, known as the Bluebonnet Battle, extends through multiple sports. The Bears lead the 189-game series with 102 wins.
The two teams faced off twice last season, with TCU opening the stretch with a thrilling 105-102 OT win. However, the Bears redeemed themselves a month later by holding the Frogs to 33.3% shooting and winning 62-54.
Leveling with the Wildcats
Baylor and Kansas State sit tightly with a 26-24 record (Wildcats) since 1950. While the battles with the Wildcats are nothing like with the Jayhawks, they highlight the constant battle between the two teams to maintain an upper hand.
The two teams last met in January, where the Wildcats ended the Bears' five-game winning streak. It was a huge blow, as the Bears couldn't repeat a major winning streak. They were 14-2 before facing the Wildcats before ending the season 23-10.
Baylor will host Kansas State in the 2024-25 season with a home-game record of 3-1 since 2020.
The battle of precedence against the Jayhawks
The two teams have consistently competed as two of the top teams in the conference, adding an extra layer of celebrating Scott Drew and Bill Self’s faceoffs.
Baylor basketball marked a significant feat when they beat Kansas for the first time in Lawrence in 2020. However, Self’s roster came through by beating the Bears the next month in Waco. Since then, both teams have maintained a 4-0 record when hosting the other and are 5-5 since 2020.
Kansas opened the season on a 13-1 run last season and didn't lose two games in a row until a close 64-61 defeat to the Bears. The two teams face once in the upcoming season in Waco.