By Shae Whittle | Reporter

The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center opened its doors to students, faculty and families with its inaugural Huddle at the Hurd event Friday in hopes of getting the Baylor Family involved in the game day hype.

Families participating in Family Weekend visited food trucks surrounding the Welcome Center before heading inside to be greeted by inflatables, light-up signs and balloons. Visitors could walk throughout the newly opened building, stopping by the four interactive columns and grabbing a drink at the Varsity Coffee Shop.

In preparation for the Baylor Bears to take on the Long Island University Sharks, families could also drop by the Baylor Spirit Shop for last-minute merchandise.

“It’s just an opportunity for Baylor families to come and enjoy this new Welcome Center, especially before a game,” Hannah Choi, visitor services coordinator of alumni engagement, said.

Choi said the Welcome Center will be hosting two more Huddle at the Hurd events — one before the homecoming game on Oct. 28 and one before the University of Houston game on Nov. 4.

“We just wanted to create a family-fun atmosphere for folks coming in for Family Weekend,” Tess Jamerson, assistant director of sports outreach, said.

Huddle at the Hurd sets the tone for future events to take place in the Welcome Center, with the intention of bringing student life to a new corner of campus.

“The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center serves as a front door to Baylor University, welcoming future students and parents, alumni, current students, faculty, staff, friends and guests into the vibrant life of our campus community,” the Welcome Center website reads.

Prospective students are now stepping foot into the building for campus tours, while current students can take a break between classes to visit it or use it as a study space.

“I think the idea behind the Hurd is to be kind of the hub of campus — innovative, great technology, a nice place to bring some bigger events,” Jamerson said. “You know, space is limited on campus, so it’s nice to have a massive ballroom that you can break up if you need to, or just have a beautiful place that looks a little newer, a little different, that’s still beautiful and has the same character that the other buildings on campus have.”