By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Editor’s note: This article was mistakenly published with the 1923 Baylor vs. Texas A&M game, which was not a homecoming game. It has now been updated to include the accurate 1932 Baylor vs. Texas A&M game.
1932. 1936. 1938. 1976.
Four seasons that saw the annual homecoming game in Waco end in the most confusing way for fans to contemplate their emotions. A tie.
“Nobody likes playing for ties, and ain’t nobody here is going to be kissing their sister,” Jason Sudeikis said in the hit show Ted Lasso.
Sudeikis radiated the energy of legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who is often credited with originating the now-iconic phrase. Four unique Baylor homecoming games fit that category.
1932: Baylor 0, Texas A&M 0
The Bears’ first homecoming tie took place Nov. 22, 1932, against historic rival Texas A&M. The game, which finished with a 0-0 final score, was described as “a battle between two powerful lines” by the Associated Press.
“The Baylor offense that swept the air was unsuccessful because Aggie linemen were always on the spot to ground the aerial heaves,” the AP recap read. “The only thing that marred the contest was frequent fumbling by both teams.”
The first of the four ties was plagued by turnovers and wasted scoring opportunities between the two rivals. It’s safe to say Baylor fans who showed up for that year’s homecoming game did not experience the epic highs and lows of early 20th-century Southwest Conference football.
1936: Baylor 0, Texas A&M 0
1936 saw another scoreless tie between the two teams on the Brazos. The highlight of the weekend was not the teams’ lackadaisical performance, but rather the night before the game, when Texas A&M students pranked Baylor’s campus.
The Baylor fandom awoke the Saturday morning of the game to find Texas A&M propaganda plastered across campus, including a massive sign hanging from Waco Hall that read “A&M 50 – Baylor 0.” The final score was much less impressive.
1938: Baylor 6, Texas A&M 6
1938 featured, yet again, a tie against the Texas A&M Aggies. Baylor, ranked No. 17 going into the matchup, was described as “battered” by the AP coming into the homecoming matchup.
“Crippled and helpless before Aggie charges until the enemy leaked past its ten-yard stripe, the Baylor line dug in while rain pelted their faces and slapped defeat in the face twice while 15,000 fans screamed in frustration,” the recap read.
Another rainy, muddy homecoming matchup between the Bears and their rivals from 90 minutes down Highway 6 ended with a disheartening tie. In 1938, the unsatisfying ending to the game led the Bears to take two conference losses throughout the rest of the season, taking the onetime favorites out of the Southwest Conference championship race.
1976: Baylor 7, Arkansas 7
Forty-eight years after the Bears’ last homecoming tie, Waco saw a Grant Teaff-led Baylor team match up against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
For a team that was only two years removed from a Southwest Conference title and four away from another, the 1970s proved to be a renaissance for Baylor football.
The Bears came into homecoming weekend beaten down on the heels of a 24-0 demolition by Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Hoping to gain momentum on the season, Baylor turned its attention to a homecoming matchup against the No. 12 Razorbacks.
A defense-heavy game in front of a sold-out crowd at Baylor Stadium saw a 7-7 deadlock between the two Southwest Conference teams. Simply being competitive with a top-15 team gave the Bears a sliver of hope for the rest of what was expected to be a very successful season for the green and gold. (The Bears finished the season 7-3-1.)
After the Bears’ first three homecoming ties left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, the 1976 tie made Baylor fans thankful their talented team was finally gaining momentum.
Baylor’s 2025 homecoming game against UCF will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
