Club soccer teams among top 25, advance to national tournament

Baylor first drew attention in the soccer world when the Lady Bears won the school’s first Big 12 Conference title in 1998. Though Baylor (like the rest of the Big 12) does not field a varsity men’s soccer team, it does sponsor club soccer teams for both men and women — and both of of those squads take the field today at the NCCS National Soccer Championships at the University of Alabama!

Though injuries hurt the men early in the season, the Bears came on late in the year and swept through the Texas Collegiate Soccer League’s regional tournament, defeating Houston-Downtown, Texas Tech, North Texas and Texas A&M to earn one of 24 spots at nationals.

The women, meanwhile, were ranked among the top five in the region all season before running through the TCSL regional undefeated with victories over Texas State, Texas Tech and Texas. They, too, advance to the national tournament along with just 15 other teams from across the country.

The pair of soccer teams are among 21 club sports sponsored by Baylor to encourage athletic activity and develop leadership skills among students. For instance, while the University assists teams with basic funding, it is left to the student organizers to organize things like practice schedules and travel arrangements — practical experience for each team’s senior leaders.

Sic ’em, Baylor club soccer!