If you let me play sports…

In 1995, Nike ran an ad where girls explained what would happen if they played sports. “I will have more self-confidence ,” “I’ll be 50 percent less likely to get breast cancer,” “I will suffer less depression,” etc.

A year later, Baylor joined the Big 12, and since then, BU has been at the forefront of universities providing new chances for female athletes. In fact, according to a chart in a recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Baylor has been among the top five Division-I schools in the country at increasing the number of varsity female athletes since 1995-96 (when the Chronicle started tracking such numbers).

Here’s the chart:

Institution	Female athletes (1995-96)	Female athletes (2005-6)	Percentage increase
Northern Arizona	32	249	678%
TCU	40	184	360%
Mississippi Valley State	29	121	317%
Notre Dame	94	367	290%
Baylor	72	238	231%

Sic ’em, Lady Bears!