It's a Devil's bargain. What WOULD Baylor offer to Louis Cypher in exchange for glory? This was my first inclination.
But it's not rational. Simple case of freemarket working better than socialism.
Baylor is a private school with leadership who are highly motivated to build a top tier athletic department.
As a private school, Baylor is not beholden to voters and socialistic state regulatory red tape.
They are free from AAU certification. They are held in check by the Baptist convention, which hardly has the same dogma as the Catholics. In short, Baylor is more adept at turning on a dime than their state affiliated bretheren.
Do you want to hike tuition? NO problem. Kenneth Starr asks regent Buddy Jones. Is Buddy Jones going to say no?
There is not some cumbersome legislative process with state caps mandated on the percent increase in tuition, or percent out of state students, or percent funding to be contributed by the state. On the contrary, Baylor does not answer to the state, but oddly enough, has alumni who pull the strings in Austin, while being out of the state's jurisdiction.
As a private institution in Texas, with a long relationship of being in UT'S shadow, there is an understanding by Baylor alumni that donations are expected, and come with the diploma.
A Baylor grad is much more likely to give back to the school, as it's just part of their culture. It doesn't hurt that the religious half of the alumni base come from a tradition of giving, and the legal alumni who reside in law firms and courtroom chambers across Texas have the means to donate. Baylor has made a priority of building a $1B foundation endowment over the past decade.
In Colorado, by comparison, the instate alums may percieve donations are not necessary because it's covered by tax dollars, and nobody wants to pay the government more than the bare minimum. The out of state alumni feel cheated by CU for subsidizing the instate peers. All the while, Bruce Benson is handcuffed by political forces, and is not comfortable declaring that NCAA championships are a priority. This is not the case in Waco.
It also doesn't hurt that Baylor is in a recruiting hot bed. It's just down the road from Houston, DFW, and Austin/San Antonio. Kids can get a scholarship worth $25,000+ per year (vs the instate $12,000 at state schools) and you pitch to the parents about the safe religious based environment far from the outrageous decadence and excess found in the big city. Sold.
An other example of a private school doing exceedingly well athletically amidst these tough economic times is Stanford.
