Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference, and student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I. Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996, until joining the Big 12.

The mascot of Baylor University is a bear named Judge, and their colors are green and gold. They are playing their football games at the Floyd Casey Stadium, which was built in 1950 and currently seats more than 50,000 fans. It was called Baylor Stadium until 1988, and is located a few miles away from campus. Baylor has held a 13-43 record in regular season play, since joining the Big 12 conference in 1996, which is the worst record in the Big 12 south, with its best season coming in 2005.

In 2004 they defeated its first ranked opponent since 1998, #16 ranked Texas A&M, by a score of 35-34 in overtime on a two-point conversion. In 2005 the team opened 3-0 for the first time since 1996 and finished 5-6, and also won their first Big 12 road game in school history at Iowa State. The Bears swept the Big 12 North portion of its conference schedule and won 3 conference games in a season for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 1996, despite the disappointing 4-8 record in 2006. On November 18, 2007, they fired football coach Guy Morriss and on November 28, 2007 announced that former University of Houston head coach Art Briles is the new coach.