Source: Baylor in talks to open 2016 in Australia, face Pac-12 opponent
Art Briles could be taking his team to the Land Down Under very soon.
Baylor is in negotiations to open the 2016 season in Australia, a source confirmed to FOX Sports Southwest. The opponent would most likely come from the Pac-12, but any talk of finalization is premature, the source said.
"There are still a few things that need to fall in place," the source said.
Baylor AD Ian McCaw said in an ESPN radio interview on Tuesday that the Bears had made a proposal to play the 2016 season opener overseas.
Baylor's Rivals.com site, who first reported the news, said Sonny Dykes' Cal team is the most likely opponent for the Bears.
The source told FOX Sports Southwest that Australia was one of a few international locations Baylor sought to host the game, but the Southern Hemisphere continent is by far the most likely destination at this point in negotiations. The city has not been finalized.
The past two seasons, Baylor has been criticized for playing a weak nonconference schedule. The Bears haven't played a Power 5 opponent since Wake Forest in 2009.
Baylor scheduled a series with Duke for 2017 and 2018 and a series with Utah in 2023 and 2024, but more upgrades to the schedule could be coming before then.
McCaw said at Big 12 meetings last month that Baylor was looking into upgrading its schedule before 2020 and could play a Power 5 team in "a good number of years."
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