Bearing the Future: A conversation with Baylor AD Doug McNamee

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - News 10’s Royden Ogletree and Chad Vautherine sat down with Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee discussing the future of Baylor athletics.

This interview was filmed on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Below is a transcription of the full interview. The transcription has been edited for grammatical purposes only.

Royden: Doug, you have now been in this role, let’s call it a semester, if you will. Do you feel like you’ve settled into the position?

Doug: Yeah, I mean, some days it feels like it’s been, you know, six weeks. Some days it feels like it’s been six years. But six months, it’s crazy it’s been that long. I think having the full semester completed and starting to get now into the summer with all our events, you know, completed for the year, there’s a cadence and a rhythm to the day and kind of the flow that I’m feeling a little bit more comfortable. So I’ll probably start to feel like I’ve got it figured out and fall come around fresh again.

Chad: You were here in 2018, a lot has changed in college athletics. NIL, transfer portal, all that stuff we kind of know has changed, but what have you kind of noticed now that you’re back into college athletics?

Doug: I think there was a week that happened two or three weeks ago where, you know, the NCAA tournament expanded the five for five concept in terms of five years for a student athlete over five seasons, five seasons for five years.

And there was another significant event that all happened in the span of a week. And it felt like in the past, each of those by themselves would have been a significant event for college athletics.

And three things happened in a week, and you’re almost just like, this is the norm for us. The change is constant, and it’s frequent, it’s significant in terms of the industry. So that has felt like the constant theme is just changing.

Royden: Speaking on the NIL front, that was in its nascent days before you left. I’m just curious, have you been able to navigate that? And how have you found that difficult or easy to navigate?

Doug: I think every athletic director is trying to get their grips on like, what does it look like?

And, you know, to assume this is what it’s going to be in two or three years is where I think you get in trouble. I think you need to be prepared to navigate what’s the current and, you know, be nimble and agile to know that it’s probably going to look different next year than what it does this year.

But, you know, I think I’ve said this before that we can sit around and wish and hope that things were different and, you know, we’re more stable per se. But the truth is, it is what we’re in the moment we’re in and we need to do the best we can to give our university the best chance to be successful.

And so I think that there’s been, you know, progress made on that front to prepare us well for this coming 26-27 season. You know, you jumped right into it.

Chad: Big 12 pretty involved with, you know, private equity, NIL revenue, all that’s kind of tied in. Where do you see Baylor’s fit in that moving forward in the Big 12?

Doug: I think, first of all, I have not seen anything on the private equity front that specifically makes me think that’s the path in the near future for Baylor. Respectful of other schools and what their needs are and maybe the challenges they’re facing.

But I think that I’ve yet to see anything on that front that gives me an indication that Baylor is going to be uniquely served by that. I would say as far as, you know, the current state, the schools that have identity and know who they are and understand what makes them unique and what makes them special are the ones that have found the most success thus far. I’d also say that this is an institution historically that hasn’t necessarily had the most unlimited resources or have been at the top of the food chain, but has experienced the highest level of success across all sports.

So, you know, I’m encouraged because I don’t think it necessitates us to get to the very, very top from a resource standpoint. I’d like to get as close to that as possible. But I think we’ve proven with this institution that there are advantages that exist here that will allow us to be successful. And we’ve done it in the past.

We just need to be clear in who we are and what we’re about and maximize the resources we have. And I think we do that. We position ourselves really strongly.

Royden: Has there been conversation with donors about revenue and how do you build that to be competitive in this ever-changing landscape?

Doug: You know, I would say the biggest factor for us is having a clear story. There’s so much confusion. There’s so much misinformation in the space in terms of how individuals and corporations and businesses can have impact.

Providing a real clear story as far as where the need is. Because for some people, they have the opportunity to make a difference in NIL. Some people don’t or they have a preference not to. And there are still plenty of ways that we, as an athletic department, can utilize that support. So meeting people where they’re at with what their particular interest is, is really the objective. And having a clear story and refining that story and that message has been, I’d say, kind of the first initiative for us to get started.

Chad: What is the fan first era? And what do you think fans can expect once they get into that?

Doug: Three weeks before I took the job, I was a fan coming to the stadium with my two daughters, so I can relate by being in those shoes. And I don’t know if that’s a common experience for most athletic directors, to be able to say ‘hey, I was a consumer of this brand’, you know, just days before I was the person that’s tasked with leading it. It’s putting them first at its simplest form.

It’s prioritizing them. And so we’ll take intentional steps to do that. And when you do that, when you make that declaration, you do put yourself a little bit out there on the limb because if you don’t deliver in that regard, then you’ve opened yourself up to some justified criticism. And the easiest way to deliver for the fans is to win.

Royden: You answered it a little bit in your answer there. I’m just curious if you would agree that winning is the best way towards fan engagement. I know you mentioned it there, but it’s easier said than done, but it kind of feels like a catch-all. Do you feel like Baylor is in a position to make strides across the board in winning?

Doug: I do. I do. And, you know, we all look smart when we win.

And when we lose, everything gets with a greater, you know, microscope in terms of, well, the parking wasn’t quite what I delivered, my hot dog wasn’t exactly the temperature I wanted. You have a way of looking past that after a win.

But, you know, competitive success is going to be a paramount for us to have the relationship with our fan base that’s necessary. And I do think we’ve made progress in that regard. Are we going to be all the way there in 26-27. You know, I think this is a work in progress, and I think incremental steps will be necessary. But I’m proud of the progress we’ve made across the board.

I’m excited to see what it looks like. You know, honestly, as we sit here in June, it’s hard for me to watch the TV this weekend and flip over and see baseball and softball, softball in the College World Series, and I’ve watched a lot of college baseball this weekend. And it’s been hard for me with a lot of emotions because I’m like, I want us to be there. I want our fans to get to experience that moment on both fronts and have those conversations with Coach Moore and Coach Thompson. I want us to be playing this weekend next year, I want us to be playing.

I don’t want us to be sitting at home watching TV. I don’t want to do that again. So it’s time to go out there and put that action. It starts, you know, with volleyball and soccer and football in the fall.

Chad: Speaking of football, you know, we did see a schedule change. No Oregon home and home for 27-28. Maryland is going into the schedule. Can you just provide some insight?

Doug: Yeah, you know, as far as the Oregon conversation, it truly was a mutual decision.

There’s benefit from them in terms of the desire to have a seventh home game in two seasons as opposed to one.

You know, for us as we looked at the horizon when we saw the ability to maintain a Power 4 opponent. Washington D.C. is an important market for the university. There’s a large contingency of prospective students and alums that are in that market. So the opportunity to go play a game there was attractive to us while also maintaining a power four opponent.

And a lot of respect for that program. But obviously, you know, it’s two games that we’re going to come with the hope and the expectation that we can win. And so, you know, it was a true mutual decision that was approached and we’re thankful we were able to make that switch relatively quickly.

Royden: There’s been a lot in the news made about universities cutting athletic programs. Tennis was one that was in the news for some universities, even some power four schools. Do you foresee anything like that ever happening at Baylor or could that happen at this university?

Doug: I would never rule out a decision like that in the future. You know, but I would say for us, you know, it certainly doesn’t appear to be eminent in the horizon. You know, what we want to approach the conversation with and what we’ve been benefited from a university that has been incredibly supportive for us and has provided the resources for us to compete in 19 sports. It’s really looking at the student athlete experience and ensuring that it’s an experience that we can be proud of and that we can give our student athlete the opportunity to be successful.

I think as we evaluate a decision like that in the future, you know, for us, you know, we’re going to be financially mindful in all our decisions because that’s our responsibility to the university. But I think at the forefront for us, it will be the student athlete experience that will dictate the decision on what sports sponsorship looks like in the future. And that includes adding or even potentially, you know, if you have to have a conversation about removing a sport to us, it’s going to come down to can we deliver the student athlete experience that we believe is expected and necessary for us to maintain our commitment. And that will be what dictates our conversation.

I think a lot of the discussion right now is a little bit more financially focused and driven. I mean, we still have some of the same pressures everyone else deals with. But again, for us, it’s going to be what’s the student athlete experience look like? And that will lead our decision making in terms of sports sponsorship in the future.

Royden: I would argue, no better brand ambassador than athletes that come through some of these Olympic sports, if you will, that then go on to succeed at higher levels, not just football or basketball. I assume you would agree with that in your reasoning to keep some of these sports, obviously, or not cut or add.

Doug: I could go down the list of our 19 sports and probably tell you a story, but I’ll call a couple out. I think, you know, three specifically, acro and tumbling. You know, that sport, the social following that it has, the connection that it has with young females that may never have exposure to Baylor athletics, if not for acro and tumbling. That’s what college athletics is about. You know, that chance to be in a sport which brings people’s attention to Baylor University that may never exist, is incredibly powerful.

I look at our men’s tennis program, the international students it attracts, the quality students it attracts, and it allows that program to compete at the highest levels. Again, another great example. And, you know, the baseball sport that we just wrapped up. You know, I had a chance to exchange an email with Tyson Armstrong’s parents, and they were just overly kind in their praise towards their experience for their son, both with Coach Thompson and the program, the university and the whole.

And, you know, I look at that, the portal, and the transfer portal is one we get a lot of head-banging frustration with. That was one that was very generous, and I think provided a really great opportunity for a student-athlete in his fifth year to come here and have a great experience, make an incredible impact. And his words, a very transformational experience. And, you know, Tyce Armstrong will, one, be a record, you know, historic player for Baylor Athletics for eternity because of what he did here. But I think he sets up as a great ambassador, hopefully has a long, successful pro baseball career, and we can claim him as one of ours.

And so those are three sports where I think we’ve seen, you know, the university’s investment in a really successful way as it’s related to promoting and building the university brand.

Royden: You couldn’t have paid for Tyce Armstrong hitting three grand slams.

Doug: You know, the earned media associated with that story and how it was viral across non-sports-related media outlets was so powerful. Once again, people that may have never known about Baylor University were exposed to the university because of his heroics, and that’s one of those good stories we love to talk about.

Chad: Doug, we’re obviously very excited just about what you’re going to do for Baylor moving forward. Just kind of encompassing everything we just talked about. What is your vision, and what kind of mark do you want to leave?

Yeah, I mean, this school has given so much to me. I mean, it is an institution that has, you know, provided a central point for so many relationships in my life, whether that be, you know, my family, my wife, my best friends, you know, my faith. It’s all tied back to this institution. So I just feel, you know, incredibly indebted to the institution.

I want to do well because it’s my job to do well, but I want to do well because it’s a place that’s given me so much. And I feel so called to want to give back to it. And for me, giving back to it is just giving us an athletic program in each individual sport that our fans can be proud of and can give great moments. And that doesn’t mean we’re going to win every single time, but, you know, it can be programs that we can be proud of that are competitive, that can represent the university in a great way.

Our mission is very clear. Baylor Athletics exists to promote the university. We’re here to promote the larger story and expose this university for people that may not know about this university as a great educational and faith development opportunity.

A successful athletic department means a department that’s elevating Baylor and providing exposure to people in ways that they may not have previously known about the university. If we’re doing that, we’re doing our job well.

For the full video version of the interview, click here to be directed to the KWTX YouTube page.