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Baylor could be opening its 2016 season in Australia.

According to a report by Rivals site Sic’Em Sports, Baylor is in the final stage of negotiations to play a game in the Land Down Under.

The site notes that Cal will be the likely opponent.

The date and location have not been finalized, but Sic’Em Sports said Sydney and Melbourne are the leading candidates.

This isn’t a huge surprise considering Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw said in an ESPN radio interview Tuesday that the university had already made a proposal to play the 2016 opener overseas.

In the past few months, organizers from Melbourne Stadiums Limited in Australia have been pushing to get American football on their continent. Last month, it acknowledged a bid to become college football’s 43rd bowl game in 2016.

Melbourne Stadiums Limited met with officials from the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences in May to pitch the game. One of the draws for the contest — other than the location — is that the proposed bowl has offered to pay all of the expenses for both teams in lieu of a bowl payout.

No word on whether Baylor is working with the same group or trying to negotiate a similar deal.

Etihad Stadium in Melbourne is the proposed site for that bowl game and has a capacity of 53,000.

Baylor isn’t the first school to explore a game on foreign soil. Texas has mentioned playing in a different country and has been linked with a potential game in Mexico City.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

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