Let’s stand together — for our students

One week from today, Baylor football will kick off the 2016 season by hosting Northwestern State at McLane Stadium. The game on the field will feature a lot of firsts — most notably, the first game for the Bears under head coach Jim Grobe and the first game back from injury for senior quarterback Seth Russell.

But there will be plenty of other firsts, too. More than 3,000 freshmen will run the Baylor Line for the first time. Almost 100 new students will be marching as part of the Golden Wave Band for the first time. New members of the Baylor Spirit Squads will perform on the sidelines for the first time. You get the idea.

While the past year has been a tumultuous one for the Baylor family, we can (and should) continue to support our students, now more than ever. Many of them have faced harsh and often unfair criticism over the past year as they remained true to Baylor. As the Baylor family, let’s believe in one another, as we believe in the pursuit of excellence in all things: academics and athletics, character and service. One week from today, we’ll stand together as we begin a new season in Baylor football — for all our students.

Sic ’em, Bears!