WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Baylor football players from the 2013 and 2014 Big 12 Championship seasons are hosting a party to honor coach Art Briles after learning that Baylor did not include Briles or any of his coaching staff in during a weekend the university planned to honor championship teams.

Baylor released details in March with a press release saying the university plans to “recognize the student-athletes” from the 2013 and 2014 Big 12 Conference Championship teams on Nov. 2 when Baylor plays TCU at McLane Stadium.

The players tell KWTX they contacted the athletic department and learned the coaching staff, including Briles, was not included.

Players say they began questioning the department last year, when the 2013 team reached a milestone, about why the team was not recognized.

Troy Baker, a graduate of Waco’s Connally High School who played for Briles from 2010-2014, is one of the organizers of the off-campus celebration, which will be held Saturday afternoon at George’s original location just off I -35.

“Since the entire team was built by Coach Briles and Coach Bennett up until 2013, we felt we should use the weekend where we all get together for the first time in a decade and celebrate the championships with Coach Briles and coach Bennett included. ,” Baker told KWTX.

Briles and Bennett, the former defensive coordinator under Briles, will be in attendance.

Baker told KWTX that all former coaching staffs are invited, but many are spread out across the country and can’t make it.

The event will not be open to the public.

The 2013 and 2014 teams will share an induction into the Baylor Hall of Fame on Friday night.

On Saturday, they will have a special tailgate before being honored on the field at Saturday’s game against TCU.

Briles’ son Kendal is the current offensive coordinator at TCU and was a part of both teams’ championship seasons.

Event organizers say more than 100 people have already RSVP’d to attend the celebration at George’s.

George’s owner Sammy Citrano put up a sign Saturday night that read “Welcome Back Art Briles 2013-2014 Champions” and said he was excited to welcome Briles home.

“Briles and Bennett’s teams mean so much to me because they let me be a part of their team,” Citrano said. “We did so many great things together. I had a lot of fun and won a lot of games. Briles built McLane Stadium and the players love it.”

Briles was fired in May 2016 following a report of a review of a sexual assault scandal that engulfed the school’s football program.

Former president Ken Starr, who passed away in 2022, was removed as president and later resigned.

Then Baylor Athletic Director Ian McCaw also left the university and is the AD at Liberty University in Virginia.

Many argued that the Pepper Hamilton report was flawed, and in a private letter dated May 23, 2017, Baylor General Counsel Chris Holmes said the school knew of no instance in which Briles failed to report an alleged sexual assault or send a player deemed responsible. for sexual assault.

Briles was dismissed from federal Title IX trial in 2023, ruling that no reasonable jury could find him negligent in the domestic violence assaults of a former Baylor student by a former Baylor football player.

Baylor associate director of athletics communications Brent Ingram issued a statement to KWTX on Sunday about the coaching staff’s apparent non-invitation to reunion weekend, saying the school is focused on honoring the players.

“We are excited to host several Baylor-sponsored events as part of the 2013-14 Team Reunion Weekend – including the Hall of Fame and Legend Luncheon on Friday, a team tailgate and, of course, the in-game recognition on Saturday. This weekend, Baylor is focusing on honoring student-athletes from those years, and we’ve extended invitations accordingly. As with any other team, there are probably leadership and team-coordinated events outside of what Baylor hosts.”

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