BYU-Baylor Football Game Officially Sold Out

WACO, Texas – The first BYU/Baylor meeting since 1984 is going to be played in front of a sold-out crowd.

Baylor Athletics announced on Friday that this weekend’s game at McLane Stadium will be filled to the max. It’s the first sell-out for Baylor at home this season. And the first since 2019. Last year, like everywhere else around the country amidst COVID-19 saw reduced capacity at games.

𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐯𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝-𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦.#SicEm pic.twitter.com/INzSuEX2fX

— Baylor Athletics (@BaylorAthletics) October 15, 2021

McLane Stadium opened in 2014 and holds a capacity of 45,140 fans.

Both teams come into this matchup with 5-1 records. BYU enters the matchup nationally ranked at No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25, and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll.

BYU/Baylor at McLane Stadium is Sold Out

There are a few factors that likely played a part in this game becoming a sellout.

McLane Stadium is a cool setting for a college football game. #BYU #BYUvsBaylor #BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/YHlpfYv6Fe

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 16, 2021

First, this is Baylor’s Homecoming weekend. Baylor is the first university in the country to create a “homecoming” weekend. Alumni from Baylor University are coming back to campus to celebrate their team with all of the homecoming festivities that included a bonfire on Friday night, and a parade on Saturday morning.

Another reason this game is sold out is the interest from BYU fans. Many Cougar fans were on my flight from Salt Lake City to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on Thursday night. BYU’s ticket allotment through the school’s ticket office sold out this past spring.

Now that BYU is set to join the Big 12 Conference beginning in 2023, that likely increased the interest from BYU fans in the secondary ticket market to see this game live in person. BYU has a strong presence in the state of Texas. During the school’s “All In” campaign, Texas produced the fourth most donations behind only Utah, California, and Idaho.

This will be the fourth game that will feature BYU football in front of a sell-out crowd. Two of BYU’s four home games this year at LaVell Edwards Stadium have been sold out to fill the 63,470-seat capacity.

BYU opened the 2021 season in Las Vegas against the Arizona Wildcats and it was a sea of royal blue in the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium. That game ended up with 54,541 fans.

BYU/Baylor kicks off at 1:30 p.m. (MT) on ESPN. The radio call of the game can be heard on KSL NewsRadio, with pregame coverage starting up at 10 a.m. on 102.7 FM and 1160 AM.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.