Texas universities trying to earn the coveted Carnegie “R1” title might be closer than before after a major overhaul this week.

From “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” to “Friday the 13th,” Texas is an ideal landscape to shock and delight audiences and ghost hunters.

Baylor University has settled a years-long federal lawsuit brought by 15 women who alleged they were sexually assaulted at the nation’s largest Baptist school.

The university had asked the federal agency to dismiss sexual harassment complaints by LGBTQ+ students, arguing that the claims infringed on the school’s religious tenets.

A former Houston minister who is a registered sex offender is accused of grooming young people for decades, with the most recent allegations coming from a child who said they were forced to perform depraved sexual acts in front of adults.

The Houston area cheerleader who was shot while traveling near Austin has been released from the hospital.

Authorities say a man shot and wounded two cheerleaders in a Texas supermarket parking lot after one of them said she mistakenly got into his car thinking it was her own.

Members of a Houston area cheer team traveling near Austin became victims when a suspect opened fire on their vehicle, shooting two of them, leaving one seriously injured, according to various reports.

Sophia Keene– OH for Baylor University

GOP candidate Lauren Davis’ campaign surfaced a Waco police report about a prank for which Jenkins apologized in 2010. He says he was only wearing camouflage at the time.

Starr, best known for his role leading the investigation that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, died of complications related to surgery, according to his family.

Ken Starr, a former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment, died Tuesday at age 76, his family says.

While the risk of exposure to monkeypox remains low, health experts say college students living in close proximity to each other could spur outbreaks. They encourage schools to share their plans and relevant information about the virus.

The Baylor Board of Regents approved a four-step plan to change the name of a campus quadrangle named after a slave-owning former university president and add more elements to provide a better representation of Baylor’s history.

When Jordan “JoJo” Medellin wakes up in the morning, no matter if he was unhittable or struggling off the bump, there is a sense of excitement that comes over him when he arrives at the ballpark.

Many Texas public universities have committed to accepting students who do not submit SAT or ACT standardized test scores, signaling that test-optional policies could be here to stay.

As Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future.

The Carnegie R1 status is the highest designation for research universities in the country and is viewed as an important step to recruit high-quality faculty and obtain more prestigious research grants.

Blake Shapen threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for ninth-ranked Baylor, and the Bears still have a shot at making the Big 12 championship game.

In middle school, Simone Ballard would compare her track times to those of older athletes, high school and even some in college, to see how she measured up.

While some universities in other states that hold federal contracts have mandated vaccines for all employees, many Texas universities, which collectively have billions in federal contracts, are still reviewing the executive order before it goes into effect Dec. 8.

Texas public universities forbidden from mandating vaccines are trying to entice students and faculty to get the shot. Those moves come as more people ages 18 to 29 years old in Texas are being hospitalized with the virus.

The report comes after investigations revealed Baylor leaders failed to report allegations of student sexual misconduct and protected football players accused of such behavior.

Many public university officials say they are moving forward with reopening plans as faculty and students worry about rising COVID-19 cases across the state.

Jay Hartzell said the switch to the Southeastern Conference was the best thing for UT-Austin’s student athletes and the university. Texas senators expressed disdain for the move and questioned how it came about.

The university is seeking to leave the Big 12 along with the University of Oklahoma, a move that would have wide-ranging impact on Texas college athletics.

The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma are expected to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. The move throws the athletics future of several other Texas schools into uncertainty.

The decision to openly consider recognizing an LGBTQ group while simultaneously affirming the university's belief that marriage is between a man and a woman raised concerns among supporters and opponents who say Baylor is trying to "have its cake and eat it, too."

Gurleen Kaur speaks three languages and is deadly with a nine iron.

The fresh-as-can-be Baylor Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to perfection in an 86-70 runaway in the national title game.

Baylor is on top of the college basketball world, winning its first national championship while denying perfection for Gonzaga.

As Baylor readies to take on Gonzaga in Monday’s NCAA Men’s Championship, here are a few nuggets for you to ready yourself for the big game.

Gonzaga has given fans the NCAA championship game they wanted with a shot for the ages.

Who is America rooting for in the Final Four?

Somebody will be doing a joyful Texas two-step after Baylor and Houston meet Saturday night in the Final Four.

Both the University of Houston and Baylor University men’s basketball teams have made it to the Final Four at the NCAA tournament this year.

A March Madness sticker for the NCAA college basketball tournament is placed on a window in downtown Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. As many students walked to class, they told KPRC 2 that they were pumped to watch their men’s basketball team in the Elite 8 take on Oregon State. They say with COVID-19 shutting down last year’s NCAA tournament, the UH men’s basketball run this year is definitely boosting a lot of spirits. We need something to lift us up, and they made us really proud,” said UH student Salam Havra. The official University of Houston men’s basketball watch party is being held outside of the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown.

A report released Tuesday examining Baylor University’s connections to slavery and racism, is recommending the university relocate some statues and change building names honoring former slaveowners. “Judge Baylor was not a perfect man,” Mark Rountree, Chair of the Baylor Board of Regents, wrote in a letter to the university community Tuesday. Students on campus and across Texas demanded university leaders address Confederate symbols and make changes to improve diversity and inclusion. AdThe board of regents accepted the commission report at its meeting last month, and charged university leaders with developing an action plan. The group suggests the university commission a new mace that can be used at future Baylor graduation ceremonies.

Graduates at a Texas A&M University's commencement ceremony at Reed Arena in College Station in December. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Greg Abbott announced that he will lift the statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions starting Wednesday. Austin Community College, Baylor University, Paris Junior College, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University, the Texas A&M University System, Trinity University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at El Paso are keeping their current COVID-19 guidelines — which include mask mandates — in place. Disclosure: Baylor University, Lamar University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at El Paso and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

(TEXAS TRIBUNE) – Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? The University of Texas at Austin is suspending the SAT and ACT test score requirement for fall 2022 applicants, citing continued limited access to testing opportunities for students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AdLast year, multiple Texas universities temporarily scrapped the testing requirement for the 2021 applicants, including Texas A&M University, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University. In Austin, St. Edward's University had been planning to permanently waive ACT and SAT requirements for months, Dean of Admissions Drew Nichols told The Texas Tribune last spring. AdDisclosure: Baylor University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, St. Edward’s University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Shifa Rahman, left, and a fellow protestor, hold signs at the base of the William Marsh Rice statue on campus. Students at Rice University demanded removal of the monument of the school founder, William "Willy" Rice, a slave owner. The residence was named after Simkins in the 1950s to intimidate Black students after the Supreme Court decision that integrated schools. But Black students, who total 6% of student body, said administrators were still limiting when it’s appropriate to talk about race. Disclosure: Baylor University, Facebook, Rice University, Texas A&M University, University of Texas - Arlington, University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Diagnosticians process COVID-19 testing samples at the new state-of-the-art COVID-19 testing lab and research facility in Waco, developed through a new partnership between Baylor University and My Labs Direct. Baylor University began the spring semester on Jan. 19, with weekly testing an important part of comprehensive COVID-19 measures to ensure a safe learning community. If they miss three tests, they’ll also lose Wi-Fi access on campus, with the goal of limiting student activity in campus buildings. Officials would not share how much the multimillion-dollar lab and weekly testing costs. All students, faculty and staff were also required to have a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to campus at Baylor.

HOUSTON – Today was a snow day at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The athletic departments, students, teachers and staff took to social media to spread the joy of the winter wonderland on the campus. Here are some of the photos and videos from Twitter:

The University of Texas at Austin's final football game of the regular season against the University of Kansas was cancelled after a COVID-19 outbreak infected nine players and 13 staff members. The University of Texas at Austin’s final football game of the regular season against the University of Kansas has been canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak infecting nine players and 13 staff members. The UT game against Kansas had already been rescheduled due to an outbreak on the Kansas team last month. It’s the only game Texas did not play this fall amid the pandemic. Disclosure: Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

The Daily Texan reported that a message sent to band members by leader Scott Hanna said the survey results wouldn’t affect whether the band performs at future games. Band members are “evenly divided” overplaying the song, the student newspaper reported, but responses from certain instrument sections would prevent the band from playing this week. The message from Hanna said many band members wanted to have further discussions about the song, which he said he would facilitate. Only then can we reimagine its future.”Removing “The Eyes of Texas” song was not the student’s only demand this past summer. Disclosure: Baylor University, Texas Christian University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

The University of Texas at Austin said it could test up to 5,000 asymptomatic students, faculty and staff weekly. Texas A&M University trumpeted a similar goal of testing more than 5,000 students each week – about 7% of the student body. UT-Austin, which has more than 50,000 students, has only required students to be tested before attending football games. That included the 1,198 students tested for the first home football game on Sept. 12. Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of North Texas and Baylor University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner presented a new initiative Thursday that could serve as a faster method of containing COVID-19. Since May, the Houston Health Department has monitored the wastewater at 38 treatment plants for the presence of the virus. The wastewater monitoring project is a collaboration between the Houston Health Department, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. The sewage wastewater is collected at the treatment plan before its process, according to Dr. Lauren Hopkins, of the Houston Health Department. “This will give us that early warning that we may have otherwise missed,” said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Department.

HOUSTON – The anticipated season-opening football game between the University of Houston and Baylor University will no longer be happening, according to the universities. Officials with Baylor and the University of Houston have decided to postpone the game and will make a final determination on if it will be canceled at a later date. “Baylor contacted us Friday afternoon and determined that Saturday’s game could not be played due to COVID-related issues,” UH Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said. “The highly sought-after match-up between Baylor and Houston has been postponed and will not be played on Sept. 19,” according to the university website. “This decision comes as a result of Baylor not meeting the Big 12 Conference COVID-19 game cancellation thresholds.

“It’s like walking into a ghost town,” Julie Amberg said from behind a burnt orange mask. Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman via USA TODAY NETWORK/REUTERSOutdoor gatherings in Austin are still capped at 10 people or less, but Gov. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribunePregame celebrations near the stadium were virtually nonexistent; university officials banned tailgating on school property. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas TribuneAs students filtered in, staff explained the rules for keeping distanced from each other. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribunePeople generally masked up while walking through the stadium, but many fans ditched their masks once they were seated.

The University of Houston will open the 2020 season at Baylor University on Sept. 19 at McLane Stadium, both programs announced Saturday. This televised matchup marks the first meeting between the two football programs since 1995. Baylor leads the all-time series, 14-13-1, with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1950, according to the press release. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.“We are excited to have the opportunity to open the 2020 season at Baylor,” UH Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said. We are excited to give our student-athletes a chance to compete on a national stage to begin a new season.”

HOUSTON – The University of Houston football game against the Memphis Tigers on Sept. 18 has been postponed due to COVID-19, according to a release from UH. UH says the decision was made mutually, as Memphis deals with COVID-19 issues. Meanwhile, Bruce Feldman of the Athletic reports UH and Baylor University are discussing a game to fill that week. Baylor was scheduled to play Louisiana Tech but now has an open week.

This weekend marks the start of an unusual season for major college football programs in Texas. UT-Austin game attendees must wear masks in the stadium and there will be signage and floor markings to encourage social distance. “We anticipated a rise in cases as we returned to campus and we took this into account as we made our plans,” Texas Tech spokesperson Matthew Dewey said in an email. Officials blamed off-campus parties hosted by Texas Tech students. Disclosure: Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas at El Paso have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Texas’ college football players won’t be the only people with butterflies in their stomachs this weekend. SMU played last Saturday against Texas State University, but the TCU-SMU game would have been the first involving a Big 12 school. This weekend, two Texas schools in that conference will take the field: the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University. A third was supposed to play, but Baylor University postponed its weekend game after several Louisiana Tech players tested positive. Disclosure: Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

A University of Texas football game at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin on Sept. 7, 2019. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Daily TexanNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? There is no testing requirement for fans who aren't UT-Austin students, nor is there a requirement for visitors from El Paso. Students, however, were not required to test negative before returning to campus or attending in-person classes. Greg Abbott, however, allowed Texas sports to resume with limited fans in the stands. Disclosure: Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas at El Paso have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

HOUSTON The Baylor University football season opener against Louisiana Tech was postponed due to a rising number of coronavirus cases among student-athletes, Baylor officials announced in a statement Tuesday night. The game was originally going to be played on Sept. 12 but now the two schools have agreed to monitor dates throughout the season to potentially make up the game, officials wrote in the statement. We are incredibly disappointed to announce the postponement of our upcoming football game against Louisiana Tech, said Baylor Director of Athletics Mack B. Rhoades. To the Baylor and Louisiana Tech student-athletes and communities, we share in your disappointment and look ahead to resuming play.As of Tuesday night, there were 334 active cases of coronavirus among the Baylor Unversity community, according to the schools COVID-19 dashboard. We are obviously very disappointed that we will not be able to open the season this weekend at Baylor, said Louisiana Tech Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland.

Students sit outside the Peter T. Flawn Academic Center at the University of Texas at Austin. As Texas college towns see rising COVID-19 cases with the return of hundreds of thousands of students to campus, a small but increasing number of universities are disciplining students who attend or host house parties or Greek rush events. But while reports of those crackdowns are beginning to increase, most Texas universities arent penalizing individual students for partying that takes place off-site. Many of the Greek events have since been halted, he said, but the off-campus parties continue. Penalize organizations, not peoplePerhaps the most power that Texas universities can wield over off-campus student behavior comes through its recognized organizations, from sororities to student government and beyond.

Public health experts say Texas universities should increase testing of all students to prevent community spread of the coronavirus as classes resume. Texas A&M University reported 327 new positive tests the week ending Aug. 29, down slightly from the 371 it reported a week prior. UT-Austin, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University encourage participation in asymptomatic testing but stop short of requiring it. Texas Christian University does not offer routine testing for students without symptoms, according to The Dallas Morning News. Disclosure: Baylor University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

The game against Southern Methodist University, scheduled for Sept. 11, was canceled Friday after some TCU football athletes and support staff tested positive for the virus, said Jeremiah Donati, TCUs director of intercollegiate athletics, in a statement. The TCU-SMU game would have been the first Big 12 game of the season. Texas Tech University, Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin all have games scheduled for Sept. 12. A handful of Texas teams that play outside the Power Five conferences SMU, Texas State University, Houston Baptist University, the University of North Texas, Stephen F. Austin University and the University of Texas at El Paso have games scheduled for Saturday. Disclosure: Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at El Paso and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Baylor University ordered students living on certain floors of one dorm, Martin Hall, not to leave their floors for four days while the university conducts contact tracing and rapid COVID-19 testing. Martin Hall residents on the 1st and 2nd floors have been instructed to stay only on their floors and not visit the upper floors for any reason. They also have been instructed to contact Baylor Health Services on Monday morning to schedule a COVID-19 test. If you are a student and feel ill, especially if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please contact Baylor Health Services at 254-710-1010 for testing. The recent developments in Martin Hall do not impact our current plans for on-campus academic instruction and other activities.

The start of the Big 12 Conferences college football season will move forward as scheduled, conference officials said Wednesday, meaning four major Texas football programs are one step closer to playing this fall. Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin are Big 12 members. #WeWantToPlay Charlie Brewer (@CBrewer16) August 10, 2020We want to play football in the fall, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp told The Texas Tribune on Monday. Greg Abbott in a Tuesday interview said while he supported what the student athletes wanted to do. Disclosure: Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Texas five major conference football teams Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin are massive economic drivers for their cities of Waco, Fort Worth, College Station, Lubbock and Austin, respectively, generating a flood of seasonal business for hotels, restaurants and bars in a typical year. Across Texas, university leaders have supported allowing football to move forward if conference division leaders allow it. We want to play football in the fall, said Texas A&M System John Sharp in a statement to The Texas Tribune on Monday. For college towns, its like losing Christmas, Berg said. Disclosure: Baylor University, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Baylor UniversityBaylor is still planning to begin its fall semester on August 24th with strict guidelines in place, and is planning to end the fall semester the first week of December, which is a couple of weeks earlier than usual. Houston Community CollegeHouston Community Colleges fall semester will begin August 24th, but all classes will meet remotely for the first six weeks. Southern Methodist UniversitySMU has outlined its plan for maintaining a healthy environment with its Mustang Strong: Safe Return to Campus guide. Texas Southern UniversityAccording to Texas Southerns COVID-19 guide, classes will begin on August 19th online and continue that way through at least September 14th. Texas State UniversityLike the University of Texas, Texas State is also asking its students to quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus.

Shelby Knowles for The Texas TribuneBaylor University students must test negative for the coronavirus before they can return to campus for the start of the fall semester, school officials said Tuesday. According to an email announcing the policy, students will get results in 48 hours. Requiring negative results before campus entry is a relatively unique policy across Texas universities preparing for a fall return. Testing of all students, faculty and staff for COVID-19 before allowing campus entry (entry testing) has not been systematically studied, the CDC website reads. That will cost university officials about $2.25 million a month.

HOUSTON Native Houstonian, recent Baylor University grad and electric violinist Marion Dubose wows us with a special performance to his song, Visions. MEET MARION DUBOSE

Georgetown offensive lineman Connor Heffernan has experienced a spike in his football career over the past few months. Heffernan has found a good amount of success in the recruiting process, as evident by his 17 college football offers. He ultimately decided on Baylor over fellow Power Five programs Mississippi State and Syracuse and 14 other opportunities. "Prior to this year, I wasn't ranked very high and I never let that get to me," said Heffernan. "Georgetown is one of the few places that got to have a full strength and conditioning camp this summer," said Heffernan.

In response, many Texas universities are becoming test-optional through 2021, waiving the traditional requirement for test scores to gain admission. Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University and St. Edward's University have all temporarily scrapped their testing requirements through 2021. And some universities that were doubting the value of test scores even before the pandemic see an opportunity to change the admissions process altogether. In the absence of scores, school performance will disproportionately count towards an application, he said. My goal is to get him to college, however that happens.Disclosure: Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Waco is home to Baylor University, Cameron Park, and, of course, The Silos at Magnolia Market. 2211 Colcord Ave., WacoThis property features two guest rooms in the two-story Georgian house and a separate carriage house suite. 1945 Fort Graham Road, WacoThis peaceful cottage sleeps five and features a fully-equipped kitchen, fireplace, and patio. 2425 Colcord Ave., WacoThis 1913 home feature two fireplaces, tall ceilings, and hardwood floors. 211 Clay Ave., WacoThis modern hotel has all the amenities one could want, from a resort-style pool to a shuttle service to an on-site bistro.