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Report: Baylor Bears will not open 2016 season in Australia

By Danny Jaillet

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Plans for a game in Australia between the Baylor Bears and California Golden Bears were nixed Friday.

Earlier this offseason it was reported by FoxSports.com’s David Ubben that Baylor was entertaining the idea of playing a game in Australia to opening the 2016 season against a Pac-12 opponent.

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However on Friday it was reported that those plans have been put on the back-burner. David Smoak, a radio host who covers the Bears said the game was a long shot to begin with but is officially dead and a game vs. California is not an option.

ESPN’s Brett McMurphy also confirmed the news.

In the meantime, Baylor will have some work to do to increase the number of non-conference games on their schedule in 2016. Currently, the Bears have three contests on their schedule, two of them in-state. SMU and Rice fit that distinction while Northwestern State is the other non-conference foe the program has lined up for ’16.

A game against the Bears from California would have been the first contest for Baylor against a non-conference Power Five opponent since Wake Forest in 2009.

I have always been in favor of overseas football games as I believe it creates the opportunity for the game to expand and being a huge football fan, I see that as an overwhelmingly positive aspect.

However, there are a lot of variables that come into play when these types of games are put on the table. Classes and logistics are indeed two major factors that would hinder this. Not to mention the amount of money it would take to travel to the other side of the world.

The concept of a game in a place like Australia is a very intriguing proposition and perhaps it will happen someday, but it won’t be next year and it won’t involve Baylor.

What international cities do you think would make for a great venue to host a college football game? Let us know in the comments section or on social media.

Next: 15 Bold Predictions for 2015 College Football Season

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