In its first season under head coach W. R. Ritchie the team compiled a 5–3 record and played its home games in Waco, Texas.
During the 1901 season, Baylor played its first games in what became rivalries with the Texas Longhorns and TCU Horned Frogs.
TCU, known as Add–Ran University until 1902, was located in Waco from 1895 to 1910 and was one of Baylor's greatest football rivals until the dissolution of the Southwest Conference in 1995.
Competing for the local championship, Baylor clearly outclassed their opponents and led in the first half by a comfortable 23–0 margin.
's were seeking the tiebreaking victory; A&M mistakenly contracted to play both the University of Texas and Baylor on the same day, and so split the team.