Claim: Baylor University is located in the state that's larger by both area and population than any other state in the US except for one.

Baylor University -LRB- BU -RRB- is a private Baptist university in Waco , Texas . Chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas , it is the oldest continuously-operating university in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States . Located on the banks of the Brazos River next to I-35 , between the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin , the university 's 1,000-acre campus is the largest Baptist university campus in the world .   Baylor University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools but is currently on `` warning '' due to suspected non-compliance with SACS requirements , it is the least severe non-compliant status a university can be placed on .   Baylor University 's athletic teams , known as the Bears , participate in 19 intercollegiate sports . The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA Division I.