Baylor Broadcast Writing & Reporting

By Barbro Checkett
Spring 2026

WACO, Texas — Baylor University’s “Ring by Spring” culture has become a defining part of campus life and a topic recognized far beyond Waco.

The phrase “Ring by Spring” refers to the tradition and pressure of college
seniors getting engaged before graduation at predominantly Christian
universities. The phenomenon has become so culturally recognizable that Hulu is now producing a reality television show centered around it.

At Baylor, the culture is difficult to miss. From engagement posts flooding Instagram feeds to conversations across campus, marriage is often part of student discussions long before graduation.

Baylor even has green and gold benches around campus tied to a long-standing superstition. Students say if two people sit on the same bench together three times, they will eventually marry.

For many students, the expectation surrounding relationships can feel very real.

Senior Abbey Ferguson said she never expected engagement to become part of her college experience.

“I did not think that I would be engaged in college, that was not my MO,” Ferguson said. “A lot of people I think sometimes go to college and because of the culture ‘oh ring by spring gotta find my husband’ like whether they are joking or not but I think that is a big thing especially at Baylor, like being a very Baptist school that’s like a very traditional thing, people just fall into that.”

Not all students view the culture positively.

Student Steve Curtis believes the pressure to get married young can create unrealistic expectations for students still developing their identities.

“Like marriage is really hard. and when we get to college we don’t know who the heck we are,” Curtis said. “Once you’ve developed yourself then then okay to go and then partner that with someone else, because that’s what I think marriage is, is its a partnership of two people building a home a life a family and I don’t think you can do that if you don’t know yourself.”

Others argue there are benefits to building a life together earlier rather than waiting until later in adulthood.

“You know, we’re seniors and we don’t have all of life figured out, but I don’t think that matters,” another Baylor senior said. “I think a lot of people would say you need to figure out your life figure out your career, figure all these things out and then go find the person. It’s a lot easier to join two people together that don’t have a lot figured out and can figure it out together then to join two people who have completely separate lives and try to mesh those together.”

Whether students embrace it or reject it, Ring by Spring continues shaping conversations around love, faith, relationships, and the future at Baylor
University.