Its mainly three things:
1. Waco
2. Chip & Jo-Anna
3. the Baylor Mafia
When I was coming up I knew of Waco as nothing more than a wild wild west town on the outskirts of the Brazos river. A city known for biker gangs, religious fanatics with heavy artillery, and high crime.
Chip and JoAnna have helped change the image of Waco. Waco is now a stop for many (female) tourist traveling between Austin and DFW.
Waco is trying to move away from its image as a rough town to a place you can bring your family.
Baylor has capitalized on that because its campus is within 3 hours of Dallas, Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio, East Texas, and Houston.
The Baylor Mafia is probably the biggest reason for their athletic success. The group is mainly underground and works with law enforcement, judges, lawyers, and the Baptist Church to move funds, donations and other gifts to well meaning people of influence. These people of influence include folks that can literally make crimes disappear.
These are the people that spring into action when Baylor (inevitably) gets busted by the NCAA or law enforcement. They work with the bagmen who set up the payoffs, and the hush money to the effected parties of the scandal.
This process is what allows Baylor to bounce back from scandals in such a relatively short time.
Certain Baptist Churches works as nothing more than a front to send championship caliber football and basketball recruits to Waco. A few top players sign with Baylor, and suddenly that particular church is getting a much needed renovations of its facilities.
Its all in plain sight, but its not in plain sight. That is the genius of it. There is always plausible deniability.