The Surge
American mahjong gets a weekly table at Baylor
A student club chartered last semester now holds Thursday open play and beginner workshops on the Waco campus.
Baylor University's Mahjong Club meets every Thursday for open play and beginner workshops, The Baylor Lariat reported on October 29. The student paper says the version the club plays is American mahjong.
According to the club's president, quoted in the Lariat, the club received its charter last semester, and this fall marks the start of its presence on campus. The paper reports that its growth followed a strong turnout of freshmen at a campus recruiting night.
The club has also partnered with the university's Chinese language club to co-host an event with a presentation on the history of mahjong, per the report. The Lariat cites the Yelp Trend Tracker, which found searches for mahjong clubs and classes rose 4,467% between September 2025 and August 2026 compared with the year before.
In Prim's opinion, a history talk shared with the Chinese language club is a gracious way to begin, honoring the game's Chinese origins before the first wall is built.