Stallion wrote:StallionsModelT wrote:Stallion wrote:I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games
Third smallest enrollment of any school playing D1A football with one win (and only one previous home victory in the past TWO seasons) against another small private school with three wins on a cold Saturday night in late November in a city with unlimited entertainment options. I'm shocked we were able to get anyone to go to the game honestly.
So you going to put that on our expansion/resume packet for P5 inclusion. Who in the hell cares. For ALL private G5 schools its about overachieving the small size of your school like TCU did before and after it started to rebuild its program. TCU never had 4,000-5,000 at their games for multiple games even when they were bad and EVEN when they had 5,000 undergraduates not too long ago. P5 conference don't give a [deleted] that we are a small private school-we will be compared to all G5 school regardless.
Who said anything about P5? Does P5 have anything to do with the attendance of a game between two teams that had four combined wins in late November? No. Personally I think the talk of P5 is silly as there are about half a dozen schools above SMU in the pecking order as of today. That said, realignment isn't happening today, tomorrow, or the day after that. It may not even happen at all.
All SMU can do is play the hand it has been dealt. The reality is that we have given our fans and the city of Dallas virtually ZERO reason to support this program. Hostile administration (1989-2007), terrible coaching decisions (1989-2014), historically unprecedented terrible seasons (one winless season and more two and three win seasons than you can shake a stick at), getting our doors blown completely off when we play former SWC rivals, and you honestly think that people who attended SMU in the last 25 years want to spend their precious time, money, energy, and commitment on THAT PRODUCT?!
The truth is we have some amazing fans. Fans who have stuck with this thing through what can only be described as borderline abusive treatment by the athletic department and the football program. ASU-gate, June extension, and the fallout that occurred cannot be undone by a 2-10 season where we played pretty good offense and historically bad defense. The program is undeniably headed in the right direction but it is going to take time to win the trust of the fans that have been alienated at every turn by their institution and athletic department.
I'm not saying we will ever reach the point of selling out Ford Stadium regardless of opponent. I'm not naive enough to think that even a 9-2 SMU team would draw more than 25K against the likes of Tulane, UCF, USF, etc. What I am saying is that we haven't even given our fans that chance! We've never had 9 wins. We've won ONE, yes.....ONE game against a Top 25 opponent at home since 1989. Think about that. Truly astonishing. Give the fans/supporters/alums something tangible to hold onto b/c for the better part of 30 years the SMU administration and program have been putting forth a product that is embarrassing and simply not worth the time and effort involved in caring. Give us a Larry Brown. Give us some wins at home against teams people care about. Get us in the Top 25 (again, not done since 1989). If we are still drawing 10K in the stands then I will be the first one to agree with you and say its hopeless. I guess I'd just like to have that chance once in my life.