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I know we just built a nice new stadium, but we are in dire straights. Although we sold out the Kansas game, fan attendance was even worse than when we played in the Cotton Bowl in the following games. We're not bringing in the recruits, and Cavan's record has gotten worse every year.

Hey Idiot,
Just because we suck right now doesn't mean we should nut up and pull a Boston University. It would cause a spillover effect to the academic side of our institution and hurt general student recruitment. Were you one of those crybaby academics back in 95 or 96 that was carrying the flame for the switch down?

Nice job, Houston Pony. Way to put that negative anti-PonyFan in his place. You're the kind of fan we need. The Dirty one should have his PonyFans.com posting license revoked.

We've got way too much tradtion to drop down to D-IAA. Every program has its rough years. We may have a few more hurdles to overcome than most, but going back 50+ years, we've always been a small school that's fielded a great squad. We'll be back.

Excuse me DB, all of your facts are true, but what does going D-IAA solve?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Dirty Bird:
<B>I know we just built a nice new stadium, but we are in dire straights. Although we sold out the Kansas game, fan attendance was even worse than when we played in the Cotton Bowl in the following games. We're not bringing in the recruits, and Cavan's record has gotten worse every year. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Going to D-IAA would give SMU fans a chance to experience winning football. For more than a decade now, we've gone through the motions every February during recruiting and heard how "SMU's signed its best class since the Death Penalty", and then watched in subsequent seasons as the Ponies bumbled around to 4-7's, 5-6's and even 1-10 records. I think the damage done to the program is irreparable, and not going to be mended by building a shiny stadium that 7 or 8 thousand people go to. Why not dip down a level, and stop dragging the other sports down with the ship?

DB, I don't know why you think that by going to a lower division, we would suddenly start having winning seasons. The athletes we have now would probably transfer to another D-1 school and new recruits would not even be of the quality we are getting now. Attendance would be even worse than it is now and a lower division team would not be that much less expensive of a program. IT'S JUST NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!!!

I've got to concur with you PK. Using DB's logic you'd find me watching high school football every weekend. TCA always kicks butt in TAPPS...

Does anybody really take UNT football seriously? If it's not Division I ball, it's not REALLY college football.

PerunaPunch...maybe you were trying to make a putdown on UNT, but the fact is they are a D-1 football team now and have been for a number of years. That being said, Sam Houston State, Southwest Texas State and Stephen F. Austin are examples of D-1aa schools that we would be playing. Makes you want to go out and get season tickets doesn't it?

[This message has been edited by PK (edited 02-09-2001).]

I've got to agree with all the Mustang Fans Here. In fact I would go one step further and say that DIV I-AA and the Mustangs should never be mentioned together by true pony afficianados. It ain't happenin! The Mustangs will never go DIV I-AA! Everybody touched on why this is true. There are just way too many reasons not to go DIV I-AA! The biggest being: it would solve absolutely nothing.
Another thing, the only time you here that DIV I-AA crap is from folks who are just trying to kick the Mustangs while there down. Go worry about your own lesser team. Things are just fine on the Hilltop, and we'll be staying D-I, thank you very much.
I like what I see from Our recruiting class this year, and look forward to Mustang Football for many years to come.

You tell 'em Grider!!!

We are staying D-1 and will have a better season come September!!

Go Mustangs!!

As an oldtimer (class of '74), let me share a little lesson in history.

In the mid and late 70's, SMU struggled mightily in the old SWC, along with TCU, Baylor & Rice. Our reputation as the most penalized school in Division I football began in that time frame and we were shamed when coach Dave Smith's "pay for performance" scandal put us on probation once again. We strugled through mostly losing seasons, but enjoyed an occasional 6-5, 7-4 season (of course with no post season bowl because we didn't enjoy much fan support).

One of the school's trustees, the late A.W.Tarkington, proposed that SMU join forces with TCU, Rice & Baylor and form a strong I-AA football conference that would compete for national titles at that level. I don't recall exactly, but in that time frame UNT (then known as NTSU), Tulsa, La Tech and SW La were competing at that level and would have been natural fits for the proposed league. Tarkington's proposal was never given serious consideration as the trustees felt it was important for the school's image to compete on the same level as the larger state schools. From that same meeting, the decision was made to re-emphasize football and Ron Meyer was hired. SMU decided to compete with UT and A$M, and we did...playing their way. For those who remember the Dicker-James era, we were successful...TOO successful for the big boys...and the rest is history.

Looking back, I often wonder what life might have been at I-AA with those conference mates. I'm reasonably certain we'd have returned to playing on campus long before we did. With a facility anywhere near what Ford Stadium is, it's quite possible we could have been the host site for the I-AA national championship game and perhaps been a participant.

Bottom line...what is past is past. Don't call Dirty Bird an idiot. The idea once might have had merit, but today it's time to move on. Let's keep working to improve what we have as a member of the WAC and position ourselves for membership in what might be a more attractive regional conference down the road. As the Houston football coach said before our game with them this year: " we really should be playing in a conference with Rice, SMU & TCU ". Time will tell.

very interesting CP. Appreciate the history lesson.

I cannot say what would have happened if we went then but if we went now, we might be at the top of the D-IAA, but recruiting would go downhill, attendance would be even worse, and if we ever did decide to jump back to D-IA, we would be even more behind than we are now.

It is not the solution. Time is the solution. Face it, SMU has had to recover from the worst punishment EVER. All odds are against us. We have made major strides in the past three years. New facilities, student friendly recruiting policies, and our recruiting classes are getting a little better...maybe.

I truly think that dropping a level will solve nothing--especially attendance and recruiting.

i can't even believe i'm replying but here it goes...

we did two studies since the $%$# & both recommended, specified, advised, demanded, required & PROVED that if smu was to compete EVEN ACADEMICALLY and athletically on a national scale that we would have to make a FULL COMMITTMENT TO DIVISION 1 - END OF STORY!!!!

to go to division 2 is not only death to our athletic dept but the school itself...(do u really believe that we could have built an endownment of over $700-800M with a div 2 athletic program??? - NO WAY JOSE!!! GET REAL)we are not in the northeast (ivy league)so forget it, its a whole different standard, story, set of facts, etc. there!!!

thanx for the history cp b/c i've been following smu too - since the sixties as a child, (my dad went there 2-yrs and had to drop out to go to work & i went there from 74-78) so i can appreciate your story....and you're right - that's history and its over with...i think we can all be grateful that it didn't happen....face it - we could have been in baylor's shoes right now given the right political climate @ that time; consequently & we wouldn't even be having these coversations now - unfortunately, we kind of deserve our currentl delimma b/c we didn't make the commitment & as much as i disdain ut & a$m, i can't blame them either - its our fault plain & simple (the administration @ that time - anyway)...but thanx to pye's NON COMMITTMENT TO ATHLETICS we're in this mess!!!! but we will revive the program in time - yeah, i agree with u...it will take time but it will happen....what we need now more than anything else is a STRONG COMMITTMENT TO DIVISION 1 which seems is finally happening now...

but i think its fair to say that from the sixties until this time now smu's commitment to winning and div 1 (which go hand-in-hand) have been up and down, hot & cold & thats no way to run a railroad or a business!!!!

if the commitment is there - it will happen & all this will be academic and a good lesson for any university, business or person that straddles the fence in life!!!!

end of story and that is life whether u like it not!!!!!