What Would You DO if you were the SMU AD?

[smu'06]

What changes would you make if you were AD?
WHY?

HOW WOULD YOU FILL THE SEATS AT FORD; INCREASE FAN BASE ON CAMPUS to over 1500; and MAXIMIZE THE D-FW MARKETING BASE?

[PonyFan]

Good questions, '06. Here are my ideas:

* Sell beer in Ford Stadium and Moody Coliseum. Before anyone freaks out .... no, there does not have to be alcohol involved to have fun. But when you consider our beloved school, alcohol seems to be a pretty big player in the decisions that lead to MANY students' plans for weekend social activity. And don't throw that "we're in University Park, which is dry" excuse at me. We got the Boulevard approved, we can sell beer in the stadium. And use some of the cash to subsidize the athletic budget.

* New football coach. I think Cavan is a hell of a nice guy, and he does a lot of things well and I wish him the best in whatever he does for the rest of his life -- it just seems to be time for a change of scenery. There are those who still believe that he's a terrific coach, and whether he is or not is no longer relevant. The fact is that his victory totals since he has been at SMU have gone 6, 5, 4, 3 .... and who knows what this year holds. And replacing Cavan can not result in a promising Div. III coach, or a 74-year-old has-been who's trying to choke another year or two out of his career. We need a young, charismatic coordinator from a major Div. I school, a Bob Stoops-type of guy. Surely there's a stud coordinator at a Florida school, Nebraska (Turner Gill has Fort Worth ties, in addition to coaching at SMU for a year), Michigan, Ohio State (Jon Tenuta used to be the defensive coordinator at SMU), an SEC school... There are top-flight assistants out there, but we need someone with a winning pedigree to sell to alums, and with the youth to communicate with recruits. Which leads to....

* New conference. The new coach needs to have a name/pedigree that not only will appeal to recruits, but also will lend a new air of credibility to other conferences that consider expansion. As TCU follows the Mountain West schools out of the WAC, the league has lost more credibility, with recruits, fans, TV networks. Overpay, if need be, but bring in the football equivilent of a Bobby Knight, a coach whose name alone generates excitement and enthusiasm, from the fans to the players to the network suits who decide what games go on the air.

* Go on a serious fund-raising effort for the athletic marketing/publicity department. Shawn Heilbron (athletic marketing director) does a great job but it seems like his budget comes from recycyling cans he finds around campus. Those rent-by-the-day billboards over Greenville are nice, but we need HUGE, year-round visibility, over Central Expressway, in downtown Dallas, at the other sporting venues (have we even approached Cuban/Hicks about something at the new American Airlines Center?) There was a commercial for a couple of weeks that had a couple of guys in SMU football jerseys out at the Ballpark -- a good start, but WAY too small-scale. Find some alum who agrees with this, and has some cash to donate, and spend that fan's ENTIRE donation on marketing and publicity. The city of Dallas and its surrounding suburbs have to know every time there's an event. The Morning News certainly doesn't cover anything in Dallas, so it's up to the university to get the word out. (Put the Ponies in burnt orange or aggie maroon and it might make the paper -- but that's for a different argument. That's also why it's so funny when the P.A. announcer says something about "The Dallas Morning News -- In touch with SMU" or whatever it is. The DMN is about as "in touch" with SMU as Jerry Jones is in touch with the idea of how to run a team. They know about SMU like George Dubbya Quayle knows how to pronounce big words. It's amazing they even know how to find the school.)

[This message has been edited by PonyFan (edited 05-25-2001).]

[Charleston Pony]

Assuming I would be interviewed by Dr. Turner for the job, I'd 1st have to ask whether SMU was committed to competing at the highest level (Division I-A football and Division-I basketball). If so, I'd want to know what is being done re: admissions standards? While last year's changes were a start, we still lose guys who show interest in and could help our program because they don't qualify. So...I'd like to know SMU would at least consider a program of "special admissions" for athletes the same way those schools we are being asked to compete with do.

If we could get past that hurdle and I was willing to take on the challenge, the 1st thing I'd do is find a way to generate some enthusiasm for our programs. That means winning games and putting more butts in the seats. To do so, I'd follow the model TCU used, i.e., raise the $$ to hire top flight coaches in football/basketball and give them a schedule they can win with. As you get better, then you can upgrade the caliber of your competition. Copeland basically did this for Dement and our bball program is showing signs of life. We will know after (or during) the 2001 football season whether Cavan can get it done, but I'd replace games like NCSU & UNC with foes like UNT, Baylor or Houston (of course I'd keep TCU every year). We get enough travel with our WAC schedule, and I believe playing these local schools would help attendance.

I'd reach out to the local community and try to be more visible. I'd expect my head coaches to do the same. Market/sell yourself and your product. SMU has an image problem. We don't appeal to the common fan because we have the image (rightfully so) of a spoiled, rich white kid's school. I'd make an effort to recruit DFW area kids. I'd put as many alums on staff as I could find. I'd want people working for SMU athletics that are passionate about SMU.

Finally, I'd take a hard look at ticket prices. Until we have a product worth the prices we currently charge, I would discount all but the very best seats in order to lure some new fans. I remember growing up as a kid in Dallas when the Cowboys arrived in town. To help fill the Cotton Bowl, they offered an end zone package where Dad bought a $5 ticket and could then bring up to 5 kids FREE. My brothers and I have followed the Cowboys from that 1st 0-11-1 season. I went to the SMU/UTC basketball game in Chattanooga a couple of years back, and they had a deal where a paying adult could bring school age children for either $1 or $3...I don't remember, but I do remember being pleasantly surprised and thinking that was a good idea. Why not run coupons in the DMN? Why not distribute coupons in the DISD and in area schools? Why not contact youth groups (local recreation departments, church groups, etc...) The bottom line is that I'd rather play in front of 30,000 who got in at a discount than 10,000 who paid a premium to attend. Don't think recruits don't respond to the enthusiasm a packed house can generate!

If budget & labor force are concerns, I'd try to mobilize student volunteers and/or enlist the help of our marketing dept over at Cox. Bottom line is that I believe there are people who care. We need to reach out to them and get everyone involved.

[smu'06]

The Problem with selling beer at Moody or Ford is NCAA Regulations. Beer companies can not even sponsor a field sign or a scoreboard ad at an all-college venue, imagine what our best friends at the NCAAs would do about selling Bud at Ford. DPII?

A new football coach would be great. Look at what Lou Holtz has done at South Carolina, he took a SEC maggot and turned it into a new years day bowl team in one season. Coaching pedigree is a must. Could SMU lore a Jimmy Johnson or Barry Switzer type, they have the name in the DFW area.

PACK THE HOUSE EVERY GAME! Empty Seats do absolutely nothing, they don't turn a profit, they don't sell Cokes or Hotdogs, they don't buy a program, they don't fill a seat, and they don't go home and tell friends about MUSTANG MANIA.

As to the schedule, I say the current one is fine. Keep the NC State and UNC, WE NEED THE PUBLICITY ON ESPN gameday and SPORTSCENTER. And the reward for a win over the Heels or the Pack is much greater than the risk of LOSING to UNT (NTSU). To me Baylor and Houston are fine opponents, but UNT is not. The reason is the perception. Houston is at least a C-USA School, Baylor a BIG XII, UNT is a Sun Belt, that is even worse than the WAC.

AS TO RECRUITING- IF YOU BRING IN THE RIGHT PEOPLE, THE PONY EXPRESS WILL LIVE AGAIN. WE BUILT THE STADIUM, NOW FINISH THE DEAL, BRING IN A BOWDEN, isn't Terry open. THERE IS YOUR COACH, TERRY BOWDEN. INSTANT PUBLICITY.

[Peruna1]

You're right '06!! Get Bowden in here!

[Big Cat]

You will never convince me that Cavan is the problem, until he has been on a level playing field for four years with every other team in the nation. If he cannot win under those circumstances, then I would worry. But think of that crap that he has had to deal with regarding probations, penalties, trying to keep kids in schools because there is no major for them.

The fact is the school does not care about the football team (by school I mean administration) so why should the students. It is not fair to tell the students to support the football team when the administration does do anything.