What Autonomy Really Means for SMU

[Sam I Am]

The Automous 5 have a CYA by allowing one non-5 team play in one of the six BIG bowls. If the Big 12 ever expands they will take non-Texas teams to spread their TV market. SMU is stuck out and would have to have some new coachng genuis to recruit and beat top rated teams in pre-conferecne games to have an outside chance at playing in the big bowls. Only Notre Dame is accorded any parity with the the FIVE. We have been locked out for good this time, and this is the very sad truth.

[East Coast Mustang]

Win 8-10+ games a year consistently. Beat teams people have heard of from P5 conferences. Be in contention for the AAC title/G5 spot in the big bowls every year. Average 25k+/game at Ford and get some of the casual Dallas sports fans interested. We did it with basketball in the span of a few months. Football is a harder road to travel but it CAN be done.

If we can do that, we will be attractive to a P5 conference. The B-ball program is rolling and will be setup well even when LB retires with great facilities and a solid fanbase. We have good academics and an ideal location in a great TV and recruiting market. I refuse to believe the ship has sailed for us

[mrydel]

Personally I think the dream of a series of 10 wins seasons as a requisite is gone. We no longer have the time to do so even if we could. The rich will just get richer and the poor will get poorer. Only way we get in is to think outside the box. I have no idea what that could be or if it is even conceivable, but the train has left the station. The baby has been thrown out with the bath water. And any other cliche that would be deemed appropriate.

[Nacho]

colllege football is going to die a slow death.

[Arkpony]

The sad truth is, as much as I hate to admit it, I fear Mrydel is correct. Ken Pye will reach his goal, the demise of SMU football.

[AusTxPony]

It is hard for me to give up hope. The tiny glimmer in the tunnel is that the PAC 16 takes Texas/OU/Tech/
OSU and the Big 12 expands with SMU,UH, UCF,USF,Cincy, Memphis, UConn and NAVY. Works with BYU for an ND type arrangement. Let me keep my dream alive. More important to be hopeful than right.

[friarwolf]

The big 5 have won, we have lost. They are not going to expand - why cut the pie in more pieces? ESPN will create a playoff scenario for us that have been left behind. Basketball? The same thing with March Madness consisting of the big 5 with everyone getting in the tourney. ESPN will transition the NIT into the tournament for us leftovers.

[redpony]

The sad truth is, as much as I hate to admit it, I fear Mrydel is correct. Ken Pye will reach his goal, the demise of SMU football.

And Ken Pye has been ably assisted by none other than RGT. Had we really wanted to be competitive in today's environment RGT should have started moving forward over 15 yrs. ago. Too little - too late.

[StallionsModelT]

This is why I went ahead and renewed my season tickets despite saying 10000x that I wouldn't. Gonna need to be there for these last few years before the program is shut down.

[Grant Carter]

This is why I went ahead and renewed my season tickets despite saying 10000x that I wouldn't. Gonna need to be there for these last few years before the program is shut down.

That is good to hear, although I was looking forward to seeing you picket outside ford. Your boycott threat seems to have been as sincere as redpony's boycott of the football message board.

[StallionsModelT]

Hey I'd rather watch a June Jones team than no team at all which is the likely outcome here in the near future.

[San Antonio Mustang]

colllege football is going to die a slow death.

Sadly, I believe Nacho is correct. The P5 TV fan base will not be sufficient to support the $$$ the networks are throwing at them. When you eliminate the possibility of competing then the vast majority of college football fans will just move on the NFL. As Nacho says it will be slow death.

[lwjr]

colllege football is going to die a slow death.

I agree 100%. Like everything else, money and greed will kill it.

[Stallion]

you guys are crazy-to the average fan as opposed to the average college alumnus culling the herd will make college athletics easier to follow and more like the NFL. OK today I'm rooting for the State of Florida Gators v the State of Tennessee Volunteers. Not really different that an NFL game between Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans. Its not going to hurt the Big schools at all-not one bit-in fact ratings will go up. If anything as schools drop out-there would be less games, less competition and higher ratings for the limited games. That's how a monopoly works

[smusportspage]

I think that is correct. with one caveat. It will grow, but not in your life time, or mine. The networks will lose viewers immediately. How fast they regain them is the question. I think it will take a while. I think the networks will take a hit. There is a certain segment of college fans that are just that, College fans. It is different than the NFL. Take the college out of it, why do I waste my time watching teams I really care nothing about. All of the teams in the P5 are not like Notre Dame. BYU, the service academies who have established nation wide fan bases. The networks will retain the hard core college fan but will lose the rest, at least initially.