Everybody's Gut feeling about us making a P5 Conference?

[SMUfrat]

You guys are huge downers...

With a lot of work, we have a good chance. We need to be good in football, we need to keep our coach, and we need more facility improvements.

There is hope. We need to do a lot of things right. I can guarantee one thing, however. If there ever was a split in FBS, we will be on the right side. We wont be relegated. How do I know? Gut feeling. You can disagree, but I have a lot of hope.

[One Trick Pony]

How much is hope this year?

[lwjr]

How much is hope this year?

A bucket of spit

[PonyKai]

How much is hope this year?

Cheaper than change.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

We can't spend too much time worrying about P5, because it is out of our hands. We just need to focus on the things we can control, just like TCU did for 13 years. Then perhaps if the stars align we'll get our shot, just like TCU did.

[Terry Webster]

I have a feeling that college football in 10 years won't look anything like it is now. Between academics, play for pay, and the huge tv money being poured into it, somethings going to change. Whether SMU will be part of it, nobody knows.

[CalallenStang]

90%. Simply due to growth of DFW market, our value will increase.

But it's long term, not short term.

Anyone that thinks success on the field or on the court is a deciding factor is delusional. Look at Rutgers. What matters is how much $$$ you are worth to a conference. And SMU's $$$ worth will continue to increase for conferences that aren't getting a slice of DFW already.

That said, SMU will never be in the Big 12.

[smupony94]

That's great Ralph just raise the price from free to $1 million for hope

[ponyboy]

Lots of outstanding questions. Is Chad Morris the guy to get us into Top 25 in the next, oh, three to five years? Will our fanbase, larger Dallas, and the college football world take sufficient note? Is Dallas truly a coveted market not already covered by UT, A&M, TCU? Would a PAC12 consider us? Do we have the commitment, to use a tired term, from an SMU leadership level to get this done?

I think we have a lot of pieces that need to fall in place for this to come to fruition. Basketball success only helps incidentally, not directly.

[SoCal_Pony]

1%.
Too little too late.
I do think we're as well positioned as we've been post-DP to be a top Go5 team w/hoops rolling and Chad starting to get to work on football.

Tough crowd.

I happen to think our chances are much better than most, but still 'maybe' 25% chance as long as nothing significant occurs over the next 4 years. And not because of SMU but due to Dallas.

For all those saying 1%, 0% or worse, if that truly was the case, there is absolutely no justification to spend $60M+ on an IPF.

I'll add this. Realignment, killing off of old rivalries, etc...its all been driven by $$$ or more succinctly, GREED. That greed will eventually play its way to BB. I think it is short-sided to believe one can be successful in BB 10 years from now without P5$$$. All the more reason to go 'all in' with FB.

Let's see. In 10 years, for an athlete attending a P5 conference vs non-P5....during their 4 years on campus, one school will earn $300M while the other will earn $30M. Almost impossible to compete in either FB or BB for the non-P5 schools.

[StallionsModelT]

I would give us a 100% chance if the PAC 12 would just come to The Boulevard and hang out in some of the sorority tents.

[footballdad]

0

[HarvCrimYaleBlue]

The CFP and so-called "Power 5" have been around for only a hot minute. The BCS era was 16 years. Who knows what the landscape holds. As many have mentioned it is driven by GREED and GREEN. It's all about the dolla-dolla-bills y'all.

I believe there is something beyond the Power 5 and Group of 5 designations that will surface over the next few (likely several) years.

To say SMU has been sitting on its hands is pretty accurate, but with the entrance of Jones and push for an AQ conference it is evidence of Turner (or someone) doing something about the future. The fact that the Big East lost its AQ status is what has relegated SMU to one of those on the outside looking in.

As a member of the SWC for 80 years, one could make an argument that SMU should be included in any "power" conference due to its history. Same goes for Rice and Houston.



Can someone with a legal background explain why/how there can be blatant exclusivity and conference bowl tie-ins for the power, while only one for the entire other lot? Certainly there has to be a case that can be made to undo that nonsense and offer equal inclusion.

[leopold]

Hate to say it, but it doesn't look good for us.

The only P5 conference who would give us a shot is the Big XII and we aren't even the best candidate in the state - excuse me, the already over-saturated state. Frankly I don't think Houston's got as good a shot as they think they do but between us and them I'd pick them, too, outside of loyalty to my alma mater. Outside of that there's half a dozen schools outside the state who would kill for a spot in the Big XII and we are basically Tulane without an additional media market.

The only way that SMU has a shot right now is based on two scenarios, both unlikely:

1) The Big XII gets gutted, with Texas and someone else leaving, forcing them to expand and do it in a big way in order to keep their P5 designation, or

2) For whatever reason the P5 decides to go P6 and allow the American to join their ranks - even more unlikely - possibly happening if either the Big XII or ACC getting gutted with key members leaving and leftovers finding a spot in the American and fighting to stay relevant in college football.

[jpe747]

Quite frankly it doesn't matter what our guesses might be. This is what I was referring to a few months ago when I suggested there must be a long range plan. That is a common business practice. As for SMU, it looks to me like those who have studied SMU athletics have determined that it is worth millions of dollars to continue on the upward track. It would have been much easier to fold the tent at several different strategic opportunities in the past. However, people in the loop seem to be ready and willing to bring the program back to prominence. As for winning, I am not being delusional when I add winning is very important to a P5 conference. We are putting about 10,000 to 15,000 people in the stands for our games (that might be optimistic). SMU needs to have overflowing crowds to get the interest of a big conference. IMO the only chance of doing that is having a winning program. I think the inner loop is counting on winning and the addition of fans. They should have a much better insight about our chances.

Additionally, I am very impressed with the strides the AAC have made over the past two years. I think the chances are good for a much better contract TV contract next opportunity. If we were to beat Baylor and TCU and win out in our conference for a couple of years the AAC might be on its way to being a 6th force in college football.

Finally, I'm not sure the Big12 is going to continue to be a major conference. There is still the possibility that UT and OU go elsewhere. And, the bottom 3 or 4 teams are pretty weak. Though it looks like a great move today, it could turn out to be a bad move to leave the AAC for the Big12.