17 years ago today....

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

In case some of you had forgotten, February 25, 1987 is a day that will live in infamy for SMU Football as it was the day that the school was handed down the "death penalty" by the NCAA. Apparently, this day has other significance because 15 years ago it was also the day that an oilman from Little Rock bought the Cowboys and 10 years ago it was the day that the SWC began it's slow death as the formation of the Big 12 was announced.

The landscape changed

By MATT MOSLEY / Dallas Web Staff

Three events, all occurring Feb. 25, changed the landscape of Texas sports forever.

Ten years ago, Southwest Conference schools Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor were formally invited to join the Big Eight.

Fifteen years ago, a little-known Arkansas oilman purchased the Dallas Cowboys ... and fired a legend.

And 17 years ago, a scandal-ridden SMU football program was given the ultimate penalty from the NCAA.

The aftershocks are still felt.

SMU is coming off its third winless football season in school history and has had just one winning record since receiving the NCAA "death penalty" in 1987.

Jerry Jones made amends in the 1990s with three Super Bowl victories, but in some circles, he will always wear the black hat for firing Tom Landry.

Since the splintering of the Southwest Conference and the birth of the Big 12, the four castaways (TCU, SMU, Houston, Rice) seem to switch conferences on a yearly basis.

Feb. 25, a dubious date in many Texas sports fans' minds, won't soon be forgotten.

1987: SMU PAYS PENALTY


Irwin Thompson/DMN
SMU finished 0-12 under Phil Bennett in 2003. The school has had just one winning season since receiving the NCAA "death penalty" in 1987.
What happened: SMU's football program received the harshest NCAA sanctions ever – including suspension for the 1987 season – for numerous rules violations. NCAA director of enforcement David Berst made the announcement before 100 reporters ... and then fainted, suffering from flu and stress.

Said then: "We really didn't expect them to do this...There's got to be a fairer way than this." — Mark Vincent, SMU senior defensive back.

Says now: "Even though it was 17 years ago, it's something that never goes away. We are far beyond it, though it was in many ways a signal event in the university's history." — Dr. C. Paul Rogers, SMU faculty athletic representative since '87

Aftershocks: The Mustangs voluntarily scrapped the '88 season because of restrictions brought by the sanctions and resumed play in 1989. But the program has never fully recovered. SMU was 0-12 last season.

1989: IT'S JERRY'S TEAM NOW

What happened: Jerry Jones became the new face of "America's Team," buying the Cowboys and firing Tom Landry. Team president-general manager Tex Schramm and Jones flew from Dallas to Landry's vacation home near Austin that Saturday afternoon, and Jones broke the news to the only coach the team had ever known. "It's tough when you break a relationship you've had for 29 years, " said a teary-eyed Schramm at a packed Valley Ranch news conference later that night.

Said then: "This is like (Vince) Lombardi's death. There are relatively few coaches whose careers compare with Tom." — Pete Rozelle, longtime NFL commissioner, on Landry's ouster.

Says now: "I couldn't have anticipated the huge media participation that day ... I just remember it being overwhelming. I had a little media experience with the [Arkansas] Razorbacks, but I completely underestimated what it was going to be like in Dallas." — Jerry Jones

Aftershocks: The Cowboys finished 1-15 in Jones' first season, but won three Super Bowls in the '90s.

1994: HELLO BIG EIGHT, GOODBYE SWC

What happened: The 79-year-old Southwest Conference was staggered as Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor formally accepted invitations to join the Big Eight (soon to be called Big 12) starting with the 1996-97 athletic year.

Said then: "I think it's very important for everyone to remember that we were invited to join the Big Eight. This is not some kind of arrangement where (Texas) President (Robert) Berdahl and someone else worked out an arrangement where these schools would go and these schools would not." — William Cunningham, Texas chancellor

Says now: "There were a lot of different agendas going on at the same time. No one wanted to go in the same direction," — Steve Hatchell, SWC commissioner in 1994, and the first Big 12 commissioner.

Aftershocks: SWC castaways SMU, Houston and Rice will be reunited in Conference USA in 2005, and TCU will play in its fourth conference when it moves to the Mountain West in '05.