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NavyCrimson wrote:When all is said and done it all leads to Turner's office. Like any big or small organization. The very top. This has been going on for 30 something years so why get upset now? Nothing will change until the head guy is replaced with the RIGHT "leader". This is just another reason why no conference is considering SMU nor will ever as long as we are what we are.

78pony wrote:

SMULaxer wrote:How big is the bureaucracy at SMU? Does anyone know the administrator to student ratio?

All this money coming in to universities, my hunch is the administration is bloating. Inexcusable not to have a buttoned up game day operation.

Have not counted exact numbers of admins, but I feel confident that no university in the US has more diversity officers per capita than we do.

ponyboy wrote:And yet if we’d won, there would be no whining.

mtrout wrote:I didn’t notice any of these problems

Nedward wrote:I dislike bad publicity for SMU. But a had been stated ad nauseum here, this isn't the first time, the 5th time or the tenth time.

If this shames enough people maybe we see some changes. But I am skeptical.

The Dallas Morning News corresponded with approximately 100 fans who attended the game. With similar descriptions, fans painted a picture of a hot and humid mid-day kickoff, with a high of 95 degrees at noon, made worse by a lack of shade inside Ford Stadium and a lack of accessible water for fans who needed it. The concourse – inherently tight – was overcrowded with those seeking shelter from the sun, and by long concession lines that were lengthened by a lack of readily available supplies and internet connectivity issues.

SMU Athletic Director Rick Hart sent a tweet out the next day apologizing for difficulties with concessions, pledging to work with vendor Aramark, who handles facilities services at SMU, to resolve the problems and encouraging fans to bring unopened water bottles to fill at fountains inside the stadium.

Thank you @SMUMustangs being part of a record crowd at Ford Stadium. We apologize for difficulties ordering/receiving concessions. We will continue to work with @Aramark to improve service. Fans can also bring an unopened water bottle and refill at water fountains. #PonyUp

— Rick Hart (@AD_RickHart) September 25, 2022
Hart declined to speak for this story, instead referring to a nearly 800-word email SMU Athletics sent to The News in response to specific questions and anecdotal descriptions from fans in attendance.

“There were aspects of our game day experience on Saturday that fell short of our shared expectations, and we apologize for that,” the statement from SMU athletics began. “We – our staff and our game day partners ­– thought we were prepared to meet the demands of the day, but the combination of a record crowd on an unseasonably hot day at a time that did not provide any shade in the seating bowl stressed our systems and infrastructure. Now that we have experienced the culmination of these factors, we can aggressively work to address them.”

In Saturday’s game, alum Brooks Thomas saw a chance for SMU to show it could handle a crowd of nearly 36,000 people. He thought of it as an audition: for potential new fans, for a Power Five conference potentially watching, and for overall reputation. After the game, he called it a failed audition.

“These things get broadcast,” said Thomas, who prefaced his remarks by saying he loves the school and wants improvements rather than utter bashing. “You don’t hide those things under the rug. We’re auditioning in every facet of the experience: from the academics, to the product on the field, to the product the fans experience off the field in close proximity to the field. It was disappointing.”

ponyboy wrote:And yet if we’d won, there would be no whining.