Comprehensive Plan to Return SMU to Football Relevancy

[CalallenStang]

Like most of you, I'm ready to see a return to the winning tradition of Mustang Football. Here's my comprehensive plan to return SMU to football relevancy and New Year's Day bowl games.

1) Marketing. We now have a major marketing angle to play up in DFW. "Bowling with the Mustangs." I can see it now: you are watching your TV in July when a commercial comes on. It's Peruna (or some horse) in a bowling alley. Narration: "Last Year, the SMU Mustangs were bowl-eligible, but were not selected." The horse rolls a bowling ball down a lane. Narration: "This year, they will be going bowling." The ball hits the pins...it's a Strike! Highlights of last year's season begin playing. Narration: "Come see your hometown college football team as they make plans to go bowling." (Of course, the narration is negotiable)

2) Lowering Recruiting Standards. Let's face it, we don't have our choice of recruits in Texas, or even in DFW. By making it harder for recruits to qualify here than at other schools, we eliminate our chances to sign some talented individuals that may be academic risks, but could have succeeded at SMU by utilizing the support systems of the University. We can justify this to the "you are compromising the quality of our academics" types by pointing out USC, Notre Dame, and Duke in basketball.

3) Athlete-Friendly Majors. So I was watching the Independence Bowl last week and I noticed that a lot of Oklahoma State players were Sports Management majors. This major, through the OSU business school, teaches students and student-athletes about the business aspect of athletic programs and professional sports organizations. Other majors that would be athlete-friendly would be Education (since so many athletes go on to coach) and a major in Sports Broadcasting.

4) Always moving up. We should be happy that we are in CUSA right now. We are right about the middle of the pack, and that's where a program in the stage of development ours is in should be. It's a good fit. But we should continue to make a long-term trend upwards (top of the conference within three years). If we can get to the point that we continually dominate our conference (see: WAC and Boise State), then we should look into moving into more major conferences.

5) Marketing. Oh, that's Number 1. Well, it's Number 5 too. The reason why is because it improves "butts in seats." The fact is, even though we won more games this year than any in recent memory, our attendance didn't improve because of horrible marketing strategies. Let's make sure the community knows about each and every game.

[ponyfan84]

good plan. #2 is solid....the sooner all the dumbasses in our athletic department and school realize we are not the Harvard of the south, nor will we ever be the Harvard of the south, we can lower our standards. It can be done, but with this school more worried about its image/academics, i wouldn;t bet on it anytime soon.

[CalallenStang]

good plan. #2 is solid....the sooner all the dumbasses in our athletic department and school realize we are not the Harvard of the south, nor will we ever be the Harvard of the south, we can lower our standards. It can be done, but with this school more worried about its image/academics, i wouldn;t bet on it anytime soon.

I don't want to be the "Harvard of the South." I want to be the "Notre Dame of the South" or the "USC of Texas." To me, the solid mix of great academics and great athletics is the greatest combination a college or university can have.

[mr. pony]

Simply a bowl should not be the marketing strategy. Bowls aren't what they used to be. Most are nothing more than a mini-reward for .500 or barely over .500 teams.

Going bowling should not be our "dream" and we shouldn't make a big deal about maybe doing it. It's aiming low. Maybe last season it was OK, but no more.

The conference championship is the goal this year, plain and simple.

[mr. pony]

[quote="CalallenStang"]

I don't want to be the "Harvard of the South." I want to be the "Notre Dame of the South" or the "USC of Texas." To me, the solid mix of great academics and great athletics is the greatest combination a college or university can have.[/quote]

Well said. Good comparisons. I completely agree.

[CalallenStang]

Simply a bowl should not be the marketing strategy. Bowls aren't what they used to be. Most are nothing more than a mini-reward for .500 or barely over .500 teams.

Going bowling should not be our "dream" and we shouldn't make a big deal about maybe doing it. It's aiming low. Maybe last season it was OK, but no more.

The conference championship is the goal this year, plain and simple.

I'd love to get that championship as much as you, but I still think we are a year or two away. Perhaps I'm wrong about that, but the fact that we lost to Rice in what was essentially a "playoff" game this year shows that this team isn't yet ready for the championship talk.

[2112]

These days with 64 teams going to bowls, it's no big deal to make one. If you don't go to a bowl, your season was a failure.

[Mountain Mustang]

...And since we haven't been bowling, this would be a good step for us. You can't run before you walk.

[J.T.supporta]

My cousin told me this last week..."SMU Football: Sure we had the Death Penalty but atleast we arent criminals like the Cinncinnati Bengals"