SMU Extends Series with TCU, Navy & SFA

[RGV Pony]

Well that little commuter school easily attracted the second best crowd to Ford last year-better than any CUSA team. Here's a Little ECONOMICS 101 for some of you:

Texas Tech 26,969
Rice 13,902
North Texas 20,517
Tulane 14,901
UTEP 16,464
UCF 10,271

Bottom Line Orsini knows what he is doing with this schedule. SMU can not continue to run up huge deficits forever. The CUSA West especially will never be a financial boon to SMU's bottom line. Reality dictates that SMU must play teams that produce revenue and this schedule is directly aimed at that goal. The SMU/NTSU series has the potential to be one of SMU's most profitable series if you throw in travel costs. I predict attendance will rise in the series with Jones/Dodge at the helm. The game certainly makes more sense than Texas St. Sam Houston, Arkansas St and the other nobodies we've scheduled recently. In fact, I'd bet that the among the biggest paydays in SMU recent years has been Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor and North Texas State games-whicvh is why they are on the schedule. Probably the other series that earned more was Oklahoma St.

I agree. The permanent members of the OOC schedule should be TCU, NTSU and Baylor. Rotate someone we can do home and home with that will bring some fans as the fourth. This would include Navy, Missouri, and aTm as are currently on the schedule. Add Oklahoma State, and we've got some quality opponents that will bring people. Much as I'd like to see an SEC team, I don't think it'll happen because those that bring fans won't do a home and home. I don't think Ole Miss or Miss St would bring that many fans to Dallas; Vandy definitely wouldn't. LSU, Tennessee, Florida, UGA would not in a million years do a home and home. I think Jerry Jones has right of first refusal for any games Arky plays within a 150 mile radius of Dallas.

[lwjr]

Stallion,

But as the program continues to improve under Coach Jones do you think that playing a SFA/NTSU would hurt more than help. Also, as the team gets better, we all hope, more fans will come to games no matter who they play, I hope.

[Cheesesteak]

These are good and sensible schedules.

Our travel costs are very reasonable. Visiting team fans will likely come to Ford Stadium in pleasing numbers, especially if SMU football becomes good again.

TCU and Baylor should be on our schedule every year (decade after decade). UNT is not sexy but it also offers the potential for good revenue with low expenses.

I do hope that the Aggies make their contracted trip to the Hilltop.

A successful job with scheduling by SMU.

[MrMustang1965]

I'm not thrilled about SMU playing SFA, either (even if they do represent the Southland Conference). I hate the Lumberjerks. Thank God the Mustangs don't have to travel to Naconowhere to play 'em in that miserable excuse of a town.

[bagice]

Stallion,

But as the program continues to improve under Coach Jones do you think that playing a SFA/NTSU would hurt more than help. Also, as the team gets better, we all hope, more fans will come to games no matter who they play, I hope.

As a Mustang fan, you should know never to "assume" anything. You can just as easily assume that UNT will improve as well under Dodge and they are on the brink of making some commitments to their football team.

I agree we should never do anything regulary against the SFAs and Texas States, but UNT is a cut above them with more upside, plus they are in our own backyard....both schools can get a nice payday with just the rental of a couple of buses to move the team. Low travel cost for a locked in series is huge and no shame in playing UNT if they continue to improve.

Stallion's point is excellent...last year both teams were down, but still mustered our second best game in Ford..Play that game in the future with both teams undefeated in September and you have a packed house of Pony Fans and all them UNT grads here in Dallas.

UNT becoming stronger is good for us and this could become a real nice rivalry game in the future.