What's wrong with the TCU athletic model?

[MrMustang1965]

No Offense to the frogs but gimme the USC or Miami Hurricane model. Those are the 2 most successful private schools.

you would love to be a frog and have a model even close to what we have.

Love to be a frog? No. Have a model close to TCU's? Yes.

[Deep Purple]

No Offense to the frogs but gimme the USC or Miami Hurricane model. Those are the 2 most successful private schools.

Understandable. We've had some nice success, but we are hardly at the apex of private school success in D-IA football.

[EastStang]

USC struggled in the late 80's early 90's until the current coach arrived. Did they change anything structurally? Did they start buying players? Did being in a BCS conference give them access to recruits that they were formerly sharing with other schools? Or is he just a great coach and recruiter? They have athlete friendly majors and are from an urban environment.

Miami's success started with Schnellenbarger and continued with Jimmy Johnson, and so on. They kept the model that SMU had in the early 80's including some NCAA frowned upon activities (remember the tennis shoe shopping spree), and have thrived. They have athlete friendly majors as well. They have been consistent winners since the 1980's.

I forgot to add Notre Dame and BYU to my list of struggling private school programs. Weis and Willingham's recruits may have helped ND turn the corner, but we'll see. ND does have academic standards and despite the greatest name ID and largest recruiting base in the world (the CYO), they have had some trouble getting recruits that seem to get into Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. BYU has been struggling since Edwards retired. Their problem may be multi-faceted stemming in part from LDS rules and teachings.

[San Diego Frog]

The bottom line is having a nationally recognized and winning sports program brings in money. As well as enthusiasm to attend that particular winning program. Alumni are not going to donate to a losing program. Media are not going to give attention to a losing program.

Therefore, SMU either needs to make a commitment to D1 athletics or move into division 2 sports. They could run a hybrid that I see here at University of San Diego (private school) were their soccer, basketball, tennis, etc. compete in D1 and their football is D2. But that is a choice SMU is going to have to decide. Make a commitment to D1 or be relegated to D2.

[MrMustang1965]

The bottom line is having a nationally recognized and winning sports program brings in money. As well as enthusiasm to attend that particular winning program. Alumni are not going to donate to a losing program. Media are not going to give attention to a losing program.

Therefore, SMU either needs to make a commitment to D1 athletics or move into division 2 sports. They could run a hybrid that I see here at University of San Diego (private school) were their soccer, basketball, tennis, etc. compete in D1 and their football is D2. But that is a choice SMU is going to have to decide. Make a commitment to D1 or be relegated to D2.

The San Diego Toreros are a DIV. 1-AA team (Pioneer League, North Division), *not* Div. 2. Learn it. SMU will be in the same division within the next 10 years.