Is Mustang BASEBALL on the horizon?

[SMUFan]

DFW is a hotbed for talented college football and basketball players, too, but SMU wasn't competitive for quite a while. Local doesn't mean wins or attendance. GOOD players mean wins, wins mean attendance.

I hate college baseball ("PING!")

That said, kudos to Dallas Baptist. Anyone who beats Froggy High gets my heartfelt congratulations.

[mustangbill67]

I do not know what the numbers are Title 9 wise currently at SMU. However, the number of male-female teams are never one for one because football skews everything. We curently have 6 male sports and 10 female sports.

We dropped men's track and I believe cross country as well although both may be considered to be one team. I believe we added both equestrian and rowing after that although my time line may be off. In any event, I always understood that we dropped men's track for budgetary reasons not title 9 reasons. So there may be some wiggle room for a new men's sport or to bring back track although I do not see us doing that unless we do add another female sport.

[Bergermeister]

add another female sport.

Add one. Wrestling. Rugby. Lacrosse. Hockey. Softball. Badminton. Sign'em up. Let's go!

[d_pony]

it was dropped for TITLE 9 (we could not afford to add additional women' sports) to make numbers even - currently we are balanced slightly more female athletes than male and are in compliance

[EastStang]

If someone has about $200 Million lying around that wants to endow baseball, and two women's sports, then go ahead. Unless that occurs, it won't happen unless it was a BCS requirement and then we'd probably get the cash needed to fund this. Why would the PAC 10, Big Ten, BE or ACC for example want SMU to sponsor baseball when all of those conferences love soccer? I could understand the Big XII wanting SMU to pick up baseball since they don't sponsor men's soccer and same with the SEC (although with South Carolina and Kentucky already in CUSA our soccer program might be a plus to the SEC). I don't see us joining either conference any time soon.

[reddevil]

If someone has about $200 Million lying around that wants to endow baseball, and two women's sports, then go ahead. Unless that occurs, it won't happen unless it was a BCS requirement and then we'd probably get the cash needed to fund this. Why would the PAC 10, Big Ten, BE or ACC for example want SMU to sponsor baseball when all of those conferences love soccer? I could understand the Big XII wanting SMU to pick up baseball since they don't sponsor men's soccer and same with the SEC (although with South Carolina and Kentucky already in CUSA our soccer program might be a plus to the SEC). I don't see us joining either conference any time soon.

I hear there is a guy with his name on a new library at SMU who has tons of money and loves baseball. Just saying.

[gostangs]

another reason we wont be adding any new sports is academic - for every athlete - male or female - that we add, we need a student with about a 1400 SAT to counter them to keep our average the same, and the trustees are determined to increase student quality - so more athletes on campus are a drag on that effort. The only way it happens is if BCS happens.

[Ikus]

I hear there is a guy with his name on a new library at SMU who has tons of money and loves baseball. Just saying.

Hard to imagine him contributing to anything.

DFW is a hotbed for talented college football and basketball players, too, but SMU wasn't competitive for quite a while. Local doesn't mean wins or attendance. GOOD players mean wins, wins mean attendance.

I hate college baseball ("PING!")

That said, kudos to Dallas Baptist. Anyone who beats Froggy High gets my heartfelt congratulations.

Great post.

it was dropped for TITLE 9 (we could not afford to add additional women' sports) to make numbers even - currently we are balanced slightly more female athletes than male and are in compliance

Are you sure about that? With up to 85 scholarship athletes in football, it seems hard to believe that there more female athletes.

[d_pony]

i think the number is 51% females - i will check and see if i can find that information and give you an exact % - i do know for a fact that SMU past the gender equity certification of the NCAA last year so it has to be within 3% of that percentage

[LakeHighlandsPony]

What do we do-share Scotland Yard?

[35straight]

Just started to become a hardcore Ranger fan. This would really cut down on my attendance at "The Ballpark".

[Water Pony]

another reason we wont be adding any new sports is academic - for every athlete - male or female - that we add, we need a student with about a 1400 SAT to counter them to keep our average the same, and the trustees are determined to increase student quality - so more athletes on campus are a drag on that effort. The only way it happens is if BCS happens.

Actually, most non-revenue sports athletes contribute positively to the student applicant numbers, including high SATs/ACTs, plus deliver good grade points and graduation rates while in school.

[stc9]

I posted on the Other Sports page, several months ago. a rumor I heard about Lacrosse. I was speaking with a friend who is a Division I Mens Lacrosse Coach and he told me that SMU was considering it. You would have to balance it with a woman's sport. You would not need any new facilities, games could be played in Ford. Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the State of Texas so there are plenty of local athletes to pursue. Also SMU already has ties with the boarding schools in the Northeast which would be another source of players.

This being said, I don't think SMU would pony up a millions of dollars for a sport that wouldn't produce revenue and the travel costs would be prohibitive.

[d_pony]

Ikus - 51% is the correct percentage for female athletes - this % was certified to the NCAA

[RednBlue11]

this would also mean mustang softball, correct?