Question?

[Phxfan]

Big 10 is getting $0.25/household in Maryland and Rutgers territory. Do the math

Is the Pac-12 going to get that here?

They might. They would much rather build UH than deal with UT. Hook up with UH/SMU and do the best you can. USC, Stanford, UCLA do not want UT. Maybe CUSA can deal with UT, not the PAC. UT tried and lost. It is over for UT and the PAC. So SMU either goes with the AAC to the end, or goes to the PAC. I hope they try the PAC road. UH will probably get an invite. They have everything. Texas, decent school, SMU just needs to latch on.

[couch 'em]

Being from the west coast, I do think the PAC would rather have a mild SMU/UH rather than, " I want my way UT", I do not think UT is in that mix again. They would like Texas but without U. T. I am sure USC would just love to deal with that non-sense for years. A constant headache. UH and SMU might have worked, maybe still could? I doubt that, due to this last mess.

I don't think you understand, for the PAC-12 there is no Texas without UT. They simply cannot gain any traction in this state unless they have a 1st tier brand like UT. SMU and UH don't have enough fans to make the PAC-12 matter in this state, neither of those schools drew well even when they were in the Texas-centric SWC.

Big 10 is getting $0.25/household in Maryland and Rutgers territory. Do the math

You are telling everyone our entire story and they won't listen

[GreenbeltPony]

TX's population is expected to double to 50 million by 2040 if I recall correctly. Plus, Dallas and Houston are booming.

[Phxfan]

Do you ever get tired of this. I was 11, when I got addicted to SMU. I am tired now at 64. I think the NCAA has [deleted] with you more than any other Univ. So, what is next? For me, I hope they get to the P12.

[PonySnob]

Just remember how empty Larry's first year was

We had a lot of wins in his second season

[gostangs]

sbs - I think it is you who do not understand. I'm not saying the PAC is dying for us but it is not out of the question at all. Do you think the Big was pining for Rutgers all these years? No - they wanted THEIR CURRENT TEAMS to have access to the biggest media market in the country.

DFW is the 4th biggest media market in the country. Getting your teams into this time zone and into these growing cities is very attractive, and to do it without the crap that would come with UT is a bonus. UT is not the end all to college athletics in the state, as Baylor and TCU prove every time they suit up.

Are they going to try to expand where they are already? Utah? Colorado? No - they have to look at new geography - and Texas is the next state with any bodies moving east. Why take UT and their our way or the highway attitude, plus some doggy Lubbock school, when you can get right where the people are and add UH and SMU.

Have some imagination. In three years of P-5 involvement SMU would be on fire athletically. We could be like USC in less than 5 years. Hell half our students are already from California, might as well make the transformation complete.

[ojaipony]

I would LOVE for us to get into the Pac12. That is definitely my preference for a P5 spot.

But, we have to WIN. And we have to fill Ford (or at least fill it MORE). Chad, of course, is doing all the right things. Once he has the product to sell, he'll be successful at filling Ford. That JMU loss really hurt because we had students there. But everyone I talk to (alums, generally aware fans) feel that we are "on the cusp" and so they are also a little patient. I hope we can pick up a few more wins this season and get to a decent bowl next year. Then, 2017 be able to REALLY compete and go from there.

The most likely scenario is that the AAC continues to show promise on the field (Memphis, UH, Temple and hopefully us and Cincy will/should be good) and the AAC becomes sort of a P6. The AAC is going to have to earn on the field much like how TCU did and it will take several years of at least 2 teams getting to top tier bowls. And, of course, the next scenario is that the top tier schools get picked up by other P5 conferences (and again we being one of them). But BOTH scenarios require us winning and filling Ford. So let's focus on that - all in on THAT. Lock arms! And the conference stuff will work itself out. I have faith there. But we HAVE to win and fill Ford.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

Other than the obvious reason that it would be awesome to be in any P-5 conference, I just cannot understand the position that the PAC is a great fit for SMU. First and foremost, the PAC has ZERO interest in SMU and I don't conceive of the PAC EVER having more than ZERO interest in SMU. Total and complete pipe dream. We don't fit the profile of the other PAC schools in any way, shape, or form.

As pointed out in this thread and in many, many, many threads before, UT Austin is the beginning and end of any PAC interest in the state of Texas. And having escaped Texas' embrace once before, I can't imagine that Colorado would be particularly keen on the Horns. So I don't even see that as particularly likely. But SMU doesn't move the needle at all for the PAC, and I frankly don't see how it ever will.

Looking at it from our perspective (and this is the height of presumption for a school in SMU's position vis a vis the PAC), I don't see why we want to join a conference where we have to travel to the west coast for all our road games and have 9 PM CST starts on TV. We have a hard enough time attracting eyeballs when we play TAMU at 1 PM on a Saturday. How many people in Texas are going to watch us play Washington State at 9 PM? And its not just football; ALL of our student-athletes would be subjected to a brutal travel schedule.

Look, I grew up in California about 20 minutes from Stanford's campus. I lived in Oregon before I moved to Texas 20 years ago. So I grew up with PAC sports. I grew up watching John Elway at Stanford, Troy Aikman at UCLA, and Rodney Pete at USC. I followed the Ducks in the magical 1994 when they went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in forever. I didn't go to a PAC school, but I certainly respect the PAC. I just don't see how they would ever want SMU, or. . .if they did. . .why SMU would choose the PAC (because if the PAC wants SMU, then I'm assuming we'll have options).

Just my two cents. . .for what little that is worth.

[Stallion]

Truth

SMU wouldn't even come close to sellouts against PAC teams even if we were in a P5 conference-they don't travel and our fans could care less. I'm sure many will deny this-but its the truth. Marginal improvement in our attendance. Remember we've actually played a few teams in the PAC on which to base this conclusion

[GreenbeltPony]

Truth

SMU wouldn't even come close to sellouts against PAC teams even if we were in a P5 conference-they don't travel and our fans could care less. I'm sure many will deny this-but its the truth. Marginal improvement in our attendance. Remember we've actually played a few teams in the PAC on which to base this conclusion

The problem affecting attendance is that we have a culture of football apathy due to 1) chronic losing (most significant) and 2) our conference affiliations post-SWC. Assuming that CM gets this turned around and we start putting up 9 or 10+ win seasons, I really don't think you can single out those prior C-USA/AAC games against Washington St., etc. and predict a trend of what attendance would look like in the future in the Pac-12, for example. The fanbase is there, but they have (had) very little to care about.

[Charleston Pony]

We all know how successful our time in the WAC was. I know that as an east coaster, I hated those late night starts and really have no desire to go west. In reality, we need to get off all this SMU to P5 talk because it is not very realistic. We are in with a pretty good group right now and need to focus on doing our part to make the AAC stronger, which I think we are doing. Keep scheduling (and hopefully start beating) P5 schools and the country will take note. With Ford and the new Moody, our venues "fit" SMU well and if SMU can build Top 25 caliber programs in both football and bball, we will be fine and I would expect we will see respectable crowds at both Ford and Moody no matter who the opponent.

As for talk of the PAC 12/14/16, I still feel Texas and OU are the prizes and I wouldn't mind seeing that happen as I'd love to see SMU and Houston along with Memphis and Cincy rejoin TCU and Baylor in the Big XII. If TTech and OSU went with Texas and OU, might even add UCF and USF to the Big XII and actually get back to 12 teams. Even if that scenario was to play out, we would have to expect TV contracts to be renegotiated and revenue to fall far short of what the P5 conferences are getting.

[EastStang]

Yet another kitten dies from an expansion thread. I don't see us going to the Pac-12 unless they get desperate for ANY entre into the Texas market. What I see as the very few plausible chances at a P5 are as follows: Big Ten wants to get must carry in two large TV markets Dallas and Houston (#4 and 7) adding SMU and UH does that. Those two markets mean probably $20 Million in cable revenue for that network. Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers and Maryland would probably support SMU and UH so that they aren't doormats anymore. Problem (neither is AAU). ACC wants into Texas to recruit. Has more private schools than any other P5 conference (Wake, Duke, U, and two publics that act like privates UVA and UNC). Again, Dallas and Houston provide TV sets. Problem: Attendance and history.
Big XII. If UT and some other school jump to the PAC12, the Big XII would want to backfill. SMU and UH would be ideal to the toaster leavings of the Big XII. Problem: That conference may be left out of P5 when it goes to P4. Last option, make the AAC into a real solid football conference. We have Navy, if SMU can turn the corner along with UH, Memphis, Temple, UCF and USF, then we stand to maybe get attention. It means winning out of conference games against P5 teams and aggressive scheduling on a regular basis. To get in P5 you have to beat them, to join them.

[sbsmith]

sbs - I think it is you who do not understand. I'm not saying the PAC is dying for us but it is not out of the question at all. Do you think the Big was pining for Rutgers all these years? No - they wanted THEIR CURRENT TEAMS to have access to the biggest media market in the country.

DFW is the 4th biggest media market in the country. Getting your teams into this time zone and into these growing cities is very attractive, and to do it without the crap that would come with UT is a bonus. UT is not the end all to college athletics in the state, as Baylor and TCU prove every time they suit up.

Are they going to try to expand where they are already? Utah? Colorado? No - they have to look at new geography - and Texas is the next state with any bodies moving east. Why take UT and their our way or the highway attitude, plus some doggy Lubbock school, when you can get right where the people are and add UH and SMU.

Have some imagination. In three years of P-5 involvement SMU would be on fire athletically. We could be like USC in less than 5 years. Hell half our students are already from California, might as well make the transformation complete.

I will admit that carriage fees means it's not out of the question but tap the brakes on the rest. SMU-UH will reach a limited amount of fans in this state even with PAC-12 membership (neither drew well even in the SWC). At no point will we ever even remotely resemble USC.

[StallionsModelT]

The American is our home for the foreseeable future and given where we've been for the majority of the past 30 years we should feel damn thankful to be here.

The playoff system will be expanded to 8 teams when the TV bigwigs get all their ducks in a row and realize there is even more money to be made. When that happens there will be a much greater possibility of a team from The American making it. Who knows if the league is able to keep 3-4 teams around the Top 25 maybe Aresco can ensure that the conference champion will get an automatic bid. If the conference continues to distance itself from the MWC, CUSA, Sun Belt, MAC there is a chance we could be invited to the party with an automatic bid.

The reality of where SMU is right now is that our best and most realistic shot of elevating our status among the P5 is for the American to make it the P6.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

The American is our home for the foreseeable future and given where we've been for the majority of the past 30 years we should feel damn thankful to be here.

The playoff system will be expanded to 8 teams when the TV bigwigs get all their ducks in a row and realize there is even more money to be made. When that happens there will be a much greater possibility of a team from The American making it. Who knows if the league is able to keep 3-4 teams around the Top 25 maybe Aresco can ensure that the conference champion will get an automatic bid. If the conference continues to distance itself from the MWC, CUSA, Sun Belt, MAC there is a chance we could be invited to the party with an automatic bid.

The reality of where SMU is right now is that our best and most realistic shot of elevating our status among the P5 is for the American to make it the P6.

Totally agree.