OPEN REQUEST TO SMU BRASS -- CALL TO ACTION!!!!

[Nacho]

tcu didn't have the dp and the massive overreaction of their president/administration to keep them down for about twenty five years. in that time period we lost so many potential fans. an entire generation.

[longbuzzer]

Others on this site have said this, and I agree. Start up Mustang Mania 2, and this time don't stop.

[StallionsModelT]

1988-2008 killed this program. Then, as if that wasn't enough, June post-ASU put the last patch of dirt on the six foot pile. The people who attended SMU in that time period witnessed the least competitive, worst led, and least rewarding D1A football program in the country. Several winless seasons, one or two win seasons, zero conference championships, zero weeks in the top 25, etc. Football was not a part of their undergraduate experience.

Those people are now right smack dab in the middle of the type of people you need to attend football games (40-55) and for those individuals SMU football was not a pleasant memory of their college years. SMU went out of its way to run these people off for the better part of 30 years of complete ineptitude.

There was a glimmer of hope in the June halcyon days where we had a chance to prove to our alumni/fans that we respected them and, more importantly, ourselves. After June was rebuffed by ASU we had a chance to show a spine....and we didn't. We allowed him to ride it out here for another three years and burn the entire program to the ground. June post-ASU was Death Penalty 2.0 for SMU football.

Long story but the general gist is that we have eliminated 25-30 years worth of alumni from our fan base. A cute little season of six wins against D1AA, Sun Belt, CUSA, and AAC bottom feeders isn't going to bring those people back. In all likelihood, they will never be back. The best we can hope for is that continued success breeds a younger generation of alumni engagement that has a tangible connection with the program. Maybe if we break through and have a fantastic year (i.e. Top 25, 10 plus wins) we can drag back those from 88-08, but it will be fleeting. Those alums are gone.

[Blunt Pony]

1988-2008 killed this program. Then, as if that wasn't enough, June post-ASU put the last patch of dirt on the six foot pile. The people who attended SMU in that time period witnessed the least competitive, worst led, and least rewarding D1A football program in the country. Several winless seasons, one or two win seasons, zero conference championships, zero weeks in the top 25, etc. Football was not a part of their undergraduate experience.

Those people are now right smack dab in the middle of the type of people you need to attend football games (40-55) and for those individuals SMU football was not a pleasant memory of their college years. SMU went out of its way to run these people off for the better part of 30 years of complete ineptitude.

There was a glimmer of hope in the June halcyon days where we had a chance to prove to our alumni/fans that we respected them and, more importantly, ourselves. After June was rebuffed by ASU we had a chance to show a spine....and we didn't. We allowed him to ride it out here for another three years and burn the entire program to the ground. June post-ASU was Death Penalty 2.0 for SMU football.

Long story but the general gist is that we have eliminated 25-30 years worth of alumni from our fan base. A cute little season of six wins against D1AA, Sun Belt, CUSA, and AAC bottom feeders isn't going to bring those people back. In all likelihood, they will never be back. The best we can hope for is that continued success breeds a younger generation of alumni engagement that has a tangible connection with the program. Maybe if we break through and have a fantastic year (i.e. Top 25, 10 plus wins) we can drag back those from 88-08, but it will be fleeting. Those alums are gone.

This is spot on. Most accurate post I have read on the problem we have. The only solution is to win consistently in the American until we can be selected to a P5 conference.

[Mustangsabu]

I'm not sure that people understand the damage that is done to the program's image, and indeed potential, by showings like last Friday night. The game was attended by representatives of at least one bowl game and the reaction was not good. These bowl games want teams that will bring people, otherwise they lose any chance of making money. "Worrying" and "pathetic" were words used. On top of that, failure to win some more games will result in us getting a lower-profile opponent for the bowl which will lower attendance/travel and further hurt the program.

The first thing that needs to happen is that season ticket holders need to be told that if their tickets are not used for the remaining home games, they will not be offered tickets through SMU for the bowl. Then the student body needs to be told that any student who attends the last tow games will be given a free ticket to the bowl.

If I still taught my class at SMU they would have been told that attendance at each game (with a report on the Mustang Band performance) was worth extra credit.

[CA Mustang]

TCU and Boise did it. Now look at their followings. We have the worst fan following in FBS. That’s what it will take, not signs in the Dart busses. TCU didn’t go from empty stadiums in the 90s to what they have now because they had a better marketing strategy. They have their fans because they won, consistently, and won big games.

So threading a needle that only two out of 130 schools have achieved is the hurdle SMU must surmount? Also, I don't see anyone here claiming ads on DART buses are the only answer.

BSU is #2 all-time in winning percentage. http://www.winsipedia.com/ranking/all-time-record

BTW, many of BSU's wins were against schools "nobody's heard about" or "nobody cares about"(Nevada, Idaho, Utah State, Fresno State, Hawaii, San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, etc.) http://www.winsipedia.com/boise-state

The only solution is to win consistently in the American until we can be selected to a P5 conference.

If the next round of realignment kicks off in 2023-2024, the time to win is now.

[Charleston Pony]

Boise State is not a fair comparison to SMU...public school in a city with no big league sports to compete for sports fans entertainment dollars and easy for those who never attended the school to form an alliance with Boise State. TCU is the best comparison and the bottom line is that while we were still wallowing in the shame of the death penalty, TCU had a plan to do something about being left behind by our former SWC mates...and we didn't so we are now getting what our short sighted administration bargained for.

[03Mustang]

It starts with the right culture with the students that are in school right now. There is no quick-fix but if SMU games are the place to be on Saturdays (or any other day) then we have a chance at making some gains over the long term.

Frankly the majority of our alums and students are the type of people that will only show up when it's the place to be seen (i.e., Moody the last couple of years) and even then only if it's convenient.

Our fanbase is probably the worst in Division 1 in terms of average interest in the program (if such a thing was measurable) and I don't see a real fix within the next decade aside from the Big 10 or SEC suddenly deciding we should be in their conference. We are a stepping stone program at this point on our best day, and that's why Morris is gone very soon to a school with a fan base that will appreciate him for what he is and what he will do for them.

The reality is when he leaves the vast, vast majority of our "fans" will just shrug and go back to watching the Texas or Alabama game from the Boulevard while they never even consider staying in the stadium for more than a half (and only if it's homecoming or we're playing someone they care about).

Winning 10 games a year isn't even going to do it. I am honestly out of ideas and out of hope that we'll ever fill Ford with our own fans to cheer for the team. It's an embarrassment that I hope someone smarter and more savvy than me is able to fix at some point in my lifetime.

[Nacho]

https://www.unigo.com/colleges/southern ... eekend-2/1

what's missing here?

[StallionsModelT]

I'm not exactly sure what some of you expect. This program has given its alumni base virtually nothing to cheer for over the last 30 years. We briefly popped up to mediocrity early in this decade but immediately sank back down to the cellar. What should be our core game-attending alums were driven away by decades of complete garbage. A lot of that falls on Turner. By the time we actually got a great hire and decided to put the entire puzzle together it was too late. Our alumni weren't willing to go the well again with a bunch of empty promises about "commitment" and "Top 25 in everything we do".

The irony now is that I believe SMU is positioned for real success in both revenue generating sports for the first time post-DP. I like what Hart is doing, Morris has the football program trending up, and Jank looks like he's building a perennial conference title contender with basketball.

Just be thankful that our brief little piece of glory (09-12) coincided with the creation of The American. Can you imagine if that had occurred even two years later? We'd be wallowing in the weeds of CUSA w/ Rice.

[docabel]

We've all heard the last page and a half of excuses of why we are where we are, but smuhype has the right idea. Let's change what we can today.

The one thing the administration has the power to change more than anything else is the students. Any of the ideas presented on this thread are great ideas. If we don't engage our students now while they are getting free tickets, how likely are they to buy tickets in the years to come?

Think of how much energy the MOB has given at BB games, and they are a small percentage of the total attendance. The same can be done at Ford.

[Nacho]

the real answer is to eliminate the boulevard and give liquor away in ford.

[SMUer]

So now we won’t be invited to the sugar bowl?!?

[Pony Boss]

the real answer is to eliminate the boulevard and give liquor away in ford.

No need to go that far. This program has not won more than 10 games in any season post dp era and has zero conference titles. Get that done first then complain if the same amount show up.

[mtrout]

We could win 10 games in the sun belt