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Interesting message from the SMU Insider Staff about Saturdays game. Essentially, they are begging people to come to the game. This is a bleak situation that shows no signs of improvement. I don't see how we will win another game this year or next. I am really scared of what ATM will do to us next year at Kyle Field - not the game Bennett should have scheduled. Pretty stupid to do to a young team.

A Special Message From Insider Staff

This Saturday is Homecoming at SMU, and we would like to ask all of our season ticket holders to come to Ford Stadium to support our student-athletes as they take on Tulsa at 2 p.m. Your support at this juncture of the season is critical, and we ask that if you are not able to attend Saturday's game to please give your tickets to someone who will be able to use them or turn them in to SMU Community Relations by calling 214-768-2885.


We invite you to bring your friends and family to Ford Stadium for a great college football experience this Saturday for a special matinee. Enjoy the pregame fun on The Boulevard as the Homecoming parade begins at 11:30 a.m. Following the parade, you may come into the stadium at 12:30 to enjoy the Mustang Kids Corral and Mustang Stables, where defensive coordinator Jim Gush will speak prior to kickoff.


The team is working very hard to finish the season on a very strong note. Your support this Saturday will mean a tremendous amount to them as they look to beat Tulsa. The season is not over, so please come to the game or turn your tickets in to us so that we can get as many people into Ford Stadium for Homecoming.


As always, we appreciate the support of our loyal fans more than words can say. We know that SMU pride is alive and strong, so wear Mustang red and let's beat Tulsa this Saturday!

That is a sign of true desperation on the attendance issue. Come on, SMU, we want to see the audited attendance figures!!!!

jtstang wrote:Come on, SMU, we want to see the audited attendance figures!!!!

And what would you do with them if you had them? Are you working for the NCAA now? You can't change them...they are what they are. Just keep bringing your friends through the turnstiles and back out to the Vard and enjoy the atmosphere of the Vard. Down enough brewskis and this issue won't torment you so much.

I would post them on this board and watch and laugh at the ensuing panic.

anurep wrote: I am really scared of what ATM will do to us next year at Kyle Field - not the game Bennett should have scheduled. Pretty stupid to do to a young team.

I don't understand how scheduling a good D-1 school is stupid? Should we schedule some D-II opponents? I enjoy watching SMU play against competitive programs, not to mention I think its raises our own level play. Your not going to help attendance by briging Furman in here. And suppose we do get better in two to years, it would be nice to see where we stand with some of the better programs. Sounds like you wish to see SMU drop out of D-1.

Bennett has not done a good job in my opinion, but he does need more time.........people calling for his head need to simmer down........you can't go around firing the head coach every three years.

I don't think it would have been stupid to bring ATM to SMU, but we're going to Kyle (and we could lose by as much as Baylor did last year) and we don't get them at home for another 3/4 years.

Instead of getting slaughtered in the 2nd game of the season, which won't do much for attendance and shattered the teams already bad confidence, I would have rather played someone we had a chance of beating - away or at home. Actually, Furman sounds pretty good.

jtstang wrote:I would post them on this board and watch and laugh at the ensuing panic.

I think downing a bunch of brewskis would be more entertaining.

jtstang wrote:I would post them on this board and watch and laugh at the ensuing panic.

I know you're just trying to be funny, jt, but sometimes you just come across as a jerk. The net result of low attendance is we drop out of Division I. I don't find much humor in that.

Nor do I.

And the attendance figures are accurate - they count people in the stadium, not just tickets sold, as is the case with some other sports.

ponyboy wrote:I know you're just trying to be funny, jt, but sometimes you just come across as a jerk. The net result of low attendance is we drop out of Division I. I don't find much humor in that.

Jeez, sorry to hurt your feelings. But "trying to be"--come on, I AM funny.

Corso wrote:And the attendance figures are accurate - they count people in the stadium, not just tickets sold, as is the case with some other sports.

Sorry--don't believe it. How can you hand count 34,000 ticket stubs accurately in time to announce it in the third quarter?

This is exactly the type of message that SMU should be sending out to alums and season ticket holders. In fact, I might have put the challenges facing SMU football more plainly in a letter to all alums or in the alumni magazine long before now.

JT, I don't know what good you think it would do for SMU to spell out where it stands against NCAA requirements each week. That is unnecessary and wouldn't do a bit of good anyway.

what is the big deal-its going to be public knowledge anyway if this measure isn't changed. I'd rather the extent of problem be revealed so the depth and consequences can be fully explained to the people who might be able to fix it.

I think the e-mail is appropriate, but should've been sent out before every game with a reminder of the need to put people in the stands because of the new rules. To send it out now, without emphasizing the reason it is important that tickets be used, may be a case of too little, too late.

And I do think a weekly report of where we stand against the new attendance rule, featuring real audited numbers and not "official" ones, would have helped. If only to create a panic among the folks who think it is good enough to buy season tickets, and not necessary to use them. The rich alums (not to be confused with Rich Alum) who buy up those season tickets on the west side of Ford are the worst offenders for not showing up. I think if they were constantly reminded that the result of their truancy was a quick trip to Division 1AA, they might actually use their seats.

Rice had a promotion to get people to come to the SMU vs Rice game. For $5 you got a ticket, a coke and a program. Plus, the parking was free. If SMU did something like that, they might be able to get a few more people to come to the game. Of course it would help if they put a competitive product on the field.