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SMU is back
OK, so maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, considering last night's 22-9 victory over Mack Brown's brother was almost like watching someone learning to drive a stick shift.

And yes, no one was at the game. But as an SMU alum, I speak with authority when I say it will take time for the fraternities and sororities to re-arrange their social calendars around football again. (Once it becomes cool to go to the games, "It's like, oh my gosh, a must that we be there!")

When I was there in the mid-1980s, we were lucky if the Deltas and Phis and Omegas would stay for the first halves of games at Texas Stadium before returning to their chauffeured buses for endless more beer.

So don't worry, Phil (Bennett), once the Alphas and Sigmas learn last night's game was on TV, they'll seriously start thinking about going because, "It's like, oh my gosh, a chance to be seen by my friends on cable."

Posted by Chip Brown at 2:30 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (1

I thought Chip was funny as well. The truth is I think the fraternitites are already behind this team. Bennett makes the rounds to all the houses before the season starts. It's the local alumni and close but out of town alumni (like myself in Houston) who need to come out and support the team. The reason I say that is because when being considered for a bowl, money is the key. Traveling fans who are alumni spend more money than students. Think about it, rental car, shirts, hotels, mixers, dinners, and receptions in the host city. Students don't do that stuff, alumni do those things. We need local and short distance alumni to come out to Ford.

The Cox school of business does a great job of feeding their bretheren before the game and then sending them down the 'vard to the stadium.

Once, again Chip makes a good point, but alumni need to be held more accountable than the students.

I couldn't agree more with '98. Student attendance has increased with every home game this year. Its the paying public that isn't showing up. The West side of the stadium continues to be embarassingly empty.

The recent home games had no visiting fans (Marshall, UAB). It will look better over there for Houston and Tulsa.

Chip is right on the money with that one. SMU students will turn out well when it becomes "the thing to do". This team is making that closer to reality.

Meanwhile, as for geting great seats on the visitors side, it's still a lock for any CUSA opponent. Only UTEP has a decent following that will show up in Ford.

I do believe that if Houston can win theis week, they will have a respectable turnout...but won't match the 5,000 UTEP can bring

Chip was one of the best writers and editors the Daily Campus ever had.

True, true . .. it does the "cool factor" (which I obvioulsy lack) to make more students want to go to the games instead of just hang at the Blvd.