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I've read a lot of comments from various sportswriters wondering why SMU would pay a coach 2 million a year. Their reasoning is that if Jones is successful, SMU will play in a bowl that pays us maybe 750k. However, I think they're missing the bigger picture here.

By making Jones the highest paid coach in the CUSA (and one of the top 25 in the country), Orsini is putting pressure on the other schools in the conference to keep up. If SMU starts to recruit well and win, you'll see the other schools in CUSA find ways to get more money into their programs. The quality of all the programs will go up and the quality of the bowl games the CUSA is associated with will rise as well.

It's a gamble. SMU has to produce results on the field. Clearly everyone thinks Jones will be able to do that. So do I. But if it works, I think we'll see some big changes in the conference overall.

Either that or Orsini wants SMU to join the SEC.
(that was my suggestion when I was at SMU and Arkansas left the SWC)

They are obviously missing the point that the coaches salary has been almost completely paid by boosters, so this isn't about return on investment. The money was donated, not invested.

Besides that, if we made it to a bowl game, that wouldn't be the only revenue increase--we would be selling more tickets, getting TV revenue, etc. It would be way more than $2 mil a year.

I don't know that it will have that big of an impact on other CUSA schools though. It might increase the level of the raises that some of the coaches get, but I would be surprised to see anyone else cough up $2 mil. Most of the Big 12 coaches don't even get that much, and the other schools would also likely have to find this from their donors as well.

There is always the chance that TTU will actually lose its academic accreditation (on probation now!) and we could sneak into the Big 12!

The big money boys laid out some serious cash on JJ, thats great, and most of us agree that he will bring SMU back where it should have been all along, a winner. If the team wins, the money will come right along with it no doubt, bowls, donations etc..just have a little more patience.
That being said, CUSA is very winnable, but moving to the Big XII, never gonna happen, sadly, tex and aggie arent gonna have any part of that, even tho SMU WILL be better than Baylor!. It was hard enough on those cry babies when you guys were handing them thier [deleted], in "THIER" conference lmao!

The JJ hire should bring more fans to the games and increase Mustang Club donations. A winning football team makes it easier to raise money for the school from alumni.

CrimsonKing wrote:The big money boys laid out some serious cash on JJ, thats great, and most of us agree that he will bring SMU back where it should have been all along, a winner. If the team wins, the money will come right along with it no doubt, bowls, donations etc..just have a little more patience.
That being said, CUSA is very winnable, but moving to the Big XII, never gonna happen, sadly, tex and aggie arent gonna have any part of that, even tho SMU WILL be better than Baylor!. It was hard enough on those cry babies when you guys were handing them thier [deleted], in "THIER" conference lmao!

Never say never. At this point the plan should be (and according to SO is) to get to top 25 in everything we do. We are generally doing well in all other sports. If and when a conference realignment, opening, whatever, occurs, if we have achieved top 25 status then SMU is hopefully attractive to a conference and maybe gets asked to join. We will need to be top 25 (or close to it) and competing for and winning conf championships on a regular basis though to even have a chance.

When conference realignments occur/destruction of the BCS system occurs, SMU needs to be in an attractive position for would-be suitors. We really are going to have to fill up Ford/Moody, make bowls/ncaa tourney appearances, and ride the wave of positive publicity not only here in Dallas but across the nation. If, and thats a HUGE if, that occurs, then I could see SMU being asked to join a major conference.

No, by that time we will join Notre Dame as an independent to keep all the bowl revenues!

StallionsModelT wrote:When conference realignments occur/destruction of the BCS system occurs, SMU needs to be in an attractive position for would-be suitors. We really are going to have to fill up Ford/Moody, make bowls/ncaa tourney appearances, and ride the wave of positive publicity not only here in Dallas but across the nation. If, and thats a HUGE if, that occurs, then I could see SMU being asked to join a major conference.

While I agree with most of what you wrote, this won't happen until our attendance numbers reach a point where discussions have to occur about expanding Ford Stadium to meet demand. As pathetic as Baylor is, their attendance for football in 2006 was 37,000, which is more than the total capacity for Ford. There may also be questions about the fact that we've dumped baseball and track and field in the past, which may need to eventually come back, which would not be a bad thing at all. Get a new natatorium for the perennially ranked swim teams, and we might be set for a jump.

Baylor's 37,000 average are mostly OU, Tex, Ags, TTU fans.
These fans who can't afford home season tickets have Baylor circled as the game they can attend without paying high prices.
I wonder what their non conference attendance is - that is more indicative of their core following.

If SMU ever went Big 12 - we would schedule the games to the above opponents at either the Cotton Bowl or JerryWorld.
Ford would be non conference and lower tier BCS.

I can see the Pac10 going to the Pac12 to get a conference playoff. I see them taking Colorado - which is more Pac10 than Big12. If SMU is rocking, we would be a strong candidate.

planoponyfan wrote:I've read a lot of comments from various sportswriters wondering why SMU would pay a coach 2 million a year. Their reasoning is that if Jones is successful, SMU will play in a bowl that pays us maybe 750k. However, I think they're missing the bigger picture here.

the $2 million/year isn't about returning the athletic budget to profitability. it's about winning some games and not being a laughingstock

Pony81 wrote:Baylor's 37,000 average are mostly OU, Tex, Ags, TTU fans.
These fans who can't afford home season tickets have Baylor circled as the game they can attend without paying high prices.
I wonder what their non conference attendance is - that is more indicative of their core following.

If SMU ever went Big 12 - we would schedule the games to the above opponents at either the Cotton Bowl or JerryWorld.
Ford would be non conference and lower tier BCS.

I can see the Pac10 going to the Pac12 to get a conference playoff. I see them taking Colorado - which is more Pac10 than Big12. If SMU is rocking, we would be a strong candidate.

SMU to the Pac10? I don't think so. We tried it with the WAC and it never caught on. No natural rivalries and low fan attendance. Recruits weren't interested. Ask Rhonda about the improved interest of local recruits since we moved into CUSA. Granted the Pac10's programs are larger with better crowds, but that is a real stretch. The SEC or Big 12 makes the most sense if and when Colorado leaves for the rumored greener pastures of the Pac10 or Missouri moves over to the Big 10 (which shows you the sad state of math education in this country since there are 11 teams in that conference.) However, I am happy that we are in CUSA. A change in conferences isn't a priority and might not be worth it if we were to end up like Baylor and Vanderbilt at the bottom of the conference every year. We can make the top 25 every year by competing and succeeding in CUSA, which is just fine by me!

SMU will have to pass TCU in wins and attendance to ever be considered for a better conference. We can dream, but BCS for SMU isn't going to happen unless the NCAA has a playoff, or the have-nots file a class action suit against the BCS cartel. I'm, too, am excited about JJ, but a good coach doesn't change the politics of big time football.

Sam I Am wrote:SMU will have to pass TCU in wins and attendance to ever be considered for a better conference.

Sam, that little $10M gift is once again proof that when we put our minds to it, SMU can surpass TCU at ANYTHING.

With the inevitable playoff system, I believe the Conference championship game goes away. Thus, the big conferences will have to breakup and realign.

That opens up more regional conferences, and we could see part of the West CUSA possibly consolidate with Baylor, tcu, UNM or NMSU, some configuration with fewer total teams.

SteveO's JJ Bomb was the first nuke on the Cusa.

planoponyfan wrote:SMU will play in a bowl that pays us maybe 750k.

If you can find a bowl that pays 750K, please, please, please let the Mountain West Conference know. We're desperate for anything that pays over 300K - really, anyone that actually pays - see Houston Bowl 2005 that still owes us our cut.

SoCal_Pony wrote:

Sam I Am wrote:SMU will have to pass TCU in wins and attendance to ever be considered for a better conference.

Sam, that little $10M gift is once again proof that when we put our minds to it, SMU can surpass TCU at ANYTHING.