PonyFans.com

So this is super easy for me to say because its not like I have any money right now (hopefully some day)....But I have a serious question.

Does mustang club have specific things we fund or do y'all just all throw at money at it and don't really know where it goes, because your loyal fans and all love smu? I dont think thats the best way to fundraise. We are raising a billion for the centennial campaign, that's mostly all academic stuff right (besides moody)? Can we then follow that up with a 250 mil campaign (or whatever number) just for athletics? Get some super stud salesmen (Ive heard RGT is a stud salesmen, but if he doesnt like athletics find someone else) to come up with everything we want, with computer graphic renderings and "virtual tours" for everything. Invest as much as it takes to make a very legit presentation.

Then present it to the alumni and school as the new athletics campaign (come up with a good name) and show everyone what exactly a new IPF would look like, what exactly a new recruiting plane (or helicopter) would look like, what the new uniforms (maybe make that a surprise) will look like, etc. Just make a huge athletics push to say we are 100% committed to this and are going to be a power soon. Larry brown could endorse the campaign, same with whoever the football coach is, anytime there's a big interview have them mention the campaign, have ESPN mention our new commitment every time we play, just like every time the mention moody being renovated or baylors new stadium. Create a buzz about the new investment smu is making in athletics.

I know just throwing money at a problem doesn't fix it, and a recruiting helicopter is the least of our worries, but a big campaign would generate some buzz with alumni and maybe even around the country that smu athletics is back. This in turn helps recruiting if the perception of the program is changed. And we desperately need a new perception of the program.

In my fraternity we ask alumni for money all the time, we always present exactly what we what, why we want it, when we want it, we have even come up with stages we want to accomplish for house improvements. It gives alumni something to strive for to help us meet our donation goals.

Why not just do a huge push for investments in athletics? If we want to still be our academic first mentality we can say hey we raised a billion for improving the academics of the school...now we are trying to raise 25% of that for improving the athletics. I feel like its a helluva alot eaiser to throw money at sports then to throw money at tenuring a professor. It's just more exciting, and we had a well thought out, well presented plan, I think the alumni would respond. Make it a 5 year fundraising campaign with a goal of being big time in 10 years. We need to act committed in a big way, create a buzz

We are struggling currently to change the perception of our athletics through wins (basketball will help)...So why not sell the FUTURE of our program to recruits, other conferences, tv deals, etc. "We know we aren't great right now, we are mediocre, but we at SMU never except mediocrity, so we are going to invest 250 mil in the next couple of years directly to athletics to make us a contender"

We can then sell the potential and future of the entire athletic program, and the recruits will come (not the best but better). Just like LB is selling the potential and future of SMU to studs like EM. (and they are buying it)

coloradoStang wrote:So this is super easy for me to say because its not like I have any money right now (hopefully some day)....But I have a serious question.

Does mustang club have specific things we fund or do y'all just all throw at money at it and don't really know where it goes? We are raising a billion for the centennial campaign, that's mostly all academic stuff right (besides moody)? Can we then follow that up with a 250 mil campaign (or whatever number) just for athletics? Get some super stud salesmen (Ive heard RGT is a stud salesmen, but if he doesnt like athletics find someone else) to come up with everything we want, with computer graphic renderings and "virtual tours" for everything. Invest as much as it takes to make a very legit presentation.

Then present it to the alumni and school as the new athletics campaign (come up with a good name) and show everyone what exactly a new IPF would look like, what exactly a new recruiting plane (or helicopter) would look like, what the new uniforms (maybe make that a surprise) will look like, etc. Just make a huge athletics push to say we are 100% committed to this and are going to be a power soon. Larry brown could endorse the campaign, same with whoever the football coach is, anytime there's a big interview have them mention the campaign, have ESPN mention our new commitment every time we play, just like every time the mention moody being renovated or baylors new stadium. Create a buzz about the new investment smu is making in athletics.

I know just throwing money at a problem doesn't fix it, and a recruiting helicopter is the least of our worries, but a big campaign would generate some buzz with alumni and maybe even around the country that smu athletics is back. This in turn helps recruiting if the perception of the program is changed. And we desperately need a new perception of the program.

In my fraternity we ask alumni for money all the time, we always present exactly what we what, why we want it, when we want it, we have even come up with stages we want to accomplish for house improvements. It gives alumni something to strive for to help us meet our donation goals.

Why not just do a huge push for investments in athletics? If we want to still be our academic first mentality we can say hey we raised a billion for improving the academics of the school...now we are trying to raise 25% of that for improving the athletics. I feel like its a helluva alot eaiser to throw money at sports then to throw money at tenuring a professor. It's just more exciting, and we had a well thought out, well presented plan, I think the alumni would respond. Make it a 5 year fundraising campaign with a goal of being big time in 10 years. We need to act committed in a big way, create a buzz

I am liking every bit of this thread. This comes back to what Stanford did with their program. They set up an Athletics only endowment fund in which alums and community can contribute to. I want SMU to start something up like this. We can do it!

I know right!?!

-Kool Nike Peruna Logo Gloves, I'd throw money at that
-IPF, I'd probably devote a little bit per month for that
-Alt. uniforms, I'm so down

-LEC improvements, nah
-Peruna neon strip-club sign for the locker-room, pass
-Phony Pony carpet in the basketball locker-room, not until you fix the proposal to the right Peruna

feelthehorsepower wrote:

coloradoStang wrote:So this is super easy for me to say because its not like I have any money right now (hopefully some day)....But I have a serious question.

Does mustang club have specific things we fund or do y'all just all throw at money at it and don't really know where it goes? We are raising a billion for the centennial campaign, that's mostly all academic stuff right (besides moody)? Can we then follow that up with a 250 mil campaign (or whatever number) just for athletics? Get some super stud salesmen (Ive heard RGT is a stud salesmen, but if he doesnt like athletics find someone else) to come up with everything we want, with computer graphic renderings and "virtual tours" for everything. Invest as much as it takes to make a very legit presentation.

Then present it to the alumni and school as the new athletics campaign (come up with a good name) and show everyone what exactly a new IPF would look like, what exactly a new recruiting plane (or helicopter) would look like, what the new uniforms (maybe make that a surprise) will look like, etc. Just make a huge athletics push to say we are 100% committed to this and are going to be a power soon. Larry brown could endorse the campaign, same with whoever the football coach is, anytime there's a big interview have them mention the campaign, have ESPN mention our new commitment every time we play, just like every time the mention moody being renovated or baylors new stadium. Create a buzz about the new investment smu is making in athletics.

I know just throwing money at a problem doesn't fix it, and a recruiting helicopter is the least of our worries, but a big campaign would generate some buzz with alumni and maybe even around the country that smu athletics is back. This in turn helps recruiting if the perception of the program is changed. And we desperately need a new perception of the program.

In my fraternity we ask alumni for money all the time, we always present exactly what we what, why we want it, when we want it, we have even come up with stages we want to accomplish for house improvements. It gives alumni something to strive for to help us meet our donation goals.

Why not just do a huge push for investments in athletics? If we want to still be our academic first mentality we can say hey we raised a billion for improving the academics of the school...now we are trying to raise 25% of that for improving the athletics. I feel like its a helluva alot eaiser to throw money at sports then to throw money at tenuring a professor. It's just more exciting, and we had a well thought out, well presented plan, I think the alumni would respond. Make it a 5 year fundraising campaign with a goal of being big time in 10 years. We need to act committed in a big way, create a buzz

I am liking every bit of this thread. This comes back to what Stanford did with their program. They set up an Athletics only endowment fund in which alums and community can contribute to. I want SMU to start something up like this. We can do it!

haha thank you FTHP. I'm not sure if your the right guy I want endorsing this, considering your reputation on the board . Haha kidding obviously.

SMUer wrote:I know right!?!

-Kool Nike Peruna Logo Gloves, I'd throw money at that
-IPF, I'd probably devote a little bit per month for that
-Alt. uniforms, I'm so down

-LEC improvements, nah
-Peruna neon strip-club sign for the locker-room, pass
-Phony Pony carpet in the basketball locker-room, not until you fix the proposal to the right Peruna

I like the Nike horse gloves! We need those!
IPF duhh
Uniforms...yessir

SMUer wrote:I know right!?!

-Kool Nike Peruna Logo Gloves, I'd throw money at that
-IPF, I'd probably devote a little bit per month for that
-Alt. uniforms, I'm so down

-LEC improvements, nah
-Peruna neon strip-club sign for the locker-room, pass
-Phony Pony carpet in the basketball locker-room, not until you fix the proposal to the right Peruna

See I'm ok with the locker room stuff cuz that helps recruiting. But why not say hey we need to upgrade the locker rooms. Heres exactly what we want to do: add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over (whatever it is) and for the alumni and RECRUITS to see what the plan is here's a virual tour of it (presented during a big booster meeting, put on youtube, social media etc.)...It's going to cost 10 mil, and that's part of the campaign.

coloradoStang wrote:

SMUer wrote:I know right!?!

-Kool Nike Peruna Logo Gloves, I'd throw money at that
-IPF, I'd probably devote a little bit per month for that
-Alt. uniforms, I'm so down

-LEC improvements, nah
-Peruna neon strip-club sign for the locker-room, pass
-Phony Pony carpet in the basketball locker-room, not until you fix the proposal to the right Peruna

See I'm ok with the locker room stuff cuz that helps recruiting. But why not say hey we need to upgrade the locker rooms. Heres exactly what we want to do: add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over (whatever it is) and for the alumni and RECRUITS to see what the plan is here's a virual tour of it (presented during a big booster meeting, put on youtube, social media etc.)...It's going to cost 10 mil, and that's part of the campaign.

Are you trying to mock me with this thread?

feelthehorsepower wrote:

coloradoStang wrote:

SMUer wrote:I know right!?!

-Kool Nike Peruna Logo Gloves, I'd throw money at that
-IPF, I'd probably devote a little bit per month for that
-Alt. uniforms, I'm so down

-LEC improvements, nah
-Peruna neon strip-club sign for the locker-room, pass
-Phony Pony carpet in the basketball locker-room, not until you fix the proposal to the right Peruna

See I'm ok with the locker room stuff cuz that helps recruiting. But why not say hey we need to upgrade the locker rooms. Heres exactly what we want to do: add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over (whatever it is) and for the alumni and RECRUITS to see what the plan is here's a virual tour of it (presented during a big booster meeting, put on youtube, social media etc.)...It's going to cost
10 mil, and that's part of the campaign.

Are you trying to mock me with this thread?

Huh? honestly not at all.

coloradoStang wrote:
Huh? honestly not at all.

I say because of the "add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over "

I would think it is a good idea but it felt like it may be a cheap shot at my "optimism" for a P5 program

feelthehorsepower wrote:

coloradoStang wrote:
Huh? honestly not at all.

I say because of the "add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over "

I would think it is a good idea but it felt like it may be a cheap shot at my "optimism" for a P5 program

No, I meant that as add whatever the hell our recruits think is cool and catches their eye. I'm optimistic about SMU too, but I think we need changes, we are just kind of spinning our wheels. We need to make some sort of statement that we are back and committed and here to stay. Again all easy for me to say because I don't currently donate any more then my $20.15 a year to the school. But I think there could be a way to present all this stuff and create some momentum for the program. If 250 mil is just ridiculous then lower it, the total number and the money doesnt really matter. The buzz and momentum is what does.

If an smu alumn who hasnt cared about athletics for 10 years, hears that man the school just invested $250 mil into sports. We have a hall of fame basketball coach that is making the tourny a regular thing, and a hot shot football coach that is supposed to really make us big time. Maybe I should go check out smu sports again.

coloradoStang wrote:

feelthehorsepower wrote:

coloradoStang wrote:
Huh? honestly not at all.

I say because of the "add xboxes and free soda and huge stripper poles and ponies all over "

I would think it is a good idea but it felt like it may be a cheap shot at my "optimism" for a P5 program

No, I meant that as add whatever the hell our recruits think is cool and catches their eye. I'm optimistic about SMU too, but I think we need changes, we are just kind of spinning our wheels. We need to make some sort of statement that we are back and committed and here to stay. Again all easy for me to say because I don't currently donate any more then my $20.15 a year to the school. But I think there could be a way to present all this stuff and create some momentum for the program. If 250 mil is just ridiculous then lower it, the total number and the money doesnt really matter. The buzz and momentum is what does.

If an smu alumn who hasnt cared about athletics for 10 years, hears that man the school just invested $250 mil into sports. We have a hall of fame basketball coach that is making the tourny a regular thing, and a hot shot football coach that is supposed to really make us big time. Maybe I should go check out smu sports again.

I like this. Everyone I have talked about has told me the same thing. SMU needs to show they are committed to winning and then they will say we are big time and become fans. They won't do it to a mediocre team that doesn't care

The cool thing about your idea...is that even if we disagree, we can use our dollars to further specific causes that we want..it obviously could be done...didn't Thad Matula's intro video get funded through specific MC donations? Expand it out!

FTHP - "SMU needs to show they are committed to winning and then they will say we are big time and become fans."

That's been the problem for a long time. The problem starts with a man named R Gerald Turner. If you dont reconize that, then you dont recognize the problem. Ask any Ole Miss fan how glad they are he is gone.

SMUer wrote:The cool thing about your idea...is that even if we disagree, we can use our dollars to further specific causes that we want..it obviously could be done...didn't Thad Matula's intro video get funded through specific MC donations? Expand it out!

Yep, I firmly believe people are way more willing to donate if they have something specific and they see that specific result come to fruition in a reasonable time period. These sort of things are all based on momentum and perception, we need to energize the fan base, not just the ponyfan/MC crowd. Only way to reach them is through huge visual flashy displays of what exactly we want to do, and just blast it all over every media outlet we can (specifically social media)