Why?

[Big12Mustang]

Why does SMU think we can half [deleted] things and be good in Football? Taking shortcuts got us in the pickle we are in. While other schools went the route of getting top notch coaches, building up facilities and recruiting the city, we went the other direction...June not recruiting DFW, no IPF but some improvements in locker rooms and meeting areas (oh but we do have money to build a brand new state of the art Tennis Center that costs way more than an IPF of the same size).

We did the right things in basketball: We built Crum which is one of the best basketball facilities in the country, we renovated Moody, we brought Larry in, Larry is recruiting DFW kids and blue chip players.

Why do we expect to succeed in the most important sport, Football, by half arse-ing everything?

Build the IPF, make our facilities equal to what the other big boys have, get a coach that can build and instill a P5 program culture that remains after he is gone (like Boise, TCU, UCF and others have done and are doing) and then just win the games that are put in front of us. Easier said than done, but everyone is going all in in our conference and we are soon going to be left behind, in our own conference, if we continue our course of action. The AAC is the best of the other 4 and I don't think it will be left out in the end, but our own conference seems to be making strides in all sports and we are stuck in neutral in the sport that moves the needle. Even Memphis has realized that they need a solid football program. Focus on what we can control (facilities, coaching hire, winning the games in our schedule), and then the things that we cannot control (P5 invite, AAC becoming a P6, getting into an access bowl or playoff spot, etc) will sort themselves out. We can be as good as any football team in this country and I believe SMU can return to the prominence we had in the 80's doing things the right way. We have to stop putting our school down and we have to go all in. We have to focus in our positives and what we can control and let the other things sort themselves out. The train will arrive at the station when we show the world the best we can be, and I think we will be great. Basketball, Football, Soccer, Golf, Volleyball, Swimming, Tennis....we can be the best athletic program in Texas...we just need to get the work done.

[malonish]

The IPF would have been built where the tennis center is now. June didn't want to walk across a street.

[fifty]

That would have required the installation of a 10 yard footbridge. Showstopper.

[PoconoPony]

Why does SMU think we can half [deleted] things and be good in Football? Taking shortcuts got us in the pickle we are in. While other schools went the route of getting top notch coaches, building up facilities and recruiting the city, we went the other direction...June not recruiting DFW, no IPF but some improvements in locker rooms and meeting areas (oh but we do have money to build a brand new state of the art Tennis Center that costs way more than an IPF of the same size).

We did the right things in basketball: We built Crum which is one of the best basketball facilities in the country, we renovated Moody, we brought Larry in, Larry is recruiting DFW kids and blue chip players.

Why do we expect to succeed in the most important sport, Football, by half arse-ing everything?

Build the IPF, make our facilities equal to what the other big boys have, get a coach that can build and instill a P5 program culture that remains after he is gone (like Boise, TCU, UCF and others have done and are doing) and then just win the games that are put in front of us. Easier said than done, but everyone is going all in in our conference and we are soon going to be left behind, in our own conference, if we continue our course of action. The AAC is the best of the other 4 and I don't think it will be left out in the end, but our own conference seems to be making strides in all sports and we are stuck in neutral in the sport that moves the needle. Even Memphis has realized that they need a solid football program. Focus on what we can control (facilities, coaching hire, winning the games in our schedule), and then the things that we cannot control (P5 invite, AAC becoming a P6, getting into an access bowl or playoff spot, etc) will sort themselves out. We can be as good as any football team in this country and I believe SMU can return to the prominence we had in the 80's doing things the right way. We have to stop putting our school down and we have to go all in. We have to focus in our positives and what we can control and let the other things sort themselves out. The train will arrive at the station when we show the world the best we can be, and I think we will be great. Basketball, Football, Soccer, Golf, Volleyball, Swimming, Tennis....we can be the best athletic program in Texas...we just need to get the work done.

An IPF is just an excuse. It would be nice, but is not critical. The Green Bay Packers practice and play outside because that is the environment in which they play. In Texas you play the first half of the schedule in 100 degree temperatures and you better learn to deal with that reality. Our problems are all about coaching and recruiting with some accommodation for academics.