Memo

[35straight]

http://smu.edu/pdf/statementonadmissionsprocess.pdf

[SMU2007]

still doesn't address the fact that they said that NCAA requirements were all that was needed when JJ came when in fact, there is another level of requirements that clearly exist.

liar.

[peruna11]

Thought Tunks was leaving for Stanford?

[Samurai Stang]

still doesn't address the fact that they said that NCAA requirements were all that was needed when JJ came when in fact, there is another level of requirements that clearly exist.

liar.

Exactly! This statement fails to address the very reason for the frustration.

No matter the question, SMU will only provide the answer it wants to give.

[CalallenStang]

Thought Tunks was leaving for Stanford?

No. Tunks is stepping away from his current role in August, when he will take over for Ellen Pryor (another Assoc. Provost) in her duties while she completes a visiting professorship at Pepperdine Law School. Tunks will serve in that role until December, when he will take a one-year leave of absence. After that, he will return to teaching full time in the Meadows School of the Arts.

Not sure where the Tunks-to-Stanford rumor got started.

[mustang addict]

This letter is not clear enough or good enough to make up for what happened. If we are to SERIOUSLY progress in athletics and keep Coach Jones and his staff this doesn't sound like it's going to "cut it". The only thing I got out of it was it looked like the letter tried to blame the athletic dept. for not PREPARING these 2 NCAA qualifiers that they still might not get in. I hate to say it but it sounds like we have a long way to go. I hope someone can shed some light to make me feel better!!!

[Stallion]

Answers an important question:

"The PSA must first become an NCAA qualifier1, as determined by the NCAA,
and then be evaluated by the FAAS as admissible to SMU"

So as I've speculated June is signing more than just the 25 Category C signees in 2 years including "in the recent past SMU’s FAAS has approved a number of students near or at NCAA minimums". More like 35-37 Category C students in 2 years-about 65% of the entire 2 classes. Logic and mathematical probability dictate that a bunch were very low qualifiers and below since we have 10-12 non-qualifiers too. Phil Bennett got 7 Category C admissions in his last 2 years. That's about 5 times the number of Category C signees as opposed to Bennett. SMU is nationally competitive with its admissions. No one every said we would be at the lowest common denominator.

I really don't know why all of you want to blame the Administration for this entire debacle. If a kid hasn't met school admission requirements by Signing Date then there should have been clearer communication between coaching staff and recruit too that he would be considered for admission as a late qualifier. It happens all the time. Kids are informed before signing date all the time that they may not be admitted and they suddenly start looking for other alternatives late. The fact that SMU now allows "late qualifiers" is a positive-one that I stated was important before most even knew what a late qualifier was but the Coaching Staff has to be straight forward with the recruit. We may lose some late commitments-its not unusual. If you project the recruit to make it-you stick with him-if not you go find someone else.

[Bergermeister]

SMU will only provide the answer it wants to give.

duh.

[Mestengo]

Can anyone here show evidence in writing or in a video where Turner clearly states that if a student is an NCAA qualifier that the standards are exactly the same for admission to SMU?

The introductory press video with Steve, Turner and Jones has been said to have it, but Turner does not state that.

The only direct statement I know of from Turner in regards to this is his email response to me where he states that there are two different standards.

“If a student has not yet met NCAA minimum or SMU standards, their final grades in the spring semester are often determinative. “

So until someone has rock solid evidence in writing or in video. Quit [deleted] up the season for me. I want to focus on wins and if I can get a signal at Bishop & Binkley on my flat screen!

[i phone money]

Can anyone here show evidence in writing or in a video where Turner clearly states that if a student is an NCAA qualifier that the standards are exactly the same for admission to SMU?

The introductory press video with Steve, Turner and Jones has been said to have it, but Turner does not state that.

The only direct statement I know of from Turner in regards to this is his email response to me where he states that there are two different standards.

“If a student has not yet met NCAA minimum or SMU standards, their final grades in the spring semester are often determinative. “

So until someone has rock solid evidence in writing or in video. Quit [deleted] up the season for me. I want to focus on wins and if I can get a signal at Bishop & Binkley on my flat screen!

Have never agreed with a post more.

[WildHorse]

Me too.

I feel horrible for Hall and Jackson, but I'm very proud that SMU has its academic standards. If the students' last semesters or final test scores didn't get them in, they didn't get in. We are nowhere near where we were two decades ago when guys had to be admitted before they could even take an official visit.

I hope Jeremy Hall and Darryl Jackson enjoy huge success wherever they end up, and in a way, I will always consider them part of the Mustang family. But at the moment, I'm more interested in Chris Banjo dealing with the loss of his mom and the condition in his hip discussed in the story at the top of the football page, and who's going to fill the holes left by the outgoing seniors.

I wouldn't be surprised if the university has said the last it's going to say about the admissions deal, and with regard to the guys in question, federal privacy laws probably prohibit them from saying anything more. We're coming up on football season, people. It's time to start talking about beating Texas Tech!

[NickSMU17]

The exact quote from Turner on the video...

"Nationally Competitive" and "our students can play here or ANY other place for that matter."

[jtstang]

As always, the explanation comes out long after the horse has left the barn.

I have no problem with the NCAA minimum qualification standard being the SMU standard. I also have no problem with admitting kids who might not cut it if they can halp us on the field for a year or so. Sorry for the bad attitude, but after a taste of winning, I want more.

And for those of you who worry about the "value of your degree" or whatever, I promise you there are a bunch of non-athletes who flunk out every year and they have not hurt you. A few more athletes who help us win and attract more and better general applicants will probably make your degree worth more.

I do agree with Turner that if this is the system, then full disclosure of the potentials needs to made to the recruits. Whoever promised them something they could not deliver should shoulder the blame for any fallout.

[Longtime]

From what I read into this, June Jones has been under the impression that he can get anyone into SMU that meets NCAA minimums. Whether this is actually what he was told is up for debate. But the fact that every borderline case, until now, had been admitted to SMU obviously gave him and his assistants the impression that they can get anyone in who meets NCAA minimums.

The truth of the matter is that not everyone who meets NCAA minimums is accepted by SMU, and that truth reared its ugly head with the two kids this summer. It made Jones and his coaches look bad for not preparing the kids for the worst, it makes SMU look bad because the decision came so late - but it was the kids' borderline status, i.e. needing spring semester grades, that caused the delay.

So in the future, Jones and his staff are supposed to be up front to the borderline cases they sign that they could be denied admission. Of course, to them, this is like recruiting with one hand tied behind your back.

But even the two kids who were denied admission were given a one-semester placement at a local junior college with GUARANTEED admission to SMU in January if they pass their transferable classes. What's the difference between this and grayshirting? It sounds like a better deal than grayshirting because of the admission guarantee.

Sounds to me like the football coaches just need to tell the borderline recruits there's a chance they may have to grayshirt - delay enrollment until January - if they don't pass the appeals process. If this is a problem for them, they should keep their options open. It's not as clear-cut as saying, "If the NCAA approves you, we approve you" but there are a lot of kids signed as grayshirts on signing day.

[78pony]

Greyshirting - they can live at home and not incur any additional expenses. At a Juco, they will be picking up living expenses, etc.