Future of SMU Athletics

SMUfrat · Post by **SMUfrat** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:05 pm

I think some good points of been made about our athletic programs. I like that many members of this site and elsewhere are demanding excellence.

My first 2 years at SMU, we went 1-11 in football in CUSA and basketball was hardly spoken about on campus. When I graduated, we attended our 3rd bowl and had hired Larry Brown. We have come a long way, but havent reached our goal of top 25 in athletics yet.

Needless to say, there has been bumps in the road to get here - but that is to be expected. The BigEast is a great place for us to be. SMU has the opportunity in the BE to prove ourselves. The way I view it:

phase1: bottom CUSA program > respectable mid level conference school: check
phase2: enter a top college conference for all sports: check - BigEast
phase3: become a consistant power in this top conference - N/A
phase4: transfer into a conference with regional logistics and rivalries (Big12 or SEC or ???) - N/A
phase5: win national championships - N/A

*For those of you who dont think the BigEast is a top conference - look at it this way... Louisville almost got a big12 bid, which means they will be pushing even moreso to be a standout team in BE and win. Uconn and Rutgers wouldnt mind going to the ACC, which means they too will be trying to prove themselves as leaders of the BE. Cincinati doesnt want to be left out of the mix either. USF will want to show dominance over incoming UCF and look pretty for the other florida schools. SMU/UH/UCF/Boise will be wanting to prove their worth and deservingness also. I think competition, football wise especially, will be even better in the BigEast in the future.

Whether you agree with my phases or not - The main point is that we are going down the right direction. The BigEast will shake up any 'stale-mate' situation that may exist at SMU. Even if the BE is just a temporary training period for us - it is the only card we have to play. By standing out in the BE (the 6th best conference in the USA), even more doors can open for us.

As SMU fans, I want to make sure we are sending the right message out to the world. PonyFans may be small potatoes in the scheme of things, but I dont want potential students, other school fans, or potential fans to be put off by a defeated or pessimistic attitude. Lets not let our expectations for greatness take away from our progress and our goals.

Thats the fine line we have to be aware of as SMU fans who want to see greatness.

Pony Up!

StallionsModelT · Post by **StallionsModelT** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:30 pm

Good post.

I think the best case REALISTIC scenario for SMU is to make the Big East as viable and strong as possible. We have no control and no idea what is going to go down regarding conference realignment. The only aspect that is within our control is winning and branding ourselves in such a way that other conferences take notice and see the potential of SMU. You're absolutely right that the Big East was the only card we had in the deck. But just imagine how ECU, Southern Miss, and Tulsa feel right now. Hell you could even throw in Nevada and Hawaii for good measure. All of those schools have at the very least attained the same sort of success that we have in football (most of them have exceeded it) yet the Big East still decided to go with SMU. If, and this is a very big if, the Big East can stay together it has the potential to be an excellent conference top to bottom.

If the Big East falls apart then all bets are off. It really will come down to how many teams will the big four conferences be willing to take. 16? 18? 20? If its 16 we are left, if its 18 we have a shot, and if its 20 we are in. Who knows how long this process will take. It could happen in two years or ten years. But that day is coming. For now, at least, we are safe. But it is beyond imperative that we win and win big in both football and basketball.

SMUfrat · Post by **SMUfrat** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:50 pm

StallionsModelT wrote:Good post.

I think the best case REALISTIC scenario for SMU is to make the Big East as viable and strong as possible. We have no control and no idea what is going to go down regarding conference realignment. The only aspect that is within our control is winning and branding ourselves in such a way that other conferences take notice and see the potential of SMU. You're absolutely right that the Big East was the only card we had in the deck. But just imagine how ECU, Southern Miss, and Tulsa feel right now. Hell you could even throw in Nevada and Hawaii for good measure. All of those schools have at the very least attained the same sort of success that we have in football (most of them have exceeded it) yet the Big East still decided to go with SMU. If, and this is a very big if, the Big East can stay together it has the potential to be an excellent conference top to bottom.

If the Big East falls apart then all bets are off. It really will come down to how many teams will the big four conferences be willing to take. 16? 18? 20? If its 16 we are left, if its 18 we have a shot, and if its 20 we are in. Who knows how long this process will take. It could happen in two years or ten years. But that day is coming. For now, at least, we are safe. But it is beyond imperative that we win and win big in both football and basketball.

I agree with you. We do need to stand out in the BigEast as one of the top schools. It is great too that we have excellent academics, a decent history, and are in DFW.

However, I think there will eventually be 5 conferences... not just 4. The ACC / BigEast schools are good enough and numerous enough to demand some sort of conference in that area. if all 5 conferences go to 14 schools - we are most likely in. If it ends up with only 4 top conferences with 14 - that would be very hard to be included. So I agree with you on your analysis of the 4 majors model, although I think it will be 5 majors at the end of the day... maybe some years from now.

GiddyUp · Post by **GiddyUp** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:28 pm

Well said, please get your young alums involved in season tix and mustang club.

Topper · Post by **Topper** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:36 pm

Next to making mega donations to the Athletic Department, the best thing that we as fans can do is buy tickets and more tickets. We should invite our family, friends, neighbors, business associates, Sunday School classes, book clubs..whoever we can get to go with us to the the stadium, TO FILL UP THE SEATS. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why our stadium always looks empty on TV. It is a little difficult to stir up interest in our program among the powers that be in college football when our own alums don't visibly support the program.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:09 pm

Topper wrote:Next to making mega donations to the Athletic Department, the best thing that we as fans can do is buy tickets and more tickets. We should invite our family, friends, neighbors, business associates, Sunday School classes, book clubs..whoever we can get to go with us to the the stadium, TO FILL UP THE SEATS. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why our stadium always looks empty on TV. It is a little difficult to stir up interest in our program among the powers that be in college football when our own alums don't visibly support the program.

how many season tickets do you buy?

your idea/post is spot on. i buy 4 hoops tickets and 8 football tickets. my family is me, wife and a 3 year old. i try to get my friends to buy tickets, and my extras go to last minute invites.

when we discuss what needs to happen, let's share what we do to make it happen.

westexSMU · Post by **westexSMU** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:45 pm

SMU must start building it's base of fans. Young Alumni like yourself are so important to this program. We appreciate your support.

SMUer · Post by **SMUer** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:23 am

SMUfrat · Post by **SMUfrat** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:58 am

westexSMU wrote:SMU must start building it's base of fans. Young Alumni like yourself are so important to this program. We appreciate your support.

Not a problem. I think my generation may be the beginning of the first real fans SMU has had since the 80s. I say that in a general sense. I know alot of other people my age who are huge fans of SMU and are coming back to the games.

I think many of the most recent alum would / will come back for a game if they could be in dallas that weekend

Bergermeister · Post by **Bergermeister** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:38 pm

SMUfrat wrote: Not a problem.

C'mon... are you working at Chili's?

Junesus · Post by **Junesus** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:53 pm

The great Junesus has arrived and al will be well in the future!!!!!

SMUfrat · Post by **SMUfrat** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 2:18 pm

Bergermeister wrote:
SMUfrat wrote: Not a problem.

C'mon... are you working at Chili's?

No...

Topper · Post by **Topper** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:24 pm

Dutch wrote:
Topper wrote:Next to making mega donations to the Athletic Department, the best thing that we as fans can do is buy tickets and more tickets. We should invite our family, friends, neighbors, business associates, Sunday School classes, book clubs..whoever we can get to go with us to the the stadium, TO FILL UP THE SEATS. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why our stadium always looks empty on TV. It is a little difficult to stir up interest in our program among the powers that be in college football when our own alums don't visibly support the program.

how many season tickets do you buy?

your idea/post is spot on. i buy 4 hoops tickets and 8 football tickets. my family is me, wife and a 3 year old. i try to get my friends to buy tickets, and my extras go to last minute invites.

when we discuss what needs to happen, let's share what we do to make it happen.

I also buy 8 tickets. Until JJ got here I had trouble giving them away. Lately, I have been able to find takers for all of the tickets most of the time. But I don't give them to people on this board or that I don't think would otherwise buy them. I wish that there were more boulevard opportunities for some of the folks who are not alums. I like to show off the blvd but the non alums often feel a little bit left out.

SMUer · Post by **SMUer** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:08 pm

Stop by the RBA spot in front of the Maguire Building. Think of RBA as a lost or non-alum indoctrination program. Food and beer can be had.