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Hart is simply saying it will never happen. If someone wants to write a check for $10m as the down payment, then administration might listen. Otherwise, they are waiting and waiting so there is no need to actually do something.

It is so easy to kick the can down the road and demand that ex-swimmers and their friends come up with $20m. In other words, it is not SMU AD or Administration's problem. His comment is little different than when we got push back 15-20 years. Years ago, I remember seeing $6m in commitments and we were ignored then.

Sadly, Hart may believe his statement, but the amount is now too large and the probabilities are going down, not up.

SMU will get the athletic programs and facilities our alumni are willing to pay for. Someone needs to write a check

Yep.

Water - I know you are frustrated by how long this takes, but the fact is football does not pay for anything, both our "revenue" sports actually cost money. Our very loyal key alumni write a check for basically nothing every year, on the hope we can find a port in the sports storm at some point. Things got better when we got more TV revenue this year, but the department still runs a deficit, and a pretty big one.

The Nat will happen. Issue is that it is so out of date it is not a re-do - it s a do-over. Very expensive. One positive sign is the relocation of the band - that had to happen also before you can tear down the nat since they were under it. We are still raising money for Moody - an understandable higher priority, and Tennis - which had to move for the new dorms. Don't be stunned if the IPF jumps in front of the line - a new coach will probably demand it. I do think they are closing in on an interested party for a lead gift - so lets hope for the best.

Almost every project on this campus gets started by a lead gift. Academics are priority, followed by revenue sports, followed by non rev.

Hope for lead gift or a better TV deal somewhere. Those are our only chances for progress on this one.

gostangs wrote: . . . but the department still runs a deficit, and a pretty big one. . .

And whose fault is that?

whoever is supposed to be sitting in the 20,000 empty seats

Unpopular opinion: I would gladly give up every single non-revenue sport at SMU if we could be nationally relevant in football and basketball

SMU2007 wrote:Unpopular opinion: I would gladly give up every single non-revenue sport at SMU if we could be nationally relevant in football and basketball

We are half way there without doing away with anything. #SMUBasketball.

It's just supremely uncool to make such a statement, especially with at least one former swimmer posting in this thread.

ponyboy wrote:It's just supremely uncool to make such a statement, especially with at least one former swimmer posting in this thread.

And a former soccer player.

SMU2007 wrote:Unpopular opinion: I would gladly give up every single non-revenue sport at SMU if we could be nationally relevant in football and basketball

We're already at the minimum for Division 1 membership.

SMU2007 wrote:Unpopular opinion: I would gladly give up every single non-revenue sport at SMU if we could be nationally relevant in football and basketball

I agree!

SMU2007 wrote:Unpopular opinion: I would gladly give up every single non-revenue sport at SMU if we could be nationally relevant in football and basketball

Not unpopular as much as undoable. Have to have a certain number of sports to be in the NCAA and of course Title 9 has wrecked everyone.

Apparently they want to forfeit SMU's NCAA membership

Is ncaa membership required for FCS.? That is probably where we are headed unless we see massive changes soon in our fball program.