HarvCrimYaleBlue wrote:
Face facts - we do not have t-shirt fans and we probably never will. Small school, small fan base, get used to it.
Im the only person I know of that is a SMU fan and didnt go to school there.
Most people ask why I picked SMU and I say A) Its a local team (Im from Arlington) B) Im Methodist C) I joined the military right out of high school so I never went to college and both of my parents went to UTA and they dont have a football team
The problem is Im more excited and have more SMU gear then some of the people that graduated.
I thought the students were better than in the past. Most stayed after halftime. They were constantly trying to start an SMU chant.
Are they like the huge state school students? No. But they were better than the past few years. All in white, six sections full. and most stayed for the majority of the game.
I doubt we see this level of student participation the rest of the year.
The student section has never been great, but students are sick of seeing a mediocre product on the field. I can tell you that 99 percent of greek life is far more excited to see larry brown and basketball then a consistently average football program. My friends and I love football and are more enthusiastic than most, but even we get bored watching the offense kick field goals and not a great in game fan experience. I stay until the end of the game as a true fan, but most students that are big football fans get more entertainment going to barley house and watching Clemson vs Georgia.
And it also doesnt have to do with which state students are from; the texas kids are more concerned watching a UT game just as much as the socal kids would rather watch usc.
My college roommate was from Michigan and had a Bo Schembechler poster on his wall. He still went to all the Coog football games while also keeping up with U-M. He went to U-M for med school and only goes to UH bowl games now. I think the geographic diversity (only half Texans) makes SMU a special place.
I am a fan that never attended SMU. My son and I love college football and we did not want to support TCU so we decided to support our "home" team. We live in Waxahachie and have had season tickets for 4 years. We proudly wear our SMU gear wherever we go. We spent a week this summer in Orlando and at both DIsney and Universal we were asked several times if we were from Dallas. We will continue to support the Mustangs no matter how this season turns out. We also go to some basketball games and I take our entire soccer team to a few men's soccer matches. There are times I feel a little out of place because I am not an alumni, but after several years we just head to the Boulevard and blend in like we know what we are doing. Do I have the right to call them "my team" since I never attended classes there ? I think so, others may not. I may never meet or get to know any of you guys, but my son and I will always be there to support the Mustangs. He loves the school and wants to go there when he graduates in 6 years.
jalredding wrote:I am a fan that never attended SMU. My son and I love college football and we did not want to support TCU so we decided to support our "home" team. We live in Waxahachie and have had season tickets for 4 years. We proudly wear our SMU gear wherever we go. We spent a week this summer in Orlando and at both DIsney and Universal we were asked several times if we were from Dallas. We will continue to support the Mustangs no matter how this season turns out. We also go to some basketball games and I take our entire soccer team to a few men's soccer matches. There are times I feel a little out of place because I am not an alumni, but after several years we just head to the Boulevard and blend in like we know what we are doing. Do I have the right to call them "my team" since I never attended classes there ? I think so, others may not. I may never meet or get to know any of you guys, but my son and I will always be there to support the Mustangs. He loves the school and wants to go there when he graduates in 6 years.
thanks for posting. wish we had thousands more like you and your son
jalredding wrote:I am a fan that never attended SMU. My son and I love college football and we did not want to support TCU so we decided to support our "home" team. ...Do I have the right to call them "my team" since I never attended classes there ? ...
Thanks for sharing and for supporting your Mustangs. You ABSOLUTELY have the right to call them your team and we are damned lucky to have fans like you and your son. Now if you can convince, I don't know, maybe 1,000 or so of your closest friends to join you we'll be off to the races!
"I don't think anyone around the country has any idea how good we are going to be." - Coach Justin Stepp
At the Compass bowl, I met a fellow that had gone to UT but was a big fan of SMU. Big enough to go to our bowl game. And I have seen him at games many times since. I have daughters that went to other very successful schools that support SMU. And many of us remember SHSU grad Mr. Mustang 1965 who was a big fan and never went to SMU. One trick pony didn't attend aSMU and has season tickets and attends both football and basketball games.
All fans are welcome. Attendance to the school isn't required.
ponyte wrote:At the Compass bowl, I met a fellow that had gone to UT but was a big fan of SMU. Big enough to go to our bowl game. And I have seen him at games many times since. I have daughters that went to other very successful schools that support SMU. And many of us remember SHSU grad Mr. Mustang 1965 who was a big fan and never went to SMU. One trick pony didn't attend aSMU and has season tickets and attends both football and basketball games.
All fans are welcome. Attendance to the school isn't required.
Well said, ponyte. Our challenge is to replicate these dedicated fans, especially in Dallas and East Texas.
Last edited by Water Pony on Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jalredding wrote:I am a fan that never attended SMU. My son and I love college football and we did not want to support TCU so we decided to support our "home" team. We live in Waxahachie and have had season tickets for 4 years. We proudly wear our SMU gear wherever we go. We spent a week this summer in Orlando and at both DIsney and Universal we were asked several times if we were from Dallas. We will continue to support the Mustangs no matter how this season turns out. We also go to some basketball games and I take our entire soccer team to a few men's soccer matches. There are times I feel a little out of place because I am not an alumni, but after several years we just head to the Boulevard and blend in like we know what we are doing. Do I have the right to call them "my team" since I never attended classes there ? I think so, others may not. I may never meet or get to know any of you guys, but my son and I will always be there to support the Mustangs. He loves the school and wants to go there when he graduates in 6 years.
Absolutely You can call Them your team - That's your time and money. We need a lot more like you
jalredding wrote:I am a fan that never attended SMU. My son and I love college football and we did not want to support TCU so we decided to support our "home" team. We live in Waxahachie and have had season tickets for 4 years. We proudly wear our SMU gear wherever we go. We spent a week this summer in Orlando and at both DIsney and Universal we were asked several times if we were from Dallas. We will continue to support the Mustangs no matter how this season turns out. We also go to some basketball games and I take our entire soccer team to a few men's soccer matches. There are times I feel a little out of place because I am not an alumni, but after several years we just head to the Boulevard and blend in like we know what we are doing. Do I have the right to call them "my team" since I never attended classes there ? I think so, others may not. I may never meet or get to know any of you guys, but my son and I will always be there to support the Mustangs. He loves the school and wants to go there when he graduates in 6 years.
Thanks for being a fan. We need more like you. And yes, SMU is your team!
Dallas, like Houston, is a bandwagon city. Get ranked and the tshirt fans will come though it may be somewhat harder for SMU being a private school and having a diffferent perception and stigma to it amongst those in Dallas as opposed to UH in Houston. Like stated earlier, you don't have to go to said school to be a fan but I wouldn't be surprised if that school of thought is what have deterred some people from attending the games.