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Two proposals--

1. Forego the NCAA and try to buy the Dallas Cowboys. Use some of the endowment funds for the purchase price since SMU, as I understand it, is not seeking to increase enrollment. Let TV revenue, ticket sales and franchise fees pay for the pro team. Rename the team the Dallas Mustangs with Peruna as the mascot. Steady source of income for SMU. May sound crazy but for years Loyola University owned WWL TV, Channel 4, in New Orleans and the TV station paid the way. Loyola sold it for a fortune a couple of years ago. When it acquired the station, Loyola even got Congress to pass a favorable section of the IRS Code that pertained solely to the taxation of WWL (in essence giving it highly favorable tax treatment). SMU could use its pro football ownership for the benefit of students undertaking a sports minded curriculum.

Or

2. Try to purchase the Dallas Cowboys and keep the college team as a farm team for the pro team.

I know it sounds crazy, but I'll bet some uni will attempt this in the future. Someone just has to be first. Years ago, IBM thought about moving into the new PC market but the chairman of the board said, "Who would want a computer in his home? So IBM didn't and the rest is history.

Let the flaming begin.

Yeah, that won't happen.

First of all, the Cowboys are worth $2.1 billion and would likely sell for substantially more if the Jones family ever put them up for sale (which they won't). I think our endowment is around $1.1 billion.

Secondly, on the off chance that the Cowboys are for sale in the next 30 years, people would be lining up left and right to buy them. The NFL would have their pick of individuals to buy the franchise, driving up the price. What incentive would the NFL have to sell the team to a university? It's unprecedented, and wouldn't happen.

I like the out-of-the-box thinking though. SMU needs to get creative to make a niche for ourselves and get relevant again.

$2.1 billion would surely buy us good enough recruits to make it to the national championship game soon.

Speaking of the Cowboys, I really wish we'd make a proactive effort to schedule a game at Cowboys Stadium. I would think that bigger programs would be interested; they would see us as a "gimme" game and it would be great exposure for them in a recruiting hotbed.

Possible opponents: Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, FSU, etc. Think big programs that travel well and recruit Texas. TCU and Oregon State drew 46k to Jerryworld a few years ago. With a marquee opponent, I think we could top that.

ND would be fun

SMU2007 wrote:ND would be fun

Any of those games would be awesome. I don't know why big BCS programs aren't lining up to play us at Jerryworld. Seems like a win-win from their prospective. Do we just not want it?

SMU2007 wrote:ND would be fun

Yep, 90,000 ND fans vs. 10,000 SMU fans.

[quote="East Coast Mustang"]Yeah, that won't happen.

First of all, the Cowboys are worth $2.1 billion and would likely sell for substantially more if the Jones family ever put them up for sale (which they won't). I think our endowment is around $1.1 billion.

Secondly, on the off chance that the Cowboys are for sale in the next 30 years, people would be lining up left and right to buy them. The NFL would have their pick of individuals to buy the franchise, driving up the price. What incentive would the NFL have to sell the team to a university? It's unprecedented, and wouldn't happen.

I like the out-of-the-box thinking though. SMU needs to get creative to make a niche for ourselves and get relevant again.[/quote

Just shooting the breeze waiting for football season to begin. Heck, SMU isn't even bold enough to sell beer in the stadium. But I'll bet a creative tax accountant/attorney could find a tax incentive for an NFL team owner to sell a fractional interest to a non-profit entity like a public/private university. Even structure a feasible purchase agreement. Like some of those former KPMG accountants?

Ever heard of financing? Down payment of 750mm and debt on the rest paid out of future earnings.

Just buy the NCAA and then we can get the Pony Express up and running again.

LOL!!! Move to the SEC & you could still do it!

Move to the SEC and we will have to do it! Just ask Ole Miss and Auburn

LOL!!

And we could get away with it too!!!

if we are bid for an NFL team, lets pick one that isnt saddled for the next ten years with a QB who losses only the important games.

that's great raplh wrote:Ever heard of financing? Down payment of 750mm and debt on the rest paid out of future earnings.

too bad that would make you extremely over-levered and cause a high risk of bankruptcy without a proper capital structure with an appropriate amount of equity. Go finance. SMU's IPO should give us jerry world