Nation's Newest Conference Begins Play This Week

[Water Pony]

Hartford Courant

SMU Vs. Texas Tech

Southern Methodist opens with Texas Tech Friday, as the Mustangs play their first game as member of the American. Coach June Jones inherited a moribund program when he took over in 2008, but his team has played in four bowl games in a row.

Now they move to a better conference.

"When I came to Conference USA, we were at the bottom of Conference USA," Jones said. "Over the four or five year period, we kind of had climbed into the top third maybe of Conference USA. When we made the change to the American Athletic Conference, the competition all of a sudden went way up. There's better teams, more athletic teams … Now we've got to climb our way into the top of this conference."

Jones said the conference's TV deal with ESPN is a recruiting boon because players are interested in exposure.

"It's a new conference and I think we have a heck of a plan and a heck of an idea," Jones said. "I think the ESPN contract we signed is really big for recruiting. … The exposure that the conference has been able to get us, that's probably more significant than anything else."

http://articles.courant.com/2013-08-26/ ... conference