Southern Methodist University - Athletics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

SMU is still attempting to recover from the football saga of 1987, where the NCAA punished SMU’s football team with the “death penalty,” sanctioning the team for one year. SMU has had several setbacks within the past two decades. The school has joined the Western Athletic Conference, changed coaches, and moved to a new stadium. Recently, SMU saw its first win in the fourth game of the season and experienced the ritual of taking down the goal posts for the first time. This may seem a bit overdramatic for other schools that are used to going home happy, but for SMU, it was a milestone. Faith in the team and attendance may finally have a chance.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way . . . well, maybe to tailgate incessantly. SMU is home to some of the top teams in the nation, yet the majority of students would rather check out the weekend bar specials than actually go to a sporting event. In the past, some of the school’s athletes competed in the Olympics. It is surprising that the athletes are doing so well, because if they were to look up into the stands, they might become discouraged by such a low turnout. Football only stands a chance because there is somewhat of a pre-party before the game with tailgating. Maybe if $1 beer specials were offered to students at all sporting events, the attendance would not be so depressing. The ability to be a sports-oriented school is on the tips of the students’ fingers, but SMU is still waiting for the students to rise to the occasion.

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Students Speak Out

smu09 says: Southern Methodist University 2013 Social Sciences

What sports? I guess you could say... What sports? I guess you could say that IM sports are big with the Greeks, but varsity sports are pretty much non-existent, especially football. Tailgating, however, is still important. I would consider it a very classy event---along the lines of a fancy Southern picnic. 12345 Athletics: January 08, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Football may not be a great... Football may not be a great program, but there are so many programs at the top of the NCAA rankings. I don’t think getting a great football team will rush the fans to the stadium either. People leave the game at half-time even though we are winning. Having a great football team would draw crowds from outside of SMU and increase athletic revenue. 12345 Athletics Report

Anonymous says:

Varsity sports are very big... Varsity sports are very big (soccer, football, and basketball are the biggest). Intramurals are dominated by the Greeks, so there is somewhat of a divide there; they are still very big, though. 12345 Athletics Report

Anonymous says:

I do not really follow sports... I do not really follow sports beyond the tailgate parties, which are awesome. The sports are a joke, really. 12345 Athletics Report

Anonymous says:

Even though the football team has... Even though the football team has had winless seasons, people still came out to the games. Basketball is also big. All of the other sports do not get enough attention. IM sports are a great way to have fun and compete in sports that you like, or want to try out. Usually, the dorm that you are staying in will organize some kind of IM team. 12345 Athletics Report

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