Southern Methodist University
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Southern Methodist University - Athletics - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Athletics

Quick Stats

Athletic Association
  • NAA
  • NCAA
Athletic Division NCAA Division I-A
Athletic Conferences Football: Conference USA
Basketball: Conference USA
School Nickname Mustangs
Men Playing Varsity Sports 214 - 8%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 198 - 6%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

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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Southern Methodist Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Southern Methodist University

Sparkle2

Spanish Language and Literature '13

2.7
C+

College Athletics at THE Southern Methodist University

No Baseball or Track ugh. Ow well

Basketball has been poor D Grade; should catupult forward with the hiring of former tarheel great Larry Brown; the only coach to win an NCAA Championship and a NBA Championship. Finally someone with a champion pedigree plus in 2014 we enter the Big East.

Football is great an A as June Jones has turned us into winners with athletes that are now making NFL rosters and bowl games that are great to travel to and even more fun is the fact we win the bowl games.

Ladies and Mens Soccer are always in the top 10 to 15 ranked teams and are fun to watch. This gets a B plus. School produces 1 or 2 male pro players per year too.

Swimming is ok B- all attributed to the women's team. Some of the girls are a little heavy for their events. Suits look great just need tighter, curvy and more fit girls for them. Coach is an A and demands alot just Texas is down the road and recruiting is tough. Men need a new coach and have to give a no comment on performance. Ladies get fans and students to meets men very little fan following.

Women's basketball is a C plus coach is above average however recriting is tough with Baylor and UT and A@M down the road. She does get straight pretty girls who join sorities and attract guys to games which is refreshing. They are spirited, pretty and try hard.

May 10, 2012

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Athletics at Southern Methodist University

TNL8

Business '15

3.5
B

Nice Facilities, but Large Lack of Participation

We have a nice stadium and an ever-improving football team, but student involvement in lacking. Boulevarding (tailgating) before the games is very popular, but most students (especially Greek) Boulevard before hand and skip the games which leads to disappointing attendance. However, with a schedule of more competitive opponents in the coming years, there is hope for improvement.

Mar 26, 2012

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Athletics at Southern Methodist University

BabyGirlSMU

Journalism '15

2.7
C+

Boulevarding

Not too much into our teams. But everyone loves boulevarding.

Feb 19, 2012

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User rating for Southern Methodist University - Athletics is 3.5 out of 5 based on 25 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How popular are varsity sports on campus?

How popular are intramurals and club sports?

How would you describe the athletic facilities?

Facts

Men's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Equestrian
  • Golf
  • Rowing
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
Intramurals
  • Basketball
  • Flag football
  • Racquetball
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
Club Sports
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Crew
  • Cricket
  • Cycling
  • Fencing
  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Martial arts
  • Mr. and Mrs. SMU Body Building Championship
  • Racquetball
  • Rugby
  • Sailing
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Triathlon
  • Volleyball
  • Wakeboarding
Athletic Fields & Facilities Dedman Center

Most Popular Sports

If tailgating could be considered a varsity sport, it would be the most populated and all-time favorite event of the general student body. Football generally receives the highest attendance by students, especially since tailgating precedes the game. All the other sports tend to have their regular followers, but their attendance is nowhere near that of football’s.

Most Overlooked Teams

The soccer team, along with the swimming and diving team, do not receive the attention they deserve. Both have been ranked within the top 25 teams in the nation, and they improve every year. However, many students still choose not to attend.

School Spirit

Students may not be able to recite and sing the “Pony Battle Cry,” but they can tell you about several of the top programs in the nation and how worthwhile it is to attend SMU. School spirit may be mediocre most of the time, but after SMU wins a football game, there are cheery faces all over campus for quite a while. The milestone for most people is that SMU has won at least one game. Slowly but steadily, SMU is on its way to possible mediocrity in terms of football, however, school spirit needs to rise a few notches. Students are proud to say that they attend SMU when applying for internships and jobs because the name bears more than athletic apathy. Nothing can stop SMU students from gathering to celebrate; this is evident in most of the large social events on campus.

Getting Tickets

Student tickets are unnecessary for most sporting events, such as swimming or diving meets and soccer games. For basketball and football games, a student ticket can be obtained at the actual event or at the Mane Desk in Hughes-Trigg. All tickets and sporting events are free for students. If you have a friend coming to town, it is easy to get them a free ticket as well. Go to the Mane Desk or the ticket office at the event.

Best Place to Take a Walk

Katy Trail, White Rock Lake, SMU (thanks to the plethora of greenery), residential neighborhoods surrounding the school.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Peter Goldschmidt
Hometown
Jefferson City, MO
Major
Financial Consulting

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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