SMU2006

Certainly peer pressure from fellow fans can play a role in limiting some of the knuckleheads at games. I'm all for some back and forth but we all know there is a line. I don't think I'll ever understand the human being who goes to sporting events hoping to instigate trouble with opposing fans. I guess some people crave altercation. Go the game, root like hell for your team, and win/lose walk away with a bit of dignity. You'll feel better in the morning :) BTW, I think this Chad Morris guy is gonna be alright. After seeing what was, in my mind, the worst SMU team ever assembled (and I'm including the 1989 all walk-on team and a winless team in 2004) to have played Baylor really tough for three quarters and then dig deep and have a great fourth quarter against UNT for an 18 point win is remarkable. It is even more remarkable considering we've played as many freshmen in these first two games as any school in the country. With the way we are recruiting and up tempo style of play, I think we can scratch out 5 or 6 wins this year. The AAC isn't exactly murderers row so hopefully we can continue to improve as the season goes on. I saw some good things from the UNT defense. Very active. Defensive line is athletic and has the size to hold up against CUSA teams. The QB McNulty just never got into any groove. SMU started to get decent pressure but there were some open throws that just didn't give his receivers a chance. All in all, it is game one. I think the team that has already played a game has a huge advantage in these situations. Even an incredibly young team like SMU was able to watch film, get things corrected in practice, and play against an elite opponent like Baylor. This was UNT's first real game action and at times it showed. The defense was gassed in the fourth quarter and Matt Davis will make you pay if you aren't disciplined in your rush lanes.

The vast majority of UNT folks that I interacted with at my Boulevard tent were very friendly and cordial. My wife is a UNT alum so we had a couple of her former classmates at our tent. Great people. The only two negative things that I saw was 1)a group of about five drunk UNT guys that thought it was cool to yell "43-6" as our team was doing the team walk down The Boulevard to the stadium and 2) Three UNT frat guys harassing me and my wife asking us how much debt our dad was in so that I could afford to go to college and if I enjoyed paying $250K for a quote "shitty degree". Honestly I just laughed but after about ten minutes of it my wife suggested we move. The other UNT folks around them were obviously embarrassed. All in all, a great game and cool atmosphere on The Hilltop. Can't let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

Why so salty? I really don't understand some of the vitriolic garbage that is directed at SMU on this forum. I'm married to a UNT alum and thankfully the UNT alumni I know aren't as perpetually obsessed with SMU like some of the crazies on here. Granted I don't come here often but good grief. And guys, we (SMU) aren't going anywhere but up at the moment. Right now we have the #44 recruiting class for 2016 with 8 of our 11 commitments holding Power 5 conference offers. We are breaking ground of a $50M indoor practice facility in December. We have the highest paid G5 head coach in the country in Chad Morris who is making $2.25M/year.. We have a Hall of Fame basketball coach who also makes over $2M a season. We play in a conference that yields nearly three times the TV revenue of C-USA and a basketball conference that grants us exposure with strong programs like UCONN, Memphis, Cincinnati, Temple, Tulsa, etc. We raised more money through the Mustang Club this past year than in any previous year and double the amount of 2011 (Raised roughly $14M through donations). SMU is wrapping up a $1 billion dollar fundraising campaign that will ensure it continues moving up in the US News & World Report rankings into the Top 50. The average SAT of the incoming class at SMU is 1315. Second only in the state to Rice. Honestly, there hasn't been a better time to be associated with SMU academically or athletically in the past 30 years. Yeah that isn't saying a ton as it has mostly been dreadful on the athletic side, but there is no question which way the winds are blowing. Why the need to throw out hyperbole and insults?

Are you serious? The one thing you took from my original post was me flaunting what SMU can pay? That's a special kind of stupid. What I'm saying is that all of us in the G5 are in the same boat given the tremendous financial gap that will only continue to grow between P5 and G5. Trust me there is no flaunting on SMU's behalf. These are issues we all face.

Hey guys. Hope things are well and that you've had a productive and injury-free spring. Also I'm looking forward to seeing a strong UNT contingent at Ford in the fall. My wife and some friends have a tent on The Boulevard and anyone is always welcome to a beer and some friendly conversation. Had a quick question for you guys considering we are all living in this brave new P5 world of stipends, cost of living, etc. I know some schools have publicly maintained that they will match what the P5 schools offer while others have kicked the can down the road or flat out ignored answering. Recently ECU came out and released that they'd be matching at 4,025 for football and basketball (mens and womens) and then $2,025 for all other athletes. A few other schools have released their figures as well (I believe Tulsa is at $2,500) but for the vast majority of G5 programs have not released their estimates yet. My question is will UNT take this step financially? I would imagine you would considering that you've already invested a good chunk of change with the new football stadium. I do think there will be many G5 schools who just won't be able to do this. The kicker in this whole deal is relative to where you live though. For example Baylor is paying $3,700 b/c its far cheaper to live in Waco as opposed to Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, etc. I know SMU has floated the figure of $5,400 for football and basketball and $3,200 for all others but that is not a definitive number. Anyway, it should be interesting to see how those of us in the G5 manage our finances in order to keep afloat. Have a great end to the spring and see you next fall in Dallas!

BTW, UNT is joining a conference with a couple of schools who are currently evaluating the landscape of continuing football at the D1A level. Rice, Tulane, and UAB have all had informal discussions on whether or not they will keep it up. Rice I believe is VERY close to coming to the conclusion that football just doesn't make sense for them anymore. They now are in a conference with none of their traditional rivals and other than Tulane have no school that comes anywhere near them academically. Tulane, on the other hand, can't get the $$$ together to build their own stadium. Combined with the lingering effects of Katrina and the school's horrid record in football over the last several years and they're in the same boat. In 5-7 years it wouldn't shock me in the least to see Rice, Tulane, and UAB out of the football racket.

1.4 billion endowment, top fifty national ranking, an athletic budget that dwarfs anything UNT can muster up, an additional 750M in fundraising efforts in the past four years alone, incoming freshmen SAT average of 1300, acceptance rate below 40%, three straight bowl games, half of student body from out of state, a presidential library, and entrance into a BCS conference (for now). Don't make me flick another booger on you by suggesting SMU should quit football. UNT hired a high school coaching staff that managed to run the program into the ground. I like McCarney and I think he'll succeed, but the Mean Green are just potential right now. And in the realm of academia UNT is light years behind SMU. It doesn't mean that UNT is a piss poor university in any way. But in terms of university rankings just in the state of Texas UNT is behind every other major Texas university aside from possibility UT-San Antonio and UT-El Paso. Calling those schools "major" is really a stretch also. So take it easy on the giving up football talk.

LOL. That is fuzzy math if there ever was such a thing.

I absolutely think CUSA could negotiate a better TV deal. Maybe 3-5M per school.

SDSU and Boise are not throwing their other sports under the bus in any way. They are members of the Big East in football only. If the presidents of those schools turned down 15M a year in TV revenue just so their women's volleyball team could play Wyoming instead of Gonzaga they should be strung up on the highest tree on their campus. This is a really stupid argument anyway. The Big East will have a replacement for Marinatto that is a much better salesman and frontman for the conference. This was unanimously approved by all Big East presidents (including the new additions). The real issue here for UNT is the stability of the Big East. Again, should anything unexpected happen (i.e. Louisville, Cincinatti, Rutgers, and UConn leaving the conference) then you can be rest assured that East Carolina, Southern Miss, and Tulsa will be first in line and believe me they will leave CUSA in a heartbeat. Then you are left with the Sun Belt 2.0 and a few schools who have absolutely no interest in competing in D1A football (Rice, Tulane, UAB). UNT should be hoping and praying for a stabilized Big East.

NBC is willing to overpay and with the backing of Notre Dame you can be certain the TV dollars will AT THE VERY LEAST double per school. This is not even questionable. As far as SMU having the money, while that is certainly true as an institution, the athletic department has been running in the red for a looooooong time now. Big East TV revenues will allow the athletic department to operate independently of the university fiscal budget. This was always the play for SMU. As far as AQ goes I don't think any of us have that answer yet. It appears the Big East will be on the outside looking in with regards to AQ status after 2014 but a lot can happen between now and then. That said, aligning ourselves with schools in the Big East and that are set to join the Big East with us was a no-brainer for SMU. The alternative was to be left in a watered down CUSA and watch as the gap grows wider between us and schools we aspire to compete against. Rice, Tulane, UAB have zero commitment or interest in competing in D1A football. Their actions over the past several years have proven that to be true. SMU wants to associate itself with schools that have the same vision. So as far as it making sense for SMU to join the Big East I can candidly say it was the only choice given the alternative.

As a dickhead I'm not sure I'm qualified to respond.

Yeah I agree. The more likely scenario is raiding CUSA for schools that are literally begging to get out of the conference like Southern Miss, ECU, and Tulsa. Should Louisville or Cincy leave for the Big 12 these programs will be first in line to replace them. Also, each would leave CUSA today if they could. There have been serious discussions at Rice about the ability to sustain D1A football given their current situation. Its truly sad. Same can be said for Tulane who had their new stadium voted down yet again. These two schools bring maybe 200 fans to Ford when we play them. So like I said UNT should hope that the Big East remains strong b/c if anything does happen (unlikely) then the Big East will swoop down and take two or three of the programs mentioned above. Then you're left with the Sun Belt 2.0

SMU and Houston wouldn't be the deciding factor in any new conference formation, but they would certainly have a voice. Its stupid to even be talking about this b/c the Big East is not going to fold. Anyone thinking that John Marinatto's "FORCED" resignation is the death knell is either uninformed or just plain stupid.

Not a snowball's chance in hell the CUSA/MWC TV package will get anywhere near the Big East. You know better than that.

Also, I don't think its healthy for any school to ever feel that is has "arrived" or to be satisfied with the status quo. To the guy that feels that SMU can feel UNT creeping up behind them I say that EVERY school should have a healthy dose of respect and fear for its opponents (regardless of conference affiliation or stature). UNT can flourish in CUSA and I would be greatly disappointed if they continued to lose and didn't make the most of the opportunity CUSA presents to the university. That said, I don't think any of the powerbrokers at SMU are overly concerned with what is going on at UNT. SMU has a 1.4 billion endowment, a tier one ranking, entering a BCS conference (for now anywayI), a 750M fundraising effort, a presidential library, former NFL head coach, and an NBA Hall of Fame basketball coach. I think its clear that SMU has made the financial and administrative commitment to being competitive at the highest levels.

Wow. Really? So bringing facts to the table makes me a "dickhead". Aren't you sweet. I'm really happy for UNT being in CUSA. I'd said on numerous occasions I felt that the Sun Belt was beneath UNT now that they've committed to great facilities and using their built-in resources to get to the next level. But if you want to label me a dickhead that's certainly your right to do so. And yes, I'm sorry to burst anyone's bubble on this issue. But this was expected for months. Marinatto was treading water well before the league decided to expand last year. The decision to go with a new commissioner has everything to do with positioning the league in 2014. I'm not one of the idiots who think AQ status is a given or even likely for the Big East. However, to say that it won't be worth SMU or Houston's time to distance themselves from schools that have zero interest in competing in D1A football like Rice, Tulane, and UAB is beyond stupid. Should the Big East hit an iceberg and go down like the Titanic, you can be rest assured an entirely new league will be the result. Even this entirely new league will be far more beneficial to SMU than the CUSA we are leaving behind. I know some of you are capable of seeing things clearly. To say this is the beginning of the end for the Big East is laughably stupid. Don't be that guy

LOL. This was expected for months. Every indication coming out of Big East schools is that they expect anywhere from 10-18M per school. To put this in perspective SMU made roughly 1.75M from their CUSA deal this past year. This move is entirely about preparing for 2014 and covering all possible bases. Any speculation that this is a bad thing is flat out wrong. BTW, look at the list of potential commissioners posted by CBS Sports. Any of them would be an upgrade over Marinatto. Also, UNT should be hoping and praying that the Big East remains viable and intact. If it all falls apart (and it won't), then you can be certain a new league will form out of its ashes that will not include UNT.

That's a pretty myopic viewpoint. So you think a quarter of a billion dollars raised in five years in "par for the course" at SMU? Its the largest and most ambitious fundraising and capital improvement effort in the history of the university. But I get it. Haters gotta hate.

"SMU jerk" Classy. I've posted on here maybe a handful of times and I've always been complimentary of UNT. My wife is a UNT alum. Have a better life. No need to call me a jerk.

LOL. SDSU is not going back to the MWC when the TV money from the Big East will absolutely destroy what they would be getting with the MWC. I've had a few conversations with Steve Orsini and he has been involved in multiple meetings with the Big East and the iniital feedback is that the Big East schools can each expect to receive between 10-17M per year. And that is a very conservative estimate. SDSU isn't going to turn that down to go back to a dying conference.

I'm certainly on the fence with the Larry Brown hire, but you can't deny that there are more people talking/interested in SMU hoops in the last week than in the previous six years under Doherty. Also, if Brown can get the staff that is rumored (Jankovich as HWIC, Rod Strickland, Jorrance Howard, and Eric Snow) then we will see what kind of hire this will be. Brown has said he has been getting calls day and night from coaches who want to be a part of his last coaching staff as SMU transitions to the Big East. The first couple of years are gonna be lean but if Brown's staff can recruit then maybe this will be a good thing. Either way what is going on at SMU is truly remarkable. 1.3 billion endowment, moving to a BCS conference, 40M renovation to Moody, indoor practice facility for football,an inner circle of alumni that allow us to pay top dollar for the best coaches/facilities in the nation, etc. I know there are a lot of people here that hate SMU for a variety of reasons, but SMU has never had a brighter future. I was fortunate enough to attend the Founder's Day celebration this weekend to get an update on the Second Century campaign which is the biggest and boldest fundraising endeavor that the univeristy has ever undertaken. It was a pretty awe-inspiring experience to see what SMU is working on.

Swing and a miss on Buzz, but that's what happens sometimes when you go elephant hunting in college athletics. Also, I don't see as how this reflects negatively on SMU in any way. If anything it shows that we are ready and willing to make the financial commitment to play with the best in the country. Buzz got what he wanted out of the SMU negotations (i.e. raise and extension) so it was well played by his camp. However, with the kind of $$$ we are throwing out there we will net a quality coach. The 40M renovation to Moody and the 12M Crum Practice Center already on campus are two facilities upgrades that allow SMU to more than hold its own in the Big East. Tough luck on Buzz but this is a guy who turned down opportunities at A&M and OU. On to the next candidate now.

Saw this thread while I was looking through your football forum to see how things were shaping up regarding the MWC-CUSA Alliance. Hope everything works out for everyone involved. I don't post here often but as the husband of a UNT grad I genuinely hope the Mean Green find themselves in a better situation with more competitive and natural rivals than in the current Sun Belt. That said, I happen to know quite a bit about the Buzz Williams situation as I am a Mustang Club member and correspond regularly with one of the real heavy hitters or as Orsini calls them the Circle of Champions. Essentially this is a group of roughly 25 individuals who were responsible for raising the cash to hire June Jones. He says there is absolutely no way Marquette will match what SMU is throwing out there. I've seen 2.6 to 2.7M as a number but he says its MUCH higher than that. David Miller and Gerald Ford (two billionaire SMU alums) are the ones who are personally willing to pay Williams in excess of 3.5M over six years. This would make him one of the ten highest paid coaches in college basketball. In addition, they are willing to allow Williams and his staff access to private jets throughtout the recruiting cylces AND charter planes for all games. Its really shameful that SMU doesn't already charter planes for the team, but certainly as a Big East program we can't be seen as cheap or unwilling to commit the needed infrastructure that all other Big East programs already have in place. There have been numerous reports that Buzz and the new AD (Larry Williams) do not see eye on eye at all and have butted heads in the last several months. In addition, the AD has already reached out to high level Marquette boosters informing them that Buzz is talking to SMU and yes it is serious. Also, Buzz is a native of North Texas and is open to the idea of returning home. That's the sunshine aspect of the pursuit. However, there are obvious issues with taking over SMU basketball. Marquette is an established brand that he has elevated to Top 20 status. He is currently well compensated at roughly 2M. He is fresh off a Sweet Sixteen appearance (his third as their head coach) and there is no reason to expect any huge dropoff in the next few years. Also, my guy tells me that Buzz and his wife are happy in Milwaukee. Buzz is a very devout Catholic and enjoys working at a private Jesuit institution. Would he be willing to take over a program that is so far down? That remains the question. However my source said that there is no question Buzz is listening and is blown away by the financial commitment SMU is willing to make. Another factor in the negotations is the 40M renovation to Moody Coliseum that will modernize and make much better use of the current facility. If you've ever been there its a truly great venue for college hoops, but its in need of a serious facelift and thanks to the 20M donation by David Miller and another 20M from the Moody Foundation that facelift will commence construction this year and be completed in time for Big East conference play in 2013. IMO, its a 50-50 shot that we land Buzz. I know that SMU wants the hire made by Final Four weekend at the latest so we should know here in the next few days. If I hear anything else I'll pass it along.

Looks like a settlement is going to happen b/w WVU and the Big East in the next couple of days. SMU has already said they'd be willing to pay whatever it took to leave CUSA a year early. Boise is already on the record as saying they can't leave the MWC until 2013. Some believe that all CUSA teams may be able to leave in 2012 as well. http://www.wvmetronews.com/wvu.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=50855 From what I've gathered on a few CUSA/MWC boards is that the merger talk may be put on the backburner and the creation of a completely new conference is starting to pick up steam. Should be interesting to see what direction this thing goes.