DMN Editorial: Dallas' university, SMU, has a case for Big 12 membership

Harry · August 3, 2016

It's no surprise that demand for an expansion berth in the Big 12 Conference has two dozen or more universities queuing up with last-lifeboat urgency. A chance to join a "power-five" conference, with all the cache and revenue that go with it, is increasingly rare.

So if the Big 12 wants to add two or even four schools, why not Southern Methodist University?

If you've examined the lists of top contenders -- Brigham Young, Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, Connecticut and Central Florida, among others -- you may have wondered what happened to Dallas' university.

Since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1996, SMU has found homes in three minor conferences, most recently the American Athletic. Many of its SWC rivals combined with the former Big Eight to create the Big 12 and, in a bit of irony, put its headquarters just outside Dallas in Irving.

Big 12 championship games and tournaments have filled AT&T Stadium and the American Airlines Center. The region is laced with enthusiastic fan and alumni bases from Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas and former Big 12 member Texas A&M.

In fact, that's one of the arguments used against SMU, that the Big 12 owns much of its turf already. Yet that's also a potential weakness in Houston's bid, and that didn't stop Texas' governor and lieutenant governor and University of Texas president from publicly backing the Cougars.

What SMU offers the Big 12 is a stronger case to consolidate a top-five U.S. media market around one power-five conference. That unified presence would only increase penetration and market share in a market that truly matters.

And no offense to Cincinnati, Memphis, Orlando or Provo, Utah, but there's no fair way to compare them to Dallas.

read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20160803-editorial-dallas-university-smu-has-a-case-for-big-12-membership.ece

MeanGreenTexan · August 3, 2016

Well, it sounds like "Staff Writer" is a little bit richer.

southsideguy · August 3, 2016

so we can make the same argument, you know "why not north texas"? Let the beatings begin.

emmitt01 · August 3, 2016

The share of the market argument only works when people in Dallas give a rat's ass about "Dallas' team"

Harry · August 3, 2016

Looks like they are making a full court press. There was also a statement of support from the Texas Attorney general. What gets me is that this is an expensive, exclusive private school who probably has 50% or more of their students from out of state. How is SMU representative of Dallas or DFW?

i do believe the 4th spot in the Big 12 is completely up for grabs and don't blame them for making a play. Wish we were in a better position. I also think SMU makes more sense than someone like Colorado State.

DeepGreen · August 3, 2016

Smut has helmet stickers.

Greenrex · August 3, 2016

Just my humble opinion: It ain't never happening. Too much historical nincompoopery. As a noted SMU fan once said,
“There's an old saying...that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”

Ben Gooding · August 3, 2016

25 minutes ago, Harry said:

Looks like they are making a full court press. There was also a statement of support from the Texas Attorney general. What gets me is that this is an expensive, exclusive private school who probably has 50% or more of their students from out of state. How is SMU representative of Dallas or DFW?

i do believe the 4th spot in the Big 12 is completely up for grabs and don't blame them for making a play. Wish we were in a better position. I also think SMU makes more sense than someone like Colorado State.

Wish we were in a better position? Smug is in no position. Terrible football team and a cheating basketball program. Match those 2 issues with no baseball team and they are in an almost exact same situation as us. 0 leverage.

RBP79 · August 3, 2016

There's only one football team in the DFW area and they are a professional team. The only way any of the 3 D1 schools get noticed is winning and two of the 3 don't. And even with TCU winning do they draw 50000 plus on game day, every game? Unfortunately for SMU and even NT, they don't have a snowball's chance in he'll of a invite. Should ethier of these school even throw there name into the hat...I suppose there's no harm as long as your expections are kept realistic.

MeanGreenTexan · August 3, 2016

11 minutes ago, Greenrex said:

Just my humble opinion: It ain't never happening. Too much historical nincompoopery. As a noted SMU fan once said,
“There's an old saying...that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”

I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee.

Harry · August 3, 2016

18 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Wish we were in a better position? Smug is in no position. Terrible football team and a cheating basketball program. Match those 2 issues with no baseball team and they are in an almost exact same situation as us. 0 leverage.

You make a good point about their cheating. Larry Brown really screwed SMU in terms of the timing of their infractions.

oldguystudent · August 3, 2016

I guess they've as much right to be in a major conference as any Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, or Northwestern*. Token little private schools with lots of money and law schools. Thing is, Baylor and TCU seem to have that spot wrapped up in the Big 12. There's not a whole lot of incentive for any big conference to add more little private schools.

This isn't the sixties when conferences were made up of schools within reasonable traveling distance of each other. That all ended around 1990 when schools like Notre Dame began to toy with getting television money all to themselves.

SMU really has nothing to offer a big conference except maybe to be cannon fodder for teams that wish to roll all over them in addition to their annual FCS games and scheduled homecoming against North Texas.

*Stanford omitted from list because of their nearly constant national prowess in all their sports.

Wag Tag · August 3, 2016

1 hour ago, Harry said:

It's no surprise that demand for an expansion berth in the Big 12 Conference has two dozen or more universities queuing up with last-lifeboat urgency. A chance to join a "power-five" conference, with all the cache and revenue that go with it, is increasingly rare.

So if the Big 12 wants to add two or even four schools, why not Southern Methodist University?

If you've examined the lists of top contenders -- Brigham Young, Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, Connecticut and Central Florida, among others -- you may have wondered what happened to Dallas' university.

Since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1996, SMU has found homes in three minor conferences, most recently the American Athletic. Many of its SWC rivals combined with the former Big Eight to create the Big 12 and, in a bit of irony, put its headquarters just outside Dallas in Irving.

Big 12 championship games and tournaments have filled AT&T Stadium and the American Airlines Center. The region is laced with enthusiastic fan and alumni bases from Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas and former Big 12 member Texas A&M.

In fact, that's one of the arguments used against SMU, that the Big 12 owns much of its turf already. Yet that's also a potential weakness in Houston's bid, and that didn't stop Texas' governor and lieutenant governor and University of Texas president from publicly backing the Cougars.

What SMU offers the Big 12 is a stronger case to consolidate a top-five U.S. media market around one power-five conference. That unified presence would only increase penetration and market share in a market that truly matters.

And no offense to Cincinnati, Memphis, Orlando or Provo, Utah, but there's no fair way to compare them to Dallas.

read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20160803-editorial-dallas-university-smu-has-a-case-for-big-12-membership.ece

They can't attract fans. Even during the Pony Express days! Market is already owned be Texas, A&M and OU! I feel if the networks can stop this they will. While the schools could make more money by not paying the add ons a full cut the networks would get screwed , because of limitations for additional ad revenue!

UNTexas · August 3, 2016

The articles says it consolidates the TV market. Really, where exactly is TCU? Is it not in the same TV market here in the DFW area? And TCU actually wins. SMU is as pathetic at football as us. And that's saying something. Additionally, their basketball just fell apart and they've proven they can't help themselves when it comes to NCAA infractions.

risinggreen · August 3, 2016

HEAVY greasing of palms is the only way that this could possibly happen. I have no doubt that the grease is already flowing.

Ryan Munthe · August 3, 2016

Unless SMU bankrolls the B12 to absurd proportions, this is a pipe dream. I fail to understand how SMU is a Big 12 fit. If they are and are saying they are, why aren't we?

Green Mean · August 3, 2016

Bear in mind it's just an editorial. SMU offers a P5 conference zilch at this point. All they can say is they have the funds to do whatever they need and want to do and that they have a history being in the SWC. Other than that SMU offers nothing.

Ben Gooding · August 3, 2016

2 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

I guess they've as much right to be in a major conference as any Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, or Northwestern*. Token little private schools with lots of money and law schools. Thing is, Baylor and TCU seem to have that spot wrapped up in the Big 12. There's not a whole lot of incentive for any big conference to add more little private schools.

This isn't the sixties when conferences were made up of schools within reasonable traveling distance of each other. That all ended around 1990 when schools like Notre Dame began to toy with getting television money all to themselves.

SMU really has nothing to offer a big conference except maybe to be cannon fodder for teams that wish to roll all over them in addition to their annual FCS games and scheduled homecoming against North Texas.

*Stanford omitted from list because of their nearly constant national prowess in all their sports.

Stanford's success is just about nonexistent in most (major) sports. To add, their football program was a doormat of a program not that long ago. Duke is a basketball power and Vandy offers decent basketball and of late great baseball. Your other 2 examples are 100% valid unless you want to add 20 years ago with Tim Duncan basketball at Wake.

JRock · August 3, 2016

Heck. Let them join....and be the Vanderbilt of the Big12. Will be nice seeing them get their @ss beat each week.

Ben Gooding · August 3, 2016

Just now, JRock said:

Heck. Let them join....and be the Vanderbilt of the Big12. Will be nice seeing them get their @ss beat each week.

If smug, like us, gets into the big12 neither would be nothing like Vandy. Way too much regional talent for that to happen. Us as well as smug would be a middle of the pack big12 team in the matter of a few years due to resources and recruiting alone.

oldguystudent · August 3, 2016

2 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Stanford's success is just about nonexistent in most (major) sports. To add, their football program was a doormat of a program not that long ago. Duke is a basketball power and Vandy offers decent basketball and of late great baseball. Your other 2 examples are 100% valid unless you want to add 20 years ago with Tim Duncan basketball at Wake.

Stanford has been atop the directors cup for years. Maybe they haven't been a national champion in football or basketball, but they've been pretty consistently ranked. Last time I remember them being awful was in the eighties. Their olympic sports (OK. who really cares) have always been top notch and they've got one hell of a baseball program (at least they did before the 11.7 scholarship thing set in)

Believe me, I'm not fan of the dancing tree as I grew up watching Cal across the bay, but I do acknowledge that they've maintained some very high standards for a long time.

Greenrex · August 3, 2016

"Big 12 Conference leadership has been talking tough lately.

But what if the league has an ulterior motive?

It seems the Big 12 intends to hold ESPN and Fox to the letter of that cumbersome pro rata clause in their contract, the one that continues to pay each Big 12 member the same $20 million or so whether the league has 10 teams or 14.

But what if the bold statements by commissioner Bob Bowlsby and board chairman David Boren are really more of a power play?"

http://thefranchiseok.com/?p=8565

Ben Gooding · August 3, 2016

2 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

Stanford has been atop the directors cup for years. Maybe they haven't been a national champion in football or basketball, but they've been pretty consistently ranked. Last time I remember them being awful was in the eighties. Their olympic sports (OK. who really cares) have always been top notch and they've got one hell of a baseball program (at least they did before the 11.7 scholarship thing set in)

Believe me, I'm not fan of the dancing tree as I grew up watching Cal across the bay, but I do acknowledge that they've maintained some very high standards for a long time.

They have been bad at football for a long, long time. They started to turn themselves around starting the 2009 season. Before that they were really bad in football with decent seasons sprinkled in.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/stanford/

ColoradoEagle · August 3, 2016

The writer needs to spend a couple hours walking around Fort Worth and then see if he still thinks Dallas considers SMU its team. Tons and tons of TCU being represented here. I don't even think you'd see that kind of support on SMU's campus.

I'm in no way a TCU fan, but the marketing they've done (along with winning, obviously) has actually made them Fort Worth's team.