Nobody Has Ever Been More Desperate to Find a New Conference Than SMU

[meangreen11]

The Mustangs are reportedly willing to absorb at least a half decade of zero dollars in media revenue for a chance to join the ACC. And it’s kind of hard to blame them.

College football realignment absolutely sucks, and the suckiest part of all is that there’s no end to it on the horizon. The process is hoovering the soul out of the sport, warping a regional product rich with history and rivalry into a quasi-national game increasingly devoid of both. The further college football goes in that direction, the less it becomes anything but a glorified farm system for a pro league that everyone could just turn on 24 hours later each weekend to see dramatically better football. The collateral damage will be athletes in other sports, who will be forced into extra travel without much of a shot at earning any name, image, and likeness (NIL) money.

Nevertheless, schools have decided that the only thing worse than being party to all of this is being left without an invitation. And absolutely nobody is more desperate to score one than SMU.

We know this thanks to a report from The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, who has a source claiming that the Mustangs are so eager to join the ACC that they are willing to forego any media rights revenue for the first five to seven years. For reference, Oregon and Washington are catching hell for joining the Big Ten for half a share of the maximum revenue over the life of its current deal, which will start them at $30 million annually. Their former conference, the all-but-extinct Pac-12, crumbled because its member schools were staring down a deal that may only guarantee them around $23 million.

Yet here are the Mustangs, sending very loud signals that they’d be super down to get zero dollars and zero cents for a not-inconsiderable amount of time in exchange for the privilege of slapping a bigger brand on their athletic department letterhead and their athletes spending half of each season playing on the East Coast.

Is this thirsty? Oh, buddy, is it.

Is it smart? Yeah, probably.

read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/sports/2023/08/smu-mustangs-acc/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dmagazine&fbclid=IwAR1DSdKNIxA0M017xetHdzIBVikf68ZvHm0l4BR9DJCJJNbo2QQmlavmklE_aem_AdGgvq4NFKpjU1N1rnzTRwvXJCoYTc9EotOeDxHnEjHuWpLQHVFEpoZHqhZpDSKQZik&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

 

 

[UNTLifer]

The AAC should just turn them loose and let them sink or swim. 

[Rudy]

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

The AAC should just turn them loose and let them sink or swim. 

I say...let em crash

 

[outoftown]

2 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

The AAC should just turn them loose and let them sink or swim. 

Provided this is what you mean, I am ok with that: They can leave whenever they want. Just leave a 25+ million check at the door on your way out.

[DentonStang]

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

[ColoradoEagle]

24 minutes ago, DentonStang said:

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

If you believe the media, it's headed towards only the SEC/B1G being relevant with occasional relevance for the Big 12. Not seeing either of our schools in any of those conferences.

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, DentonStang said:

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

Your over-inflated ego doesn't cause me to have more urgency.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

1 hour ago, DentonStang said:

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

Smu is going nowhere. Your administration shot their shot. It was mocked and laughed at throughout the country. Then you were told no. 

If by going somewhere you mean independent, then sure, that's the option out. 

[outoftown]

3 hours ago, DentonStang said:

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

Maybe. On the other hand, UNT wants to catch up in terms of perception to some of the programs it has just now drawn level with in terms of conference membership.  I think folks here are aware that might take a few years. That is when UNT will pull past of some of them. I think the realization that UNT might actually pull that off, is why a lot of SMU folks are soooo annoyed at being in a conference with UNT.

Folks here are aware that if the end times of CFB are now, UNT isn't fully ready for them. Yet. And That can't be changed overnight. SMU is laser focused on making that cut now to a degree it might cost itself opportunities later on, should the end times be further away. Dead scared of the alternative of not making it now... UNT is building for the possibility that it might get there later. It has built well the last 15 years and eliminated more of the gap than some folks want to acknowledge. It really only needs a bit of a perception bump.

Edited August 14, 2023 by outoftown

[NorthTexasWeLove]

29 minutes ago, outoftown said:

Maybe. On the other hand, UNT wants to catch up in terms of perception to some of the programs it has just now drawn level with in terms of conference membership.  I think folks here are aware that might take a few years. That is when UNT will pull past of some of them. I think the realization that UNT might actually pull that off, is why a lot of SMU folks are soooo annoyed at being in a conference with UNT.

Folks here are aware that if the end times of CFB are now, UNT isn't fully ready for them. Yet. And That can't be changed overnight. SMU is laser focused on making that cut now to a degree it might cost itself opportunities later on, should the end times be further away. Dead scared of the alternative of not making it now... UNT is building for the possibility that it might get there later. It has built well the last 15 years and eliminated more of the gap than some folks want to acknowledge. It really only needs a bit of a perception bump.

100% accurate. Especially on SMUs why. 

[meanJewGreen]

If the ACC called to invite UNT but said we had to forego 5-7 years of media revenue to join would you?

Part of me would for the perception bump.

Conference football schedule would be better. Bball would obviously be way better. 

Whether we could afford it is a whole other issue. 

 

 

[greenminer]

5 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

If the ACC called to invite UNT but said we had to forego 5-7 years of media revenue to join would you?

Part of me would for the perception bump.

Conference football schedule would be better. Bball would obviously be way better. 

Whether we could afford it is a whole other issue. 

 

 

That's not a different issue.  Is would be THE issue.  If we could not afford it, we would have to say no.

[outoftown]

14 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

If the ACC called to invite UNT but said we had to forego 5-7 years of media revenue to join would you?

Part of me would for the perception bump.

Conference football schedule would be better. Bball would obviously be way better. 

Whether we could afford it is a whole other issue. 

 

 

If you could TRUELY afford it, then I might think about it. By truely affording it I mean footing the whole bill yourself AND investing as if you actually got the media money and THEN continue to invest when you finally start getting some media money in. I doubt any school would be willing to do it for a situation as unstable as the ACCs. I don't even think Fertita at Houston would have been willing to underwrite this kind of thing, had UH been in the same position as SMU now, even if the ACC had been more stable.

People seem to think SMU with its boosters can afford it. Color me more skeptical than most folks. When it comes time to really fork over 200 million, I get the feeling some of those boosters will start having second thoughts and at a minimum start skimping on the other stuff they usually support at the athletic program. Being conistently at the bottom of your conference will not do all that much for you. All it will make people think is that you got a shot and couldn't actually make it in that conference, how much you had an arm tied behind your back, they will not consider.

Edited August 14, 2023 by outoftown

[Greendylan]

17 minutes ago, outoftown said:

If you could TRUELY afford it, then I might think about it. By truely affording it I mean footing the whole bill yourself AND investing as if you actually got the media money and THEN continue to invest when you finally start getting some media money in. I doubt any school would be willing to do it for a situation as unstable as the ACCs. I don't even think Fertita at Houston would have been willing to underwrite this kind of thing, had UH been in the same position as SMU now, even if the ACC had been more stable.

People seem to think SMU with its boosters can afford it. Color me more skeptical than most folks. When it comes time to really fork over 200 million, I get the feeling some of those boosters will start having second thoughts and at a minimum start skimping on the other stuff they usually support at the athletic program. Being conistently at the bottom of your conference will not do all that much for you. All it will make people think is that you got a shot and couldn't actually make it in that conference, how much you had an arm tied behind your back, they will not consider.

When it comes to the $200 million number that is being bandied about as extra money that SMU boosters have to inject into the program (or, let's say hypothetically NT has this money--just for this thought experiment), I would not support using that to buy our way into a "power" conference that may within the next few years lose its A5 status and plausibly could end up dissolving altogether.  This feels like TCU to the Big East all over again, and if TCU had mortgaged their entire future just to secure that invite, then they may not have been in any position to then earn a Big XII invite--or would have been unsuccessful once entering that level of play.

If we had a $200 million budget surplus among monied donors, I would prefer that the money go toward creating a massively successful NIL collective.  It's like the Saudi soccer teams: They aren't trying to get a team into the EPL; they're just buying good players.

Now, if that money could go toward getting into a more stable, actually top-level conference (Big 10, SEC, or Big XII), then it would probably be a wise investment.  I just don't think the ACC fits the bill at present.  Just my thought... 

[MrAlien]

SMU's problem is that they dont carry a lot of weight in terms of media value.  Sure they play in a top media market, but they are the smallest D1 school in the viewing market. Very few people in the market have any connection to SMU, and virtually 0 fans not connected to the university in the area.  No conference wants to add a school with a media value less then the current conference split, because that would mean a lower pay out when divided evenly. 

[UNTethered Eagle]

1 hour ago, MrAlien said:

SMU's problem is that they dont carry a lot of weight in terms of media value.  Sure they play in a top media market, but they are the smallest D1 school in the viewing market. Very few people in the market have any connection to SMU, and virtually 0 fans not connected to the university in the area.  No conference wants to add a school with a media value less then the current conference split, because that would mean a lower pay out when divided evenly. 

I've lived in north Texas and Dallas for roughly 9 years collectively and can say with certainty that the "SMU crowd" isn't exactly welcoming or hospitable to the rest of Dallas in the sense of community. 

 

Police cars facing out and across Forest Ave. towards homes worth less than 1 million come to mind. Hard to garner support when you are looking down on your 'neighbors'.

[GrayEagle]

On 8/14/2023 at 8:42 AM, DentonStang said:

You should consider why we want out so badly and if you shouldn't have more urgency too 

If you had an offer from the ACC or the Big 12, I would understand.  Otherwise ???.

 

[emmitt01]

On 8/14/2023 at 12:32 PM, meanJewGreen said:

If the ACC called to invite UNT but said we had to forego 5-7 years of media revenue to join would you?

Part of me would for the perception bump.

Conference football schedule would be better. Bball would obviously be way better. 

Whether we could afford it is a whole other issue. 

 

 

If we did that, I would cancel season tickets and demand the AD be fired.    The ACC won't be there, at least not in anything close to its current form, by the time those 5-7 years are up...likely not even for the next 3. 

[El Paso Eagle]

You have to believe that behind the scenes the schools that held out on the boat for the ACC are negotiating to get a much better deal for themselves. Like I mentioned before, I hope SMU, Stanford and Cal go to the ACC. It should help the American 

[NT80]

On 8/14/2023 at 3:38 PM, UNTethered Eagle said:

I've lived in north Texas and Dallas for roughly 9 years collectively and can say with certainty that the "SMU crowd" isn't exactly welcoming or hospitable to the rest of Dallas in the sense of community. 

Police cars facing out and across Forest Ave. towards homes worth less than 1 million come to mind. Hard to garner support when you are looking down on your 'neighbors'.

Smut is like a gated-community.  Outsiders (and neighbors) are not welcomed and it reflects in their poor attendance = poor media value from DFW as a whole.  Nobody in DFW actually cares if they sink or swim besides a few old alums and donors.  

[NT80]

On 8/14/2023 at 2:24 PM, MrAlien said:

SMU's problem is that they dont carry a lot of weight in terms of media value.  Sure they play in a top media market, but they are the smallest D1 school in the viewing market. Very few people in the market have any connection to SMU, and virtually 0 fans not connected to the university in the area.  No conference wants to add a school with a media value less then the current conference split, because that would mean a lower pay out when divided evenly. 

Smut knows they don't carry value so they are using $$ to sway a vote somewhere, anywhere, to get a P5 jersey patch.   

The conference invite system has now turned from working your way up the ladder to trying to buy-an-invite either by declining revenue or outright booster $$ to buy your way into the club.  Stanford and Smut are both trying to leverage $$ for memberships, typical of country-club alum mentality.

[antique_alum]

SMU wants to relive the 'good 'ol days' of boosters throwing cash and cars around to buy a winning team.  Remember the Golden Trans Am?

https://footballscoop.com/news/smu-recruiting-full-circle-trans-am

(Note their use of a golden Trans Am for an SMU collective)

Buying into a conference, pumping up their NIL, sucking on the transfer portal to record levels in order to create a well paid,  'Frankenstein' team..... none of who will spend 4 years at SMU.  These would be a few of the practices that are ready to export to the ACC!

SMU may have even created a new 'pay for play' angle.  There are some rumors that donors are putting some players on the payroll to do 'endorsements' for their products and services, and paying targeted players from other schools to enter the portal. 

This is where deregulation leads...and it's fertile ground for an experienced player like SMU!

Edited August 20, 2023 by antique_alum

[cousin oliver]

50 minutes ago, antique_alum said:

SMU wants to relive the 'good 'ol days' of boosters throwing cash and cars around to buy a winning team.  Remember the Golden Trans Am?

https://footballscoop.com/news/smu-recruiting-full-circle-trans-am

(Note their use of a golden Trans Am for an SMU collective)

Buying into a conference, pumping up their NIL, sucking on the transfer portal to record levels in order to create a well paid,  'Frankenstein' team..... none of who will spend 4 years at SMU.  These would be a few of the practices that are ready to export to the ACC!

SMU may have even created a new 'pay for play' angle.  There are some rumors that donors are putting some players on the payroll to do 'endorsements' for their products and services, and paying targeted players from other schools to enter the portal. 

This is where deregulation leads...and it's fertile ground for an experienced player like SMU!

This is good insight but also very sad.  Programs like SMU could ruin the entire game if we are not careful.

[GrayEagle]

SMU....if you can't find a P5 that will accept you...go independent.  Play no one but P5s.  If you can win more than half of those games then declare yourself a P5 independent.  You'll be the first that a P5 conference will look at when they are ready to expand.  Playing nothing but P5s you should be able to sell out Ford most of the time.

Edited August 21, 2023 by GrayEagle