From the Shadows: SMU's Journey
Eric J. Neal
- SMU's
- journey
- from
- the
- infamous
- 1987
- "Death
- Penalty"
- to
- its
- historic
- inclusion
- in
- the
- 2024
- College
- Football
- Playoff
- is
- a
- story
- of
- resilience,
- determination,
- and
- transformation.
- In
- 1987,
- the
- NCAA
- imposed
- its
- harshest
- sanction
- ever
- on
- SMU's
- football
- program,
- canceling
- the
- entire
- season
- due
- to
- repeated
- violations
- involving
- illicit
- payments
- to
- players.
- This
- decision
- crippled
- the
- program,
- leaving
- SMU
- to
- rebuild
- from
- scratch
- and
- endure
- decades
- of
- struggle,
- including
- sparse
- fan
- attendance,
- limited
- success
- on
- the
- field,
- and
- reputational
- damage.The
- Mustangs
- began
- their
- slow
- recovery
- in
- the
- 1990s
- and
- early
- 2000s,
- focused
- on
- compliance
- and
- rebuilding
- their
- athletic
- identity.
- Under
- the
- guidance
- of
- forward-thinking
- leadership,
- SMU
- invested
- heavily
- in
- modern
- facilities
- and
- coaching
- hires
- to
- attract
- talent
- and
- regain
- its
- footing.
- The
- hiring
- of
- June
- Jones
- in
- 2008
- marked
- a
- turning
- point,
- as
- SMU
- returned
- to
- bowl
- eligibility
- for
- the
- first
- time
- in
- 25
- years
- with
- a
- victory
- in
- the
- 2009
- Hawaii
- Bowl.SMU's
- transition
- to
- the
- American
- Athletic
- Conference
- in
- 2013
- further
- bolstered
- its
- competitive
- prospects.
- Under
- head
- coach
- Rhett
- Lashlee,
- appointed
- in
- 2022,
- the
- Mustangs
- embraced
- the
- evolving
- landscape
- of
- college
- athletics.
- They
- leveraged
- Dallas's
- prime
- location
- for
- recruiting,
- embraced
- the
- advent
- of
- Name,
- Image,
- and
- Likeness
- (NIL)
- opportunities,
- and
- cultivated
- a
- high-powered
- offense
- and
- disciplined
- defense.
- This
- culminated
- in
- SMU's
- first
- outright
- conference
- championship
- since
- 1982
- and
- a
- dominant
- 2024
- season
- in
- the
- Atlantic
- Coast
- Conference
- (ACC).Though
- the
- Mustangs
- fell
- short
- in
- the
- ACC
- Championship
- against
- Clemson,
- their
- consistent
- performance
- earned
- them
- a
- spot
- in
- the
- inaugural
- 12-team
- College
- Football
- Playoff.
- This
- remarkable
- achievement
- marked
- the
- culmination
- of
- decades
- of
- hard
- work
- to
- restore
- SMU's
- football
- program
- to
- national
- relevance.From
- the
- depths
- of
- scandal
- to
- a
- seat
- at
- college
- football's
- elite
- table,
- SMU's
- journey
- underscores
- the
- power
- of
- perseverance
- and
- strategic
- vision.
- Their
- playoff
- appearance
- not
- only
- signaled
- the
- program's
- return
- to
- prominence
- but
- also
- set
- the
- stage
- for
- a
- promising
- future,
- with
- aspirations
- of
- one
- day
- capturing
- a
- national championship.
