Big 12 football: SMU wants in

There is growing interest in SMU football and its sports programs. Two decades of silence is now broken as it rises from the ash's of a death penalty that crippled its athletics. In short order the football program has substantially improved. Given an opportunity to recruit athletes for a BCS conference it would surely rise faster; and with this rise there would be a growing fan base of Dallas locals. Does anyone believe everyone wearing burnt orange is a graduate from UT? This said; would you rather place your store in Highland Park or Lubbock? Would you prefer opening a business in Waco or near the wealthiest individuals in the state of Texas? Would you vacation in Fort Worth or Dallas? They are named the Dallas, not the Fort Worth, Cowboys for a reason. To prepare for this demand SMU has the capacity to build any facility necessary and though SMU graduates are not large in number the purchasing power of its alums is substantial. SMU graduates are a very desirable market for any advertiser and the population of Dallas is ripe for a college football program to call their own. Maybe it is the fear that SMU has this capacity to draw athletes away from other programs that keeps SMU from being considered. It is one of the top three academic institutions in the state with only Rice and UT ranked higher. It has an extraordinarily beautiful campus, has a tremendous faculty, strong student support systems and sits in the middle of one of the greatest cities in the United States. Hmmm would I go to SMU or TCU if I wanted to attend a strong and respected academic institution? Would I choose SMU or Baylor if I wanted to live in a great city? Would I go to SMU or Iowa State/Kansas if I wanted to play for a great football program? The bottom line is that SMU is a great choice for the Big 12 but does the Big 12 have the guts to face them in the recruiting battle? I think this is the real reason Big 12 officials are avoiding the conversation and downplaying SMU.

You're spot on, the Big 12 doesn't need Cougar or Pony High

Houston sold out every game last year and is 3-1 against the Big 12 the past two years. Keep ducking us.

While I echo some comments about the Big XII getting back to 12 teams, you shouldn't dismiss Houston who would do very well in a BCS conference...and the Horns despise them too!

The conversation hear seems to revolve around bringing BYU into the Big 12 to save it. I have watched BYU in the MWC for 7 years and can tell you that they will draw well on the road and they will attract eyes to watch them on TV, but the program's ego challenges that of UT. I don't believe there is anyway they want to have anything to do with UT's arrogance an attitude .. they recognize it too well.

I meant "big 12 will always have strength with UT and Oklahoma" add SMU and TCU and patch it up with aggies... All of these programs are on top or at least on up swing... And as one poster said, you want to add teams that want to be in the conference. Would love to see aggies stay and add SMU, TCU, heck even add tulsa... I want our conference to be tight geographically... And heck, be pro active and attempt to lure Arkansas... I know everybody thinks the big 12 is imploding, but if geographic sensibilities and less greed come to fore front I still believe Texas OU and rest of big 12 can save this thing and even make it stronger.. And hey, not every team added to a super conference has to be a Top 10 power... Everybody needs bottom feeders to beat up on.

SMU can easily draw 40,000 to 60,000 a game with Big 12... They are already drawing 23,000 playing the Confernce USA teams... Dallas business community should be chomping at the bit to help get SMU in big 12, it would help draw tens of thousands of visitors to area, and pump up interest in the area... Big 12 should seriously consider SMU, as I guarantee you, the SEC is looking to improve their recruiting and TV in DFW area. They also need to try to pry TCU away from Big East. Big 12 will alwYs be strong with UT and Texas, they need to consider SMU, TCU and try to patch things up with the aggies.

Time for the Big 12 to call it quits. Send the Big 10 Kansas, K St, Missu and Iowa ST. OU,OSU, Texas and Baylor to the Pac 12. A&M and Tech and two what ever can fill out the SEC. The SEC going to twenty four is a bad idea. And tell ESPN to get their fillthy hands off my game!

JQ has brought some real food for thought. Maybe we should revive a kinda Southwest Conference.

PS. BYU and Notre Dame, although extremely attractive (I would say definitely more so then SMU or Houston) will NEVER join. They have a large enough fan-base both in state and nationally to support themselves (hence Independents) and have their own lucrative broadcasting deals. This will continue till the end of time, or as long as there are Catholics and Mormons in this world. Big XII has to expand now or they are going to be left behind. It will take SMU a year to be beating Baylor on a regular basis, and 3-5 years before they are competing with they big dogs if they can get A-Q status to help their recruiting (which for being a Non-AQ is quite impressive). I think Houston can do it to, but I think SMU is even more prime for them. It will take a few years, but bottom line is that taking in SMU now will be a wise investment 3-5 years from now for the Big XII

That competition would rekindle the flames of past SMU fans and create fans (or at least spectators) from the city of Dallas. (Could you imagine the SMU-TCU rivalry if they were in the same conference- this years game was nationally televised and Ford Stadium was packed past full capacity). From a conference standpoint, I would like to see Houston join, but to say they "are a shining hill" compared to SMU is a completely erroneous as well. Houston is a commuter school that is a poor academic school (relatively speaking) whose older, not as nice stadium only holds 32,000 as well.

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