SMU Mustangs
First season	1915
Athletic director	Steve Orsini
Head coach	June Jones
	2st year, 5–15–0  (.250)
Home stadium	Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Year built	1999
Stadium capacity	32,000
Stadium surface	FieldTurf
Location	Dallas, Texas
League	Division I
Conference	Conference USA
Division	West
Past conferences	Southwest Conference Western Athletic Conference
All-time record	439–477–54 (.480)
Postseason bowl record	4–6–1
Claimed national titles	3
Conference titles	11
Colors	Harvard red and Yale blue
Mascot	Peruna
Website	SMUMustangs.com

The Mustangs in action against Texas Tech in 2007

The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University (more commonly "SMU"). The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member Conference USA. The Mustangs have competed in the West Division of Conference USA since 2005.

[edit] History

[edit] Death penalty

In 1987, SMU football became the first, and currently only, football program in collegiate athletic history to receive the NCAA's "Death Penalty", that is, having a sports program terminated for a determined amount of time. SMU's football program was terminated for the 1987 season because the University was allegedly making approximately $61,000 in booster payments from 1985 to 1986. It later emerged that a "slush fund" had been used to pay players as early as the mid-1970s, and athletic officials had known about it as early as 1981.

SMU was eligible for the "death penalty" because it had been placed on probation in 1985 for recruiting violations. Since many players were poor, boosters would pay for rent or other bills for the parents of the athletes, and several key boosters and administration officials felt it would be unethical to cut off payments. When the sanctions were handed down, SMU had only three players - all seniors about to graduate - receiving payments.

Not long afterward, SMU announced that its football team would stay shuttered for the 1988 season as well after school officials received indications that they wouldn't have enough experienced players to field a viable team.^[1] As it turned out, new coach Forrest Gregg was left with an undersized and underweight lineup; he was taller and heavier than virtually all of his players. The Mustangs have yet to recover from the effects of the scandal; they have had only two winning seasons since the "Death Penalty," and one bowl appearance in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl.

[edit] National championships

The SMU Mustangs have been named as national champions three times by several different organizations:

• 1935: Dickinson, Houlgate System, and Sagarin Ratings
• 1981: National Championship Foundation
• 1982: Helms Athletic Foundation

[edit] Conference championships

Southwest Conference championships: 1923, 1926, 1931, 1935, 1947, 1948, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1984 (Co-champions with Houston)

[edit] Individual achievements

Heisman Trophy

• Doak Walker: 1948

Maxwell Award

• Doak Walker: 1947

Sammy Baugh Trophy

• Chuck Hixson: 1968

[edit] Bowl appearances

[edit] Rivalries

• Rice Owls in the Battle for the Mayor's Cup.
• TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet.

[edit] References

• Southern Methodist Historical Data, College Football Data Warehouse.

[edit] External links

• SMUMustangs.com