SMU ACC Celebration: A Triumph on the Long Road Back to Our Rightful Place

SMU joins the ACC in the latest round of conference realignment, marking a major level-up for the school.

SMU, a university in Dallas, Texas, has finally made its way back to a major conference after nearly 30 years of being left in the wilderness. In 1995, when the Southwest Conference disbanded, SMU and other schools like TCU ended up in the WAC while Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Baylor joined the Big Eight to form the Big 12. This was a devastating blow for SMU, a program that had experienced great success in the early 1980s before receiving the "Death Penalty" from the NCAA. However, on Friday, SMU celebrated its return to a power conference as it joined the ACC alongside Stanford and Cal in the most recent round of conference realignment.

The news was met with excitement and joy from the SMU community. Board chair David B. Miller declared, "We're finally back where we belong," during a celebratory event attended by hundreds of people. The event concluded with athletic director Rick Hart popping a champagne bottle filled with confetti. SMU was willing to go to great lengths to secure a power conference invitation, including forgoing nine years of Tier 1 media rights revenue from the ACC. This unprecedented decision showcases the determination and commitment of SMU to be part of the elite group.

While giving up Tier 1 media rights revenue may seem like a significant sacrifice, SMU leaders view it differently. They believe that they cannot give away something they never had in the first place. Additionally, there are other conference distributions, such as College Football Playoff revenues and NCAA Tournament units, that will contribute to SMU's financial gains. In the American Athletic Conference, SMU earned around $8-9 million annually in total distribution. Even without Tier 1 media rights money, the Mustangs can expect to earn at least the same amount annually in the ACC. Furthermore, the presence of powerhouse football and basketball programs like Florida State, Clemson, Duke, and North Carolina visiting SMU will lead to increased ticket sales and further financial benefits.

To bridge the gap between SMU and other ACC schools, the university's boosters are prepared to invest upwards of $100 million in the coming years. Despite being a small school with a limited number of alumni, SMU has successful alumni who credit their achievements to the education they received at the university. Paul B. Loyd Jr., a former offshore drilling CEO and SMU football player, believes that the investment in joining the ACC makes sense from a business perspective.

SMU's journey back to a power conference represents a significant milestone for the university. It has invested heavily in state-of-the-art facilities, such as the indoor practice facility where the celebratory event took place, and is currently constructing a $100 million end zone facility. Additionally, SMU has made strides in the name, image, and likeness market, surpassing most of the Group of 5 schools. Head coach Rhett Lashlee acknowledges the tremendous support from fans, alumni, board members, and supporters who have longed for this day for decades.

SMU began discussions with the ACC in 2021, highlighting its alignment with the conference's profile as a private school with strong academics and affluent boosters. However, the university lacked the breakthrough sports moment on a national stage that UCF and Cincinnati had achieved. Talks with the Pac-12 were also extensive, with commissioner George Kliavkoff even visiting SMU for a basketball game. However, the Pac-12's expansion plans were delayed, leading Colorado to join the Big 12 instead. Other Big 12 schools showed little to no interest in adding a well-funded program like SMU.

In recent weeks, it was uncertain whether the ACC would secure the necessary votes to add Stanford, Cal, and SMU. The financial model, which required the three schools to forgo a significant amount of revenue, convinced NC State to vote in favor. However, Florida State, Clemson, and North Carolina voted against it. Despite this, SMU officials believe that they are now part of a top-three conference with the ACC, taking a subtle jab at the Big 12. The long road back to prominence has finally come to an end for SMU, and the university is ready to compete at the highest level once again.