Mustang Nation filled Moody Coliseum on Friday, Sept. 12, for an advance screening of “Thunder On”, SMU’s new documentary chronicling the program’s rise from the NCAA “death penalty” to competing on college sports’ biggest stage. The film will premiere Sunday, Sept. 21, on ESPN.
Before the screening, fans heard remarks from SMU President Jay Hartzell, Athletic Director Damon Evans, and Board of Trustees Chair David Miller.
Speaking hours after his inauguration, Hartzell expressed excitement about the university’s future while highlighting Miller’s role.
“We would not be watching this movie tonight, [if] the story hadn’t happened the same way, many of us wouldn’t be here but for [David Miller],” Hartzell said.
Miller followed by reflecting on SMU’s rapid rise and the school’s immediate impact in its debut year in the ACC.
“In our very first year in the conference, we go to the CFP, we finish tied for fourth place in arguably the toughest basketball conference in the country,” Miller said.
The film opens with SMU’s early success, led by Doak Walker, the Mustangs’ only Heisman Trophy winner. His career in the 1940s helped cement the program’s national reputation. The film then moves to the famed Pony Express era, when Eric Dickerson and Craig James carried SMU back to national prominence.
Those early highs are contrasted with the devastating lows of the NCAA death penalty, which left the program in ruins and set it back decades. SMU Trustee Bill Armstrong, who was a student during that tumultuous period, shares his perspective on experiencing the fallout firsthand.
From there, the documentary traces how the program fought to rebuild. SMU was left behind during rounds of conference realignment, bouncing between leagues while trying to rebuild. The story takes a positive swing with the Mustangs’ acceptance into the ACC, a full-circle moment from their days in the Southwest Conference.
The film also highlights how the college landscape has shifted. Once punished for paying players, SMU is now thriving in the NIL era, where athlete compensation is both legal and essential for sustained success. The film credits Miller, Armstrong, and former President R. Gerald Turner as key figures in positioning the Mustangs for their long-awaited return to a power conference.
As the documentary looks ahead, SMU football Head Coach Rhett Lashlee offered the closing vision for the program’s future during a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
“The documentary motivates us to build to where we can get back to [the playoffs] more often and maybe even win that next national championship,” Lashlee said.
While football anchors the story, “Thunder On” also emphasizes the broader benefits of ACC membership: elevated brand exposure, expanded opportunities for Olympic sports, and alignment with other elite academic institutions.
The production left an impression on students in attendance, including sophomore Andrew Fiser, who praised the film’s balance of history and hope.
“Thunder On” tells not just the story about SMU football, but the story of the emerging rise of SMU’s dominant culture across all aspects of collegiate growth,” Fiser said.
The sophomore shares a similar excitement with Lashlee about the future of SMU.
“There is no better college to be right now than at SMU, and no better city to be in than Dallas,” Fiser said. “The Pony Express is back.”
For fans who couldn’t attend Friday’s premiere, the full story will air nationwide when “Thunder On” debuts Sunday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN.
