The SMU football team travels to Denton on Saturday to take on the University of North Texas Mean Green for the first time in 12 years. Ed Board would like to tip our cap to Head Coach Phil Bennett for encouraging the renewal of this regional rivalry.
We know playing UNT will never have the glitz or glam that comes with battling for the Iron Skillet with TCU, but UNT is a Division I school and because of their close proximity to the Hilltop, should be a game we as students should care about.
An away game across town is a great financial move, and it gives fans the opportunity to get to a game they normally wouldn’t be able to attend if it were in another city.
Next year, UNT comes to Ford Stadium. This is a yet another great opportunity to sell tickets to their 32,000 current students and their local alumni and gain revenue for our athletic department.
In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Bennett said when he first came to SMU; he suggested a “Round-Robin” style three-way competition between SMU, TCU and UNT for a Metroplex championship.
That’s a great idea Coach. With the right encouragement, I’m sure all three schools could get on board with that.
UNT Head Coach Darrell Dickey already agrees.
“I’ve always felt like there should be three teams playing each other in the Metroplex,” Dickey said in The Dallas Morning News. “TCU, SMU and North Texas should be playing each other every year regardless of what league we’re in.”
So that leaves TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson. What do you have to lose TCU? Why not play SMU and UNT every season?
The Frogs only have one away game in the state of Texas this year, and that was in Waco last week. The rest of the away games are too far away for most students and local fans to attend. In 2005, the only regular season in-state away game was against SMU, and that didn’t turn out too well for the Frogs.
College football is all about rivalries. When they’re in town, they’re even better. It’s almost been a whole year, and SMU fans are still bragging about beating TCU last year. Wouldn’t it be great to have one more in town rival to trade bragging rights with?
Ed Board is excited about traveling to Denton this weekend. We hope you are to. Tickets are only $15, and there is a special section reserved for SMU fans. Not only is this a great way to hang out with classmates, but there will be plenty of alumni there to help cheer on the Mustangs. This game, like all in town games, is a great way for Mustangs young and old to unite and support the Red and Blue. See you at the game!
