Moody is back and the students keep coming.

The new SMU marketing campaign focuses on students and getting them involved with Mustang athletics. The change started when Athletic Director Steve Orsini hired Richard Sweet from Southwest Airlines to be the new associate athletic Director for Marketing.

“When Richard [Sweet] came in,” said Kemberli Sanderson, director of donor relations, “his idea was to focus on the students for the remainder of the basketball season.”

That’s where the “I’m Bringing Moody Back” campaign started.

Sanderson said Sweet recognizes that “the students are important to the atmosphere in the coliseum.”

That atmosphere has brought the Mustangs close in their first two home conference games and gave SMU a 7-1 non-conference record at home.

It’s not just the marketing department that understands the importance of the students; new head coach Matt Doherty realizes this, too. Doherty has made a point to get all of the student organizations involved.

He hosted a pizza party for the sororities during a practice at Moody Coliseum last semester and went to each fraternity house explaining how vital the students are to university athletics.

The marketing campaign has involved handing out t-shirts, rally towels and miniature basketballs. The marketing department will continue to try and get the word out before home games.

But they’re also hoping to get a little help. “The band has been huge for us,” said Sanderson. “The band, the cheerleaders and the pom squad are the ones who get it started and then the students catch onto that.”

The new scoreboard will also be put to use by the marketing department.

Students will be asked to submit a 30-second video to YouTube.com. The top four videos will be shown on the video board during the games for the rest of the season.

Students who submit entries are encouraged to keep the “Bringing Moody Back” theme in mind. Students are also encouraged to start a new chant or student tradition.

At the end of the season, the winner will score a dinner with coach Doherty.

The campaign will continue tonight as the Mustangs take on Tulane at 7.