SMU Athletic Director Jim Copeland best summed up the reason forthe move to Conference USA.
“We are not only going to Conference USA just to competeor to play, we are going to win championships,” he said.
Copeland, along with President R. Gerald Turner, Board ofTrustees Chairman Gerald J. Ford and former Mustang running backCraig James, announced at Wednesday’s press conference in thecommons of Hughes-Trigg Student Center that SMU would officially beleaving the Western Athletic Conference to join C-USA in allathletic competition as of July 1, 2005.
The move, inspired by the need for a more regionalizedconference, will not only benefit student athletes, but SMUstudents and fans as well.
“Not only will athletes be missing less class time due totravel, but more students will have the opportunity to attendgames, sparking more school spirit and team rivalries,” saidvarsity women’s soccer player Kim Harvey, who also spoke atthe press conference.
Changing conferences will also save the athletic department over$200,000 in travel costs per year.
“It makes all the sense in the world,” Copelandsaid.
Along with financial and academic interests, SMU is looking tobring back a winning tradition that existed during such eras likethe early ‘80s with the infamous “PonyExpress.”
“We are not trying to create something here that was nothere before,” James said. James, a college footballcommentator for ESPN, explained how he sees other schools trying toinstill winning traditions and support for their teams.
“I covered the Miami of Ohio game last night, and I sawthose people pack 30,000 into their stadium. I’ve seen itdone here before, and I want to see it again. … Now that wehave a coach who can get it done, let’s support our athleticprogram,” James said.
SMU and fellow WAC members Rice and Tulsa will join currentC-USA members Tulane, Houston and TCU in forming a six-team,western division of a restructured C-USA.
C-USA will also offer the luster of being in a division withprivate schools that not only have athletic tradition, but academicstandards on the same level as SMU.
While the change is exciting, Turner noted his appreciation ofthe WAC.
“The WAC has been good to us and for us. We have manyfriends among the schools in the WAC who regret seeing usleave,” Turner said. “But I think that it speaks wellof the university that we have people in the WAC that didn’twant us to leave, and we also had C-USA invite us to jointhem.”
Turner closed by commending the presidents and boards of Riceand Tulsa for working with SMU so diligently to make the conferencechange.
“Rice will be here to play us in a football game Saturdayafter next. I first want to thank them, then I want to beatthem,” he said.
