SMU currently plays in Conference USA, which is considered a mid-major, non-automatic qualifying conference. Recently there has been a lot of talk about SMU looking to jump conferences along with other schools due to conference realignment and chaos in the NCAA.
Recently the Big East, an automatic qualifying conference, sought to replace outgoing Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and TCU by sending conditional invitations to SMU, Houston, and Central Florida for all sports, and Boise State and Air Force for football only.
To show commitment to the new schools and make the Big East more attractive to the potential new members, the Big East recently increased the exit fee of football teams from 5 million dollars to 10 million dollars. Which raises the question, ‘are the Big East and Southern Methodist University a good fit for each other?’
SMU has been looking for an opportunity to resurrect the football team since the program lost its 1987 football season to the notorious ‘death penalty’. The team is currently 5-2 and is showing its best season since 1986.
Now that there is a buzz about football on the Hilltop again, SMU is looking toward making a jump to an automatic qualifying conference, which would give the football team a chance to qualify for one of five BCS Bowl Games every year.
Athletic Director Steve Orsini did not give a clear direction for SMU.
“We will continue our efforts to achieve the university’s goal of competing at the highest level of college athletics and are evaluating opportunities in the conference landscape,” Orsini said.
The level of competition that SMU would face in football and other sports in the Big East would be a definite competitive step-up from Conference USA, and would bring more publicity and excitement to the school.
Concerns have buzzed about the distance the Mustangs would be traveling by the invited schools. The Big East headquarters is located in Providence Rhode Island, and travel would be expensive and exhausting from places such as Texas and Idaho.
The Big East has also shown concerns about SMU’s lack of fan support for the football team.
“I am excited that the football team is playing so well this year, but [I] would love to see the team have the chance to play in BCS bowl games every year,” Cameron Stratton, an SMU student, said. “If SMU goes to the Big East I think even more students would be excited to come out and see the team play on Saturdays.”
