In the 2024-25 season, Southern Methodist University (SMU) will compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time, moving up from the American Athletic Conference.
The Mustangs will officially join the ACC on July 1, and have done their part to prepare for the move up the ranks. On Tuesday, the athletic department announced that it has raised $159 million during this past fiscal year in 2023-24. Back in September, SMU announced that it would be joining the ACC in 2024. In the following week, the athletic department raised an impressive $100 million right off the bat.
There were four eight-figure donations, 35 seven-figure donations, 82 six-figure donations, and more than 4,800 “Mustang Club” members.
Last year, SMU football had its best season in years, going 11-3 and 9-0 in conference play in the American. The Mustangs have won 7+ games every year since the 2019 season, and are coached by Rhett Lashlee.
SMU’s basketball program, coached by Rob Lanier, won 20 games last season in a dramatic turnaround from the year prior. The Mustangs have won 20+ games six times in the past ten seasons, appearing in two NCAA Tournaments (2014-15 and 2016-17).
Pitt football will travel to Dallas, Texas to take on the Mustangs this season on November 2. The Panthers basketball program will also fly out to Dallas for a matchup with Lanier’s Mustangs during the 2024-25 ACC slate.
BetMGM Sportsbook has Pitt football’s win total over/under set at 5.5. The Panthers odds to win the ACC are listed at +10,000, according to BetMGM. SMU is led by quarterback Preston Stone, who broke his leg late last season. Stone returned to football activities this spring, and as of April, he was “right on schedule.”
These conferences are ridiculous and are going to lessen enthusiasm for the majority of college football fans. I wish they would go to a regional model like USAToday proposed. I kinda liked it when Pitt played WVU and PSU and MD every year. I for one would rather risk those losses over beating up Delaware and Youngstown St. all the time. Regional rivalries are huge and it’s a crime that we have abandoned them.
SMU is a good fit for NIL. Those early 80s teams had some hot dog money.
Good write up, George. Please know we fired Lanier and hired Enfield from USC for bball.
B12 messed up…their egos and territory protection ..with a little past history..clouded their judgement here.
Would have been a great addition and competitor / rival. And cost effective neighbor.. …and instead added an ACC competitor in Texas…stupid move! Using the ‘we don’t need more Texas’ excuse is insane….33million people in Texas….for 4 teams vs
2 Utah teams and 2 Arizona teams… and Colorado for 16.7 million combined??? Get real…it is people, TV sets, and markets that count…and losing Dallas was extra stupid and short sighted!!
Rob Lanier is no longer the basketball coach at SMU. Andy Enberg was hired away from USC to lead SMU basketball into the ACC. Lanier is now the head coach at Rice.
O-I-L