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How SMU broke from its scandal-stained past to become a 'new sheriff' in college football
SMU’s rebuilt roster has earned a No. 1 preseason AP ranking and a second straight top-20 spot as it enters its third ACC season.
- On Monday, SMU faces Florida State in their season opener as 3.5-point favorites, ranked No. 20 in the AP poll and entering their third season in the ACC.
- Following the 1987 NCAA death penalty for paying players, SMU endured 40 years of mediocrity until oil and gas billionaire Bill Armstrong took charge of the program's turnaround.
- Head coach Rhett Lashlee emphasizes a "new blood" philosophy, leveraging NIL and the transfer portal to recruit elite talent, particularly from Texas, to compete with established programs.
- Picked to finish second in the ACC preseason poll, SMU holds its highest ranking since joining the conference, commanding respect it has not received since before the NCAA sanctions.
- SMU aims to prove its competitive rise is sustainable while facing established conference rivals like Florida State and Clemson, building on a foundation of belief and financial commitment.
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Mason City Globe Gazette+33 Reposted by 33 other sources
How SMU broke from its scandal-stained past to become a 'new sheriff' in college football
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas — After approximately 30 years of mediocrity, Bill Armstrong had enough. The oil and gas billionaire knew SMU football's 1987 death penalty from the NCAA for illegally paying players was the catalyst for the program's generation-long downward…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources34
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center29Last UpdatedBias Distribution85% Center
Bias Distribution
- 85% of the sources are Center
85% Center
15%
C 85%
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