SMU Football Is on the Rise
by Curt G on 8/9/21Great pregame and game experience. Come out and tailgate on The Boulevard and a great family-friendly atmosphere for the game.
Venue
Stanford Stadium
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Wallace Wade Stadium
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Gerald Ford Stadium
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Gerald Ford Stadium
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Scott Stadium
Lineup
Venue
Gerald Ford Stadium
Southern Methodist Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium
The Dallas suburb of University Park, Texas, is home to a team with both historic successes to its name and high hopes for the future. The SMU Mustangs play at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, which opened in 2000 and seats 32,000. The stadium is not named after former President Gerald R. Ford, but for a local banker and SMU booster who donated $20 million toward the cost of building the stadium. They are coached by Daniel "Sonny" Dykes, who previously led Louisiana Tech and Cal to bowl appearances before taking over from Chad Morris after the 2017 season.
SMU Mustangs Football History
Southern Methodist University first fielded a varsity football team in 1915, only four years after the school was founded. The Mustangs soon became a force to be reckoned with in Texas college football and in the Southwest Conference, winning 10 conference championships before its disestablishment in 1995. Halfback Doak Walker won the Heisman Trophy for his hometown Mustangs in 1948, and is the namesake of the Doak Walker Trophy, which honors the nation's top college running back. SMU has claims to three national championships, in 1935, 1981 and 1982, and has been the home of such legendary players as Don Meredith, Raymond Berry, and the one-two backfield combo from the early ‘80s, Eric Dickerson and Craig James.
In 1987, the SMU football program was assessed with a "death penalty" for continued recruiting violations, which led to the cancellation of the 1987 and 1988 seasons. While former SMU great and NFL head coach Forrest Gregg did what he could in rebuilding the program from 1989 to 1990, the Mustangs would not have another winning season until 1996, or another bowl appearance until 2009 under June Jones. SMU eventually regained their foothold under Jones, followed by Morris and Dykes, and spent time in the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA before joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013. In 2019, the SMU Mustangs came roaring back into the national spotlight, after a 6-0 start including a triple-overtime battle against Tulsa and a victory over archrival TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet — their first since 2011.
Great pregame and game experience. Come out and tailgate on The Boulevard and a great family-friendly atmosphere for the game.
Great time had by all. SMU games are a fantastic family friendly venue, not a bad seat in the house.
As a Sooner, I wanted to attend and support the local Mustangs. The venue, and atmosphere is a must. Everyone needs to support their locally nationally ranked team. The one recommendation I would suggest is for you to park on the east side of 75, and take a Uber/Lyft to the stadium. If you do not have a parking pass, you will waste 45 min driving around in circles. Do yourself a HUGE favor, take the $6 ride to the front gate. Now go purchase some tickets and have a good time.
Our new coach Sonny Dykes and the quarterback & running back are absolutely exciting to watch!
We had a great time at The game ! SMU should consider hiring more people in the refreshment sections. The service was slow and they should offer more food options.
Outstanding college game. President at the coin flip, several lead changes, electric kickoff return by SMU and a gutsy 2 point conversion call in OT to win the game!
We saw a great game. SMU won with a controversial goal-line stand, preventing Tulane from taking the lead. First complaint: the gate staff would not allow my daughter to bring in a small backpack. I don't remember seeing anything about prohibited items when I ordered the tickets. We had to miss the opening kick-off while we took the backpack back to the car. Second complaint: most of the concession stands closed too early.
SMU Athletics has done an amazing job making the football experience fan friendly. The kids love the open grass field on the South end of the stadium along with the inflatable obstacle courses. They got a few grass stains from rolling down the hill, but they were entertained for hours. We enjoyed great seating, adult beverages and a variety of food options. The specialty food trucks at the south end of the stadium were a great addition. Our whole family had a great time. Cheers to SMU for a great day.
Stadium stinks and most vendors do not take credit card. Ran out of beer at several booths or stop replacing cheaper beer. Forced people to buy more expensive beer and only 2 options. I would rather never go back.
We had a great time! Beautiful campus, friendly people everywhere. Amazing folks working the concessions - all friendly and they appeared to enjoy their job. We'll be goijng back.