MovieChat Forums > Necessary Roughness (1991) Discussion > Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

posted 19 years ago by Quicksand
4 replies | jump to latest

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank Southern Methodist University (SMU, in metropolitan Dallas) for being the inspiration for this movie. The Mustangs cheated, lied, juiced their way to the top in the late 1980's, early 1990's, and were given the death penalty by the NCAA, the harshest penalty ever given out..... and they've never fully recovered.

By enrollment, the five largest Texas colleges are: University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, University of Houston and University of North Texas. All these schools have taken care to be responsible both academically and athletically.

What does it say when a school supposedly founded on religion has to cheat? Great work, Mustangs! You gave the world... "Necessary Roughness!" Score!

[–] kingfish1922 19 years ago

I'm guessing you're saying this tongue in cheek, aren't you? You don't honestly believe this? It was the perfect chance for the do gooders of the ncaa to "make a statement" by shutting down a private school. A few of those schools you mentioned committed equal or worse violations and received nothing but a slap on the wrist. The ncaa is a communist organization, they make their own rules.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HarveyManfredSinJohn 10 years ago

I don't know if you still post here, but can anyone tell me, is SMU's reputation as a rich kids' school accurate? I know it has been jokingly referred to as 'Southern Millionaire's University' before.

Can anyone tell me a bit about what they know of the college's reputation in general, particularly during the 1980s?

Thanks in advance.

[–] jefgg 10 years ago

The Southern Methodist University Mustangs football team made payments to players from the mid-1970s through 1986. The NCAA handed down the "death penalty" by canceling SMU's entire 1987 schedule. SMU returned to football in 1989 with a team made up mostly of freshmen and walk-ons. The Mustangs had only one winning season over the next 20 years and failed to make another bowl game until 2009. It is one of the most severe penalties ever imposed on a Division I program, and the only time the NCAA has canceled a football playing school's entire season.

ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series profiled the SMU football scandal in one of its productions, "Pony Exce$$", purposely spelled with dollar signs.