SMU Mustangs | |
---|---|
University | Southern Methodist University |
Conference | American Athletic Conference |
NCAA | Division I |
Athletic director | Rick Hart |
Location | Dallas, Texas |
Varsity teams | 17 |
Football stadium | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
Basketball arena | Moody Coliseum |
Soccer stadium | Westcott Field |
Mascot | Peruna |
Nickname | Mustangs |
Fight song | Peruna |
Colors | Blue and Red |
Website | www |
The SMU Mustangs are the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The SMU Mustangs were founded in 1911 and became a prominent athletic program who joined the Southwest Conference, competing against Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma A&M (which later became Oklahoma State). They have participated in various Bowl Games, from the Dixie Classic in 1924 to the Hawaii Bowl in 2012. Some of their top football players were even inducted into the Football Hall of Fame but some of their most notable football players were Heisman winner Doak Walker, All-American Eric Dickerson, and two-time Super Bowl winner Forrest Gregg. The SMU Mustangs also have a prominent baseball, basketball, soccer and golf team that continually have winning records and are becoming more and more well-known.
The Mustangs participate in the NCAA Division I (FBS for football) as a member of the American Athletic Conference. SMU was the only private school in the conference when it began operation as The American in 2013, but it was joined by Tulane and Tulsa a year later. From 1918 to 1996, the Mustangs were a member of the Southwest Conference, until it formally disbanded. The Mustangs subsequently joined the Western Athletic Conference and in 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA. They accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference, which split along football lines in 2013, with SMU and the other FBS schools reorganizing as the American Athletic Conference.