SMU’s Nine-Figure ACC Move Is Paying Off in Year 1

SMU paid its way into the ACC—to the tune of nine figures—and its big-money move is already paying off in Year 1.

The Mustangs (8–1), slotted No. 13 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, are coming out of a bye week with three games remaining against unranked opponents, and a chance to put the once-blacklisted program in its biggest national spotlight in decades.

With their only loss coming to non-conference opponent BYU, SMU is now the last undefeated team in ACC play, following Miami’s 28–23 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Hurricanes were ranked No. 4 in the CFP rankings.

Tuesday night’s next CFP rankings will reveal whether SMU has moved up in the standings, but it’s all about the finish: The ultimate ACC champion will be in line to automatically qualify for the CFP and receive a first-round bye under the new 12-team format.

SMU claimed two disputed national championships in 1981 and 1982, and it was hit with NCAA violations later that decade. Then, in 1987, SMU became the first and only college football program to receive the “death penalty” from the NCAA after it was found to be paying players. That resulted in the program canceling two football seasons. SMU didn’t make another bowl game until 2009, and it hasn’t yet played in the CFP or a New Year’s Six bowl game, either.

Time to Shine

In June, SMU’s athletic department announced it reached a new fundraising record of $159 million during the 2023–2024 fiscal year. Most of those funds were secured during the week following the Sept. 1, 2023, announcement that the school would leave the American Athletic Conference and move to the ACC. 

That came after influential SMU donor David Miller was able to get $200 million in donation commitments from the school’s richest boosters last summer. SMU agreed to forgo a share of media-rights revenue to join the ACC, but the conference was initially concerned the Mustangs wouldn’t be able to compete without solid funding.

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee received a contract extension ahead of the ACC move, but because the school is private, his salary is not publicly available. 

This season, SMU opened the Garry Weber End Zone Complex at the football team’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The 192,500-square-foot facility, which came with a $100 million price tag, includes a football center, human performance level, and hospitality level.