SMU emerged from a 40-year NCAA-induced coma in 2023 when the Mustangs won their first outright conference crown since 1983 – the same year current head coach Rhett Lashlee was born. The Ponies stormed past AAC foes with an 8-0 conference record that was punctuated with a win at Tulane in the championship game.
An irony exists here. The Mustangs were buried by the Death Penalty in the 1980s when they were caught paying football players. That same program was provided an indirect stay of execution when courts ruled it was illegal for the NCAA to deny athletes’ ability to earn money from their name, image, and likeness. Add in the Transfer Portal and the Hilltop is suddenly a destination spot.