"SMU is having a pretty bad summer" - CFB fans react to college's failed Pac-12 conference realignment plans, ACC snub and end of rivalry with TCU

The SMU Mustangs had a roller coaster ride this summer. Three massive developments have resulted in a hindrance to their progress. Firstly, they were looking set to join schools in the Pac-12 conference, finally getting the opportunity to be in one of the Power 5 conferences. However, after the recent realignment and eight of the twelve schools leaving Pac-12, the conference's existence has been threatened.

With the rapid changes going on in terms of realignment, the Pac-12 does not look like an appealing destination for the Mustangs. This has left fans worried about the future of the school's football program.

A concerned fan laid it down:

"SMU is having a pretty bad summer. 1. An invitation to the PAC seemed imminent, but the league disintegrated. 2. The ACC refused membership to SMU even though SMU offered to defer media revenue distributions for up to 5 years. 3. TCU cancels the rivalry."

The Mustangs currently play in the American Athletic Conference. Recently, they were also seen as expansion candidates for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which could help realize the Mustangs' potential return as a Power 5 school. They also have the financial stability to accept reduced shares of media rights payout in the conference.

There have been several reports of politicians engaging in lobbying to coerce the ACC into bringing certain schools into their conference. But reportedly, the ACC has rejected the possible candidates who were being looked at as plausible expansion schools for the conference, and this included the Mustangs.

This led to fans voicing their frustration online at the conference's decision to reject SMU as an expansion candidate even after offering to defer media revenue:

Comment by u/TheMightyJD from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Comment by u/framingXjake from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Comment by u/xAimForTheBushes from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Another development plagues the future of the Mustangs. College football fans were left shell-shocked after hearing the news about the age-old rivalry between TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs coming to an indefinite end after 2025. The rivalry on the gridiron between these two colleges spans over a century. The Mustangs are going to face TCU in their last three games before the indefinite hiatus.

The 'battle of the Iron Skillet' between the Mustangs and the Horned Frogs, which dates back to 1915, is coming to an indefinite pause. The recent conference alignment has wreaked havoc. Fans were not happy with this century-old rivalry being paused:

Comment by u/xAimForTheBushes from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Comment by u/MTG_RelevantCard from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Comment by u/loyalsons4evertrue from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

Comment by u/SelflessDion from discussion TCU indefinitely “pausing” its series with SMU after the 2025 game in CFB

At the end of the 2021 season, the Horned Frogs brought in a replacement for long-time coach Gary Patterson. It was none other than Mustangs coach Sonny Dykes, who went on to lead the Horned Frogs to College Football Playoff National Championships.

Now, a school spokesman for TCU has confirmed with the Dallas Morning News that their long-standing football series with SMU is going on a hiatus after the 2025 season. Both teams have played each other 101 times since 1915, with TCU leading the series 52-42-7.

---

SMU athletic director disappointed with the TCU vs SMU rivalry hiatus

In a statement made to the Dallas Morning News, SMU athletic director Rick Hart said:

"It is disappointing that TCU made the decision to 'pause' our football series. It's disappointing for Metroplex football fans. This is a rivalry that has spanned a century-plus. It is the Battle for the Iron Skillet, Dallas vs. Fort Worth, Doak Walker versus Sammy Baugh, the Pony Expresss versus LaDanian Tomlinson, and more.

He further added:

It's the game game Grantland Rice, the famous sportswriter called 'The Game of the Century' in 1935. It is the very fabric of college football. Our hope is that TCU will resume the series, as we want to continue this rivalry in perpetuity."

The current conference realignment scenario is definitely going to change the atmosphere of college football. And apart from this, there are a few other college football rivalries that will face each other for the last time in 2023.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are playing their final Bedlam series game this year, which has been going on since the 90s. Oklahoma is moving to the SEC from the Big 12 next year. Even USC and UCLA are facing their foes Cal and Stanford for a final game in 2023, before changing their conference from the Pac-12 to Big Ten.

College football rivalries are an integral part of the sport, and the fans being robbed of such fixtures is not a good sign.