Why didn't SMU join the Big 12? Investigating all the rumors surrounding Big 12 expansion

The Big 12 is set to welcome four new additions to its ranks this season. It embarked on an expansion mission to fill the void left by the exits of Texas and Oklahoma. However, the conference seems to have more moves to make.

Several institutions have been named as candidates for expansion, such as Arizona and Colorado. SMU is also one of the names brought up in relation to the expansion. But the Mustangs seem ever more unlikely to end up in the Big 12. A few reasons are suspected to be responsible for this.

Probing SMU's failed match with the Big 12

SMU’s academic reputation has been put forward as an explanation. The high academic standards and stringent admission process put athletics down on the school’s priorities. The Big 12 is a very competitive conference, and the Mustangs may find they lack a competitive edge against their potential opponents.

Besides, SMU’s location makes it unsuitable for the conference membership. The conference already has two members, Baylor and TCU, in the Dallas area, the same as SMU. Adding SMU, therefore, may create an unhealthy scenario whereby the teams enter the unhealthy competition for the same market in the same conference.

Another disadvantage of SMU’s strict academic standard is its small enrollment. Compared to the other teams in the conference, the numbers are so small, and it raises doubts about the school’s capacity to garner viewership.

There’s also a historical angle to consider. SMU had its years as a college football powerhouse. But a series of scandals in the 1980s culminated in the “death penalty” in 1987.

The penalty was a ban placed on the school from playing football for two seasons. It never fully recovered from the setback. Without a strong football program, the school loses any appeal to the conference.

At the moment, the Pac-12 seems a more likely destination for the Mustangs than the Big 12. But given the Pac-12’s somewhat desperate situation, one might understand why it would not be as choosy as the Big 12. Be that as it may, it remains very uncertain and unlikely that SMU will join even Pac-12.

This should not necessarily mean that SMU should stop aspiring to join the Power Five conferences. But it sure has a long way to go. What it can do is increase the investment it puts into athletics, particularly football. It can borrow a leaf from the University of Houston by setting up a fundraiser aimed at improving the school’s athletics facilities.