Mustang Musings

Goals

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:18:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola

Everybody needs goals. We as a team are no different. During conference play, our short term goal was to finish in the top four so we’d get a bye in the first round of the tournament (We were in 5th place at the time.) The team stayed focused, had a good run of wins, moved up in the standings and accomplished our first goal by finishing second. You’re familiar with the phrase “blessing in disguise,” and that’s what we experienced with our final two conference games, which were losses at UTEP and Tulane. It woke us all up!

The tournament bracket was arranged with a possibility for us to play Tulsa, Tulane and UTEP, and frankly, I was happy about that. It gave us a chance to avenge all our conference losses. We definitely made a statement in the Tulsa game. We beat them using a trapping defense and pressure – the girls were not to be denied. Brittani Allen showed her offensive talent by hitting three threes against Tulsa at just the right time to get us going. Tulane got knocked out by Marshall so that scenario went away. Marshall had us down by 15 at one point in the game, but the girls showed a lot of poise. We switched to a zone defense, which slowed down Marshall’s athleticism. JB Samuels was the offensive punch in that game.

Against UTEP, I saw a fire in the girls’ eyes, and a confidence more than I’d ever seen before. UTEP came at us with an 18-0 run in the second half, but the team bounced back with a 17-0 run of its own. Sharee Shepherd was the difference in the second half of this game. We relied on our seniors more than ever in this tournament, and they came through for us like the champions they are. When it was all over, Sharee was named to the All-Conference team and Janielle Dodds was named Tournament MVP. In truth, they were ALL MVP’s. It’s been awhile since this office has experienced such euphoria, and we like it!

You’re all invited to the Women’s Selection Show Watch Party on Monday, March 17, being held at Ten Sports Grill at 1302 Main Street in downtown Dallas, starting at 6 p.m.

Excitement Brings Rules?

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:39:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Assoc. A.D./Compliance & Student Services

First, I would like to start this blog by thanking the participants of the “Guess the Number of Interpretations” contest. The number of 2007 official interpretations was 202 and this figure was documented in several official SMU reports. The contest winner was Steve Stovall with a guess of 165. Said Steve, “I would consider this as the single greatest accomplishment in my life.” O.K. - so I exaggerated Steve’s quote by a large margin, but everyone who participated in the contest got some SMU swag. I was in the giving mood including t shirts, hats, posters, etc.

Second, Coach Jones coming to SMU has sure caused a lot of excitement, and I can personally tell you that working with this new staff has been tremendous. And there is great excitement in SMU football - which has spilled into some SMU boosters wanting to get involved in recruiting or accidentally finding themselves in unique situations. Please click here to view a quick reference piece of all of the questions that have been asked of this office recently. Please keep the questions coming.

Third, with all the construction in the Loyd All Sports building recently, there have been several tests of the emergency broadcast system, that I am quickly losing it. I am sure you can relate. Perhaps, when you are watching your favorite TV show and the sound goes out for that high pitched siren and montage of it being only a test? The alarm goes off here every 10 minutes, so my question is does this qualify for hazard pay?

Anyone think ESPN will be running figure skating between 5 and 9 p.m. on Sunday night?

Last iPod Download- Well, I am still waiting for my replacement; perhaps with this new found hazard pay . . .

300!

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:53:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Head Basketball Coach

Many thanks to everyone who attended our games vs. UCF and Southern Mississippi this weekend. Reaching our 300th win was very emotional for all of us. I want to send out special thanks to all our past players, for they are a big part of our total wins. I’m very thankful and appreciative of the opportunities SMU has provided. It’s quite a thrill to me, especially because it has all happened right here at SMU – my alma mater. Most of our staff has been with me for the better part of this journey, but I want to point out that Margaret Kovac and Coach Lisa Dark have been with me for the entire trip! Margaret reminded me that my first win was also my very first game as Head Coach which was at UTA.

Our crowd really got into the games. It really made me chuckle to look across the court and see Brenda Bruggeman Cox and Vicki Walterscheid Eldridge with all those blonde children on the front row. What a trip!

I was very proud of how well the team played Sunday in front of a national TV audience. They played hard, and gave it their all. It was important that we play well and prove ourselves at home. We had just returned from a very tough 5 games on the road, and our confidence needed a boost. Now we head out on the road again to play ECU and Marshall. Just wish we could bottle up our play from last weekend.

See you at Moody for our next home game against Tulsa on Sat., January 26th, at 2 p.m.

Traveling In The New Year… And A Contest?

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:57:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Associate A.D./Compliance & Student Services

Happy Holidays! This is a busy time for most and, for me personally, 2008 will start off with a bang. I am traveling a lot and will share the details with all of you so you don’t have to track these flights on-line.

First, I am accompanying the men’s basketball team to Colorado in early January. It will be first away trip with the team as their sport supervisor so I am looking forward to spending more time with the coaches, staff, and athletes - and witnessing the road win firsthand.

Second, I am off to the Gaylord property in Nashville, Tenn., for the NCAA Convention, Jan. 9-13. There I will attend an educational symposium on college athletics in general, but will also be on hand to cast SMU’s official vote on two rules being looked at again by the membership (one is the current text message ban in the recruiting process).

Third, I am going on a “family” retreat to Playa del Carmen at the end of the month for a weekend. O.K. - this one was a personal choice, but, who can pass up an all-inclusive?

Now turning to another matter - I am actually flattered that a company wanted to use compliance rules as a basketball “in-game” promotion. Even though some of my job responsibilities are in this fantastic field, I do realize the rules are sometimes stale. I hear you, the message board masses, and your theme to change the trivia game (as I write this, in my head I have the picture of the ‘posse’ in a Verizon TV commercial). Our sponsor of the trivia game has authorized me to change SOME of the questions, so the Ice Cold Compliance Quiz will become the Ice Cold Quiz where some questions will center on the history of SMU athletics and some important compliance themes. Look for the new and improved contest at an upcoming basketball timeout.

Finally, I have just put the finishing touches on the 2007 Annual Compliance Report which I will share with President Turner very soon.

And now the contest - Please guess the number of questions this office received last calendar year that resulted in an “Official Interpretation?” An official interpretation is one that required a written response from the SMU compliance staff and cited an NCAA rule. These were questions asked by administrators, coaches, athletes, university folks, and, yes, Mustang fans everywhere. Email the guesses to jkonya@smu.edu and the winner will receive an “Ice Cold Sports Prize Pack” with some needed gear for the Holidays.

Latest iPod Download- NONE (iPod has water damage)

Busy Times

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:34:00 +0000

By Steve Orsini, Director of Athletics

I apologize for the recent lapse in blogging, but hopefully everyone can understand that the coaching search is my highest priority right now. I did want to offer a few words, though, about the process.

I know some of you may be frustrated with the lack of news and information out there, but a coaching search is unlike anything else we do. It has always been my experience that these searches are best conducted quietly. Again, I know that may frustrate the message boards, bloggers and even the DMN, but right now I can only focus on getting the best available coach to the Hilltop.

Our timeline is influenced by the high quality of candidates we are pursuing, but as I said last time, I entered this process with a plan. I remain pleased with how it’s being executed and its effectiveness. We’re on the right track.

Thanks again to everyone for their interest. We appreciate your support. Know that we will win at SMU. GO MUSTANGS!

Bench Production

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:34:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Head Women's basketball Coach

A huge “THANK YOU” to all our great fans who traveled to Denton for the game against North Texas last Saturday. We had a lot of fans who made a lot of noise and, believe me, it helps! I’m just happy we were able to come through for you. It’s so nice to have a good, HAPPY post game talk. (Some that we’ve had after UNT games should not be repeated…)

This team is learning to finish a game. We’ve still got a ways to go, though. I want us to get a lead and keep building on it instead of making it so exciting at the end. One thing that helped was Brittany Gilliam’s play coming off the bench. Bench production is a key component to our being successful, and BG stepped up and did the job. Hopefully, this will get the entire bench going for the rest of the season. So far, we’ve been progressing and improving with each game.

Now we need you all to come out for the Coppin State game on Thursday night (12/6) and then come back to watch us play UT-Arlington on Saturday. Both games are at 7 p.m. and are the last games before the break for finals. Our next home game is more than a month away - Friday, Jan. 11th, so come get your women’s basketball “fix” before finals and Christmas Break.

One last note of interest - I’m very proud to point out that Delisha Wills was named Conference USA Player of the Week for last week. Dee follows teammate Janielle Dodds, who got the same award the week before. THAT’S TWO IN A ROW – how about that? Just to let you know how unique this is – NO SMU player received this honor all of last year.

See you Thursday!

Still Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:48:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Head Women's Basketball Coach

Thanksgiving certainly was a time of thanks! We were especially thankful for winning our Hoops for the Cure Tournament. We beat Western Michigan in the first game and Kansas in the final. Janielle Dodds scored 29 points against Kansas and was named Tournament MVP. I want you to know – Janielle was absolutely sensational in that game! Nellie got rolled on and squashed by a TCU player late in that game, and it made her mad. Most of you know – she plays better when she’s mad. We just hope she stays mad for the rest of the season!

Once again, we were led in grand style by our seniors. I can’t say enough about Sharee Shepherd, particularly on defense, and Katy Cobb – she may not score big numbers, but she plays a valuable role by picking up the tempo and setting the rhythm for the team.

Even though we lost by five to A & M in the season opener, I think that game showed our girls they can play with top teams. Beating TCU helped, and then beating Kansas really instilled a sense of confidence. KU is a quality team from a great conference, and FYI – they had the #1 RPI ranking coming into our tournament! Beating them helped our RPI tremendously.

As I’ve said before – I’m really excited about this team. They are progressing and playing better each game, and I expect this trend to continue. Our next game is at home on Wednesday, November 28th, against Stephen F. Austin. Come out and see what I’m talking about.

Sweet Victory!

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:47:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola

Senior leadership – it’s a beautiful thing. Last night against TCU our seniors really stepped up, meeting and exceeding expectations in the second half to pull off a much-wanted victory. I’ve been telling you how excited I am about this team, and last night gave you a taste of why that is so. The first half was nothing to talk about, so I won’t! But what a difference in the second half. Janielle Dodds rose to the occasion and played up to her capabilities. And Sharee – well, I’m thinking that was probably the best game of her career. These seniors played their hearts out and ignited the rest of the team to follow suit and the result was oh so sweet. Here’s hoping this is the start of another 19-game winning streak against the Frogs.

This is a big week for us. In addition to last night’s game, we host our Hoops for the Cure Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday and Saturday. This year’s participants are Kansas, Drake, and Western Michigan. Our first game will be against Western Michigan at 7 p.m. on Friday. Of course, we hope to stay on the winning track and win our own tournament. Games are at 5 and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

I expect this team to improve each game. We are a dangerous team when we play to our potential. (How about frosh La La Hill calmly sinking five of six free throws with the game on the line??)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our beautiful seniors – and the rest of us as well.

A Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:43:00 +0000

by Steve Orsini, Director of Athletics

Just wanted to drop in with a short update on the search - While I can’t go into great detail, I just want to leave you with a couple of notes from the process so far.

We are working to get the best available coach in America and I’m not willing to limit my pool of prospects. As I said at the press conference two weeks ago, we’re looking at a number of different options. We’re going after the best and sometimes that takes time. There is a sense of urgency to this hire, but we’re going to get it right and won’t paint ourselves into a corner by establishing a hard timeline. I entered this process with a plan and am pleased with how it’s being executed and its effectiveness. I am perfectly comfortable with where we are in the process and am confident that we’re on the right track.

Until next time, GO MUSTANGS!

We Will Win At SMU

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:56:00 +0000

by Steve Orsini, Director of Athletics

I mean it. We will win at SMU. I never would have come to the Hilltop if I didn’t truly believe that. I know we have all the pieces to put together a top-25 football program.

We are part of a wonderful University. We are in a great location in the heart of Dallas. We have state-of-the-art facilities. We have passionate fans. We have tremendous student-athletes. I am immediately setting out to find the person who can put all those pieces together to make us a winner.

During the search process, I first and foremost want to ask you to continue to support our team and our student-athletes. They work too hard for any of you to turn your back on them. This is your program. Continue to come out and cheer them on to victory, knowing that we remain fully committed to building a winning football program at SMU. We will reach our goals of going to bowls, winning conference championships and returning to the top 25.

There is a commitment to winning on the Hilltop and I truly believe that with the right leader, we are ready to take that next step. Stay tuned for updates and keep on cheering for your Mustangs.

High School Counselors, Prospects, MustangManiacs Users, Rivals.com Followers, Ponyfans posters, Global Warming Apologists: Listen Up

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:09:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Associate A.D./Student Services

It’s a long title – I know – but there has been much confusion over the recent NCAA changes relating to initial eligibility standards. I have developed a presentation (included for you here free… and yes, I am that nice of a guy) that details all of these changes. As I said in a previous posting, part of my numerous job responsibilities (this was the justification of my job part of this blog) include providing education materials to interested parties. If you have read this far, you qualify as “interested.” Therefore, you must go though the entire presentation, and you may not pass Go. Or collect $200.

Download Here

On a side note, when are they going to adjust Monopoly to real time dollars?

On a side, side note, I have Direct TV for my personal programming needs, especially because it offers a lot of HD channels. Anyone else wondering when CSTV will broadcast in HD, or create a CSTV HD channel? And yes, this is how I spend my time and money.

Latest iPod Download - The Killers

Practice Times & Hoops Hours

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:34:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Head Women's Basketball Coach

With so many facility conflicts we have had a lot of early morning practices. It really does test your mental toughness.

It’s hard to hide my excitement about this year’s team. We won’t have to rely so heavily on freshmen, so they can learn at their own pace. Last year we had NO seniors, and this year we have five senior leaders. It’s great to have Katie Gross back in practice. Our “newbies” (Haley, La and Red) are wide-eyed because we are moving a little faster than normal.

This past Friday and Saturday we scrimmaged against our male practice players. They are fast, strong and very good basketball players, and are the best competition we can face. It certainly showed everything we need to work on, so the next couple of days it is back to basics and fundamentals. he team has to earn back the 5-on-5 play.

FYI: We’re having an intra-squad scrimmage at 10 AM on Sat., October 27th. It’s earlier than usual because of facility usage, but we’d love to have you come out for it.

One last thing – we had a great turnout at our first Hoop Happy Hour and I think everyone really had a good time. So here we go again – the November “Hoop Hour(s)” will be Wed., Nov. 7th, same time (5:30 – 7:30), same place (Trinity Hall, Mockingbird Station). See you there!

Hoop Hour(s)

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:54:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Women's Basketball Head Coach

First and foremost, I want to remind everyone to please attend our first Hoop Hour tomorrow, Oct. 3rd, 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Trinity Hall in Mockingbird Station. (O.K., so it's two hours, but "Hoop Hours" sounded funny.) We plan to have several of these throughout the season, and in fact the next one is already scheduled for Wednesday, November 7th, same time, same place. The purpose is simply a get-together for coaches and fans in a casual setting where we can all get better acquainted. No speeches, we promise! Just meet, greet, mingle and maybe talk a little basketball. We’re looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

The fall recruiting/contact period is almost over. I enjoy recruiting and talking to high school players, but I struggle with being away from our team. We only have two more individual practice sessions left before “real” practice starts October 12th (5 to 7 p.m., in case you’re interested). I am ready to be home and get into the “season” routine. I am already becoming very attached to this team, and am working with our seniors to help them be good leaders. (The lack of any seniors on last year’s squad left a void in this area.)

Get ready for the 2007 – 2008 version of the SMU Women’s Basketball team – it looks like it could be a great ride!

Close to One Year Anniversary of SMU Employment

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:54:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Associate A.D. for Compliance & Student Services

Television shows do it all the time. For example, they wait till the100th episode and have a “Best of” episode with clips from previous shows. Cheers did it. Seinfeld did it. Simpsons have done it (in episode 138 if I remember correctly). Friends, you name it. The great thing for the actors is they get paid for that particular show and they really don’t do any work for it. So for my Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” blog, I am simply going to list some of your compliance questions that I have received since being at SMU and also provide the well-written, exceptionally articulate answers that my office responded with. Enjoy the Compliance “Best of” One Year Blog!!!

Question: May a Mr. Internet Savvy Booster visit a prospective student-athlete’s Myspace/Facebook account and leave messages encouraging them to come to SMU?

Answer: No. This would be an impermissible written communication by a booster as stated by NCAA Bylaw 13.01.4. Boosters contacting prospective student-athletes for the purpose of recruiting them to come to SMU could result in the prospects being declared ineligible to compete for SMU.

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Question: May a prospective student-athlete use a scouting service or talent agent to distribute personal information (e.g. academic and athletic records, physical statistics) to colleges?

Answer: Yes, provided that any fee paid is for the compiling and distribution of the information. The eligibility of a prospective student-athlete would be in jeopardy if any fee is paid based on their being placed in a collegiate institution as a recipient of institutional financial aid.

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Question: How does the new writing section of the SAT affect NCAA Clearinghouse standards and initial eligibility?

Answer: Currently, the NCAA Clearinghouse does not take into consideration the written portion of the SAT. Therefore, the qualifying score for a SAT is still found by adding the critical reading and math scores together.

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Question: May a student-athlete accept a free lunch at a booster function (not a booster per se) they have been invited to attend?

Answer: Yes. NCAA Bylaw 16.10.1.6 states that a student-athlete may accept transportation and meal expenses in conjunction with participation (e.g. speaking) in a luncheon meeting of a booster club or civic organization, provided the meeting occurs within a 30-mile radius of the institution's main campus and no tangible award is provided to the student-athlete.

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Question: May a coach put special SMU decorations up in a prospective student-athlete's hotel room when they come on an official visit?

Answer: No. NCAA Bylaws 13.6.6.9 and 13.7.3 state that an institution may not arrange miscellaneous, personalized recruiting aids (e.g., personalized jerseys, personalized audio/video scoreboard presentations) and may not permit a prospective student-athlete to engage in any game-day simulations (e.g., running onto the field with the team during pre-game introductions) during an official or unofficial visit. Personalized recruiting aids include any decorative items and special additions to any location the prospective student-athlete will visit (e.g., hotel room, locker room, coach's office, conference room, arena) regardless of whether or not the items include the prospective student-athlete's name or picture.

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Question: May a SMU coach receive an honorarium to speak at a booster club meeting?

Answer: Yes. NCAA Bylaw 11.3.2.1 allows a staff member to earn income in addition to their institutional salary by performing services for outside groups. However, NCAA Bylaw 11.2.2 requires all athletics department staff members (excluding clerical personnel) to receive prior written approval from the President and Director of Athletics for all athletically related income and benefits from sources outside the University. The staff member’s request for approval must be in writing and shall include the amount and source of the income or benefit. Also, Bylaw 11.3.2.2 prohibits an outside source (ex. booster) from paying or regularly supplementing an athletics department staff member's annual salary and from arranging to supplement that salary for an unspecified achievement.

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Question: Can a jersey with a student-athlete's name on the back be raffled off for charity?

Answer: No. A fundraising activity (e.g., auction, raffle) involving items that include the name, picture, or likeness of a student-athlete, should be treated in the same manner as a sale. In dealing with sales, the NCAA states in Bylaw 12.5.1.1 (h) that any commercial items with names, likenesses or pictures of multiple student-athletes (other than highlight films or media guides per Bylaw 12.5.1.8) may be sold only at the member institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled, institutionally controlled (owned and operated) outlets or outlets controlled by a charitable or educational organization (e.g., location of the charitable or educational organization, site of charitable event during the event). Items that include an individual student-athlete's name, picture or likeness (e.g., name on jersey, name or likeness on a bobble-head doll), other than informational items (e.g., media guide, schedule cards, institutional publications), may not be sold. For clarification purposes, a jersey not personalized (i.e., just a number as an example) may be purchased by an individual, and that individual is free to do whatever he/she desires with the jersey from that point forward.

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Question: May a student-athlete be employed during the academic year?

Answer: Yes. NCAA Bylaw 12.4 allows for a student-athlete to be compensated by any employer for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the locality for similar services. However, the compensation cannot include any remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that the student-athlete has obtained because of their athletics ability.

Back In The Saddle

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:40:00 +0000

by Rhonda Rompola, Head Women's Basketball Coach

We are in our third week of individual practice, working twice a week. 7:45 A.M. comes really early for all of us, but our girls are working hard and looking good. We’re so happy to have Katie Gross back, and we’ve added our first junior college transfer in many years - Brittani (“Red”) Allen. Brittani attended Northeastern Oklahoma A & M and has 2 years of eligibility remaining. She is a 5’6” shooting guard, and you’ll recognize her immediately from her nickname. Additionally, we welcome our highly touted freshmen, who were both MVPs of the State Tournament for their respective classes, LaShandra (La La) Hill from 4A State Champ Dunbar High School and Haley Day from 5A State Champ Rockwall High School. We are looking forward to a great year!!

This is also a perfect opportunity to let everyone know our good fortune. We have a new Director of Operations, Allison Singleton. Al is a perfect fit for our office – it seems like she’s been here for years and we think you will love her too. She was the Student Manager for Women’s Basketball at the University of Arkansas for 3 years and a walk-on her senior year. She then served as GA for Arkansas WBB while she completed a Masters degree is Sports Management following an undergraduate Business degree in Accounting. Whew! This little redhead is a real dynamo, and brings a wealth of skill and experience to the job. She is teaching all of us things about our computers that we never knew while lighting up the office with her smile and wit. Come by and meet her whenever you’re in the area. Kudos to Allison for doing such a great job.

The Commercials

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:45:00 +0000

You've seen the t-shirts, you've seen the billboards and if you were at the Kickoff Luncheon you've seen these, too, but oh well, here goes...

Mustangs In The News

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:05:00 +0000

by Brad Sutton, Asst. A.D./Public Relations

I hope everyone has seen the great coverage we've been getting lately. I wish I could take all the credit, but SMU is just a great story to "sell" right now. Media outlets know the time is now for SMU Athletics!

We've been everywhere on the tube, but unfortunately I don't have the equipment to capture them for the web. That said, here are some of the links in case you've missed them.

USA Today

Dallas Morning News Column

C-USA Fans

The SportsPage

We're working on a few pieces with the DMN and local TV stations that should run soon and have "irons in the fire" so-to-speak with outlets like the AP, NFL Films, CSTV, the Kansas City Star and so on. Keep your eyes open - you'll see 'em soon.

Until next time, GO MUSTANGS!

Coach Bennett On Channel 5

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 13:16:00 +0000

SMU has been on the tube quite a bit lately. Here's a clip from Coach Bennett's appearance on Channel 5's Sports Extra.

Christmas Comes Early

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:10:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Assoc. A.D. for Compliance & Student Services

After a long night of playing NCAA College Football 2008 (the Mustangs are 5-0 going into a tough game at Southern Miss), I walked into my office today and surprisingly, someone left me a early Holiday gift. But instead of a $50 gift card or tickets to the Saturday night “Jack” concert, it was shiny new 2007-08 NCAA Division I Manual. I felt like I had just picked door #3 on “Let’s Make a Deal” and the manual represented the prize of a broken down donkey.

The 2007-08 manual is only 440 pages this year compared to the 460 pages of the 2006-07 variety. I’m still trying to figure out if they took anything out or just made the print smaller, seeing that over 60 rules were changed, new to the book, or substantially altered. After spending a few minutes looking at Shrek’s best friend, I gave up, and wandered over to my computer, and specifically, to PonyFans.com. With the boom of fan-based websites and message boards, it has become a common practice for compliance departments to check these types of sites for content, amusement, and general compliance monitoring. While reading through the recruiting forum on the latest verbal commitments, I came across a couple of interesting topics.

The first discussion centered on the NCAA conversational legislation regarding text messaging. As of August 1, coaches can no longer text message or instant message prospective student-athletes. Now, electronically transmitted correspondence is limited to e-mail and faxes. (I don’t know many coaches that use a fax machine as a recruiting tool, but sometimes the NCAA is not very practical in rules application). Speaking in practical terms, I can’t wait for the first coach to ask a compliance staff whether the new Apple Iphone interactive “email” component will be permissible. According to the NCAA, the rationale for why the texting rules changed are because of the distraction it caused prospects (especially during the school day and during their competitions) and the significant costs involved with receiving texts under some cell phone plans.

The second topic centered on a compliance question regarding a sports talk radio show conducting an interview with a prospect and encouraging the prospect to go to a particular university. As a general rule of compliance, no representative of athletic interest should contact a prospect for the purpose of recruitment. Therefore, this issue would turn on whether the talk show host fit within the NCAA definition of a “representative of athletics interest.” To be tagged as a representative, the individual would have had to:

· Participate in an organization promoting athletics at that institution (or had so in the past);
· Contribute (money, time, volunteer, etc) to the Athletics Department or any of its booster clubs;
· Assist or have been requested by athletics staff to help in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete;
· Assist in providing benefits to an enrolled student-athlete at the school and/or their families or;

· Been involved in otherwise promoting the athletics program.

I surmise that a radio talk show host would have, at least once, given a positive personal opinion regarding that school’s athletics program on air, and therefore, would have at minimum satisfied the last point listed. And as many of you on PonyFans noticed, that particular set of facts would have resulted in a NCAA violation. It should be noted that the prospect is allowed to call or interview with media outlets at his or her discretion and not at the direction of the institution (for example, a press signing at a high school, information on recruiting websites, or newspaper articles) and university athletics coaches and staff cannot publicly comment on the athletic ability of potential recruits until the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent and/or institutional offer of financial aid.

I also want to thank Broadus Whiteside, the Director of Compliance at SMU, for helping me with this blog, especially with the execution of the screen pass on NCAA 2008. Mustangs 7, Golden Eagles 0, end of 1st quarter.

Last Ipod Download – “Jukebox Hero” by Foreigner

It’s Time To Pony Up!

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:00:00 +0000

By Monica Contreras, Director of Marketing & Promotions

As many have seen, we have been slowly rolling out the fall campaign during the month of July. We have done a very soft launch with posters, schedule cards and the football kick-off luncheon invite. Don’t worry - this isn’t all you will see of this campaign!

Why a Pony and a drawn arrow? No SMU lettering? The marketing department has worked very closely with the Richards Group to come up with a unique campaign that taps into the excitement of the upcoming season. We wanted something that is proactive, something that will create a buzz and get everyone on board from the players to the faculty and students, the alumni and community. That’s what we believe we’ve found in “Pony Up!” It says we are headed in the right direction – it says we’ve stepped up our game – it says we are committed to making 2007-2008 a great season!

The best is yet to come with this campaign. We will incorporate “Pony Up” into all of our TV, radio, internet and outdoor campaigns. You will come to see it on t-shirts, ball caps, stickers, signage and anywhere that we can post it. You will see street teams building the excitement across Dallas handing out merchandise to new, existing and future fans! Come mid-August you will notice a big blast throughout the Dallas area and I'll bet it keeps you talking and spreading the word - whatever your opinion may be.

Interested in wearing some Pony Up gear? We will have it available soon on MustangLockerroom.com. Wear it and keep the buzz going!

Go Mustangs!

It’s déjà vu all over again…

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:39:00 +0000

by Richard Sweet, Associate A.D./Marketing & Public Relations

Eight months ago I was writing a blog entry for “Nuts about Southwest” announcing my plans to leave a life-long passion (Southwest) for another life-long passion (SMU Athletics). I sit here today trying to write the same post, but this time reversing the passions.

I’m headed back to Southwest. As they call it, I’m “boomeranging.” From a career standpoint, they made me an offer I couldn’t turn down. Southwest is truly the best company in the world to work for and the airline business is in my blood. Call me a masochist, I left when oil was $60 a barrel and I’m returning at $74. And who knows – it may be even higher when I start back August 6th! (My last day at SMU will be August 3rd.)

This move is equally as emotional as the day I left Southwest. I have made great friends in the Athletic Department, friends that have done remarkable things in the past year to get this program headed in the right direction - the top 25 direction. Working with Steve Orsini has been great. He is relentless and will not stop until we reach and exceed our goals. He has put together an incredible staff and I plan to help them as much as I can in a marketing advisory capacity (now they get me for free). I also get to be a Mustang fan - something that is difficult when the games become the job.

Being able to work at SMU has helped fill a void… a need to help this program from a brand standpoint. One of my regrets is not being able to actually be here when the upcoming ad campaign is running in full stride. I tried, but my friends at Southwest wanted me back sooner. I couldn’t afford to pass up this invitation to go back. The good news is that the campaign is in very capable hands (we shot two television spots last week). Monica Contreras gets it… she has a great marketing mind. Brad Sutton gets it… you all have seen some pretty good feature articles and reports done recently and that didn’t happen by accident. Both Monica’s and Brad’s staffs have done a great job formulating their plans and now are ready to execute those plans.

The table has been set, the foundation has been laid and I’m glad Steve gave me the opportunity to lead it. I believe the convergence of winning and branding will put SMU in the position we, as fans, have hungered for for years.

Now it’s time for me to go “pony up” and renew my season tickets. I think I’ll buy an extra one - it’s going to be a good year. Beat Tech!!!!!!!!

Social Networking Websites? Hazing? This Is NCAA Compliance?

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:23:00 +0000

by Jeff Konya, Associate A.D. for Compliance & Student Services

This blog entry attempts to successfully mix the rush scenes in Animal House with the “dorky dance internet camera scene” from one of the American Pie movies.

I have the good fortune of formally leading a social networking discussion at next week’s annual NAACC meetings in Austin, Texas, in and among my peers in this profession. I am by no means a technical expert in Facebook or Myspace specifics, but I have given a similar talk on several college campuses as to how to formulate an effective institutional policy on social networking given all of its pros and cons. In August, I will be talking about the issue of hazing with all SMU coaches and staff in preparation of the upcoming academic year. That discussion will focus on the psychological underpinnings for why elements of hazing can be appealing to the group dynamic while at the same time having possible damaging effects to its individual participants. It is interesting that in today’s world, websites like www.badjocks.com can gain momentum focusing on what images and words athletes/coaches/staff freely post on their respective social networking websites and at times, they showcase obvious hazing incidents. In this way, the two topics are interconnected. So how does this connect to compliance and student services?

Simply put, there are NCAA rules that could come into play. For example, these sites can show impropriety during the recruiting process of a prospect. There was a recent case where boosters/fans posted or encouraged prospects to attend their respective institution and not to attend another rival school. Such active recruitment is restricted to institutional coaches who have passed an annual recruiting exam, and the institution whose boosters/fans engaged in this sort of activity were forced to self report the violation. Of course with hazing, not only could NCAA rules come into play but institutional, state and federal rules could as well, especially when these activities are combined with alcohol and underage drinking.

I am going to start working on my new movie script “Animal Pie,” no make that “American House.”

Last Download – “Hey You” by Pink Floyd

Update That ‘Vardrobe…

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:47:00 +0000

by Richard Sweet, Associate A.D. for Marketing & Public Relations

I hope everyone is getting ready for a fall season of football and “Boulevarding” (if this isn’t a word yet – and spellcheck tells me it’s not – then I’m inventing it now. After all, we don’t tailgate at SMU, we “Boulevard.”). As we get ready for the season, we’re taking a look at ways to increase our brand visibility and bottom line.

To that end, I’ve just finished the third day of The Collegiate Licensing Company’s licensing and merchandising convention. To some of you it might sound boring, but to me it was very enlightening. At Southwest, we licensed and sold branded merchandise - but not to the extent that an athletic department at a major University like SMU does… or should I say can.

It’s amazing what licensed merchandise sales can do for SMU’s brand and bottom line. Retail outlets from Neiman Marcus to Walgreens carry many variations of products sporting university logos and colors. For every licensed item sold, SMU receives a royalty that ultimately helps support the growth of our athletic programs. The more fans wearing an SMU logo in public, the more powerful the brand becomes.

Over the course of the next year, we will increase our efforts to get licensed merchandise in more and more retail outlets around the area and hopefully around the country. Don’t be surprised to see merchandise in colors other than SMU Red and SMU Blue. Being trendy and fashionable is incredibly important (especially for women’s apparel). We’ll continue to stay true to our marks where it makes sense and you will see most of our apparel and non-apparel items presented with traditional marks.

So, how can you help? Well, a few ways… when in a retail outlet that doesn’t carry SMU merchandise, ask the store manager for it. At the end of the day, demand drives the stores to carry SMU items. Also, if you see non-licensed merchandise being sold, let us know. The selling of unlicensed merchandise is unlawful and takes money out of SMU’s pockets. SMU has invested millions in its brand over the years and these individuals are illegally profiting on our investment.

Finally, August 31st is College Colors Day. Companies and corporations across the country are encouraged to allow their employees to wear their college colors to promote higher education and, of course, the kickoff of the college football season. This is a great way to get SMU fans geared up for the Texas Tech game a few days early. So update that SMU ‘Vardrobe and do so by visiting http://www.mustanglockerroom.com/.

You Say "Goodbye" & I Say "Hello"

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Thu, 31 May 2007 16:08:00 +0000

by Vicki Hill, Director of the A-LEC

One of the great things about this job is that you don’t have time to reflect on how much you will miss the students who are graduating (that may hit home the first time I don’t see Justin Rogers lining up on defense - well, unless I’m watching the NFL) because you are too busy getting ready for the new ones.

The last couple of weeks have seen a flurry of activity around end-of-term-grades - Who aced almost everything? Whose consistent hard work was recognized and rewarded? Who did better than expected? And, yes, who didn’t do as well as expected?

The A-LEC was also visited last week by two C-USA reps as the first stop on a conference-wide attempt to develop a summary of best practices for academic support services. Their time on campus went well, as they visited with nearly 30 people, including student-athletes, faculty, coaches, and administrators.

But suddenly it’s the new academic year. Yesterday was the first AARO (Academic Advising, Registration & Orientation) for 2007-2008, and the A-LEC was busy. Seven men’s basketball players, two women’s basketball players, one women’s diver and several football players were on campus registering for their summer and fall classes and learning a little about what is in store for them academically. Today they will all be back to check in with us after they attend their first classes. We’ll review tutoring options, set up their regular meeting times with the academic counselors, and enjoy vicariously the genuine excitement that accompanies the whole process of starting college.

Pretty soon you’ll see all of them on fields and courts and in the pool. And we are all so glad they are here.

Cowboy Questions

noreply@blogger.com (SMU Athletics) — Wed, 30 May 2007 00:05:00 +0000

by Steve Orsini, Dircetor of Athletics

While construction continues on new projects here on the Hilltop, one question I’ve gotten recently involves construction in Arlington. As work on the new Cowboys Stadium continues, some people have asked if we plan to play any games in “Jerry’s World,” as some media outlets are calling it. The Dallas Morning News reported in Friday’s edition that Baylor and Notre Dame are in negotiations to play there in 2012 or so, and, with my Notre Dame and Cowboys ties, I’m sure fans are wondering why we aren’t being mentioned as a possible opponent for the Fighting Irish.

Simply put, with a beautiful campus right in the heart of Dallas and a great pre-game tailgating area like the Boulevard, we want as many fans as possible to experience the gameday atmosphere here on the Hilltop. Many of you may have heard Coach Bennett say “If we can get a kid onto our campus, he’ll want to come to SMU.” We feel the same way about fans – If they come experience a gameday at SMU, they’ll want to come back. That’s why we want to play our home games in our state-of-the-art Gerald J. Ford Stadium, and to that end, we continue to work to put together an attractive home schedule featuring our regional and in-state rivals. We open 2007 with Texas Tech and North Texas at home and TCU will be back in Ford in 2008 as part of our non-conference slates. Our stadium and campus are two of our greatest “recruiting tools” and we’re going to use them.

So if you haven’t been out to a game at Ford, check it out. We know you’ll want to come back again and again. See you on September 3! Until next time, GO MUSTANGS!