SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University ( more commonly " SMU " ) . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) as a member Conference USA . The Mustangs have competed in the West Division of Conference USA since 2005 . History . 1976 - 1986 : A Winning Record . Coach Ron Meyer came to SMU in 1976 after his success as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s ( including a Super Bowl win ) and a stint with UNLV . Coach Meyer was infamous for his recruiting tactics , including visits each year to the homes of an unprecedented 70 or more of the top recruits per year . His most notable recruits were future NFL runningbacks Eric Dickerson and Craig James before the 1979 season , as both their high school teams went 15 - 0 and won state championships . Combined with blue chip runningback Charles Waggoner , the three backs were nicknamed the " Pony Express " running attack and shredded opposing defenses in the option offense led by quarterback Lance McIlhenny . This team claimed a share of the 1981 college football Division 1 - A national championship , based on the determination of the National Championship Foundation . Coach Meyer left to become the head coach of the New England Patriots in 1982 , and SMU hired Coach Bobby Collins , then head coach at University of Southern Mississippi . Dickerson finished 3rd in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1982 , and the team claimed a share of its second consecutive national championship , based on the determination of the Helms Athletic Foundation . SMU posted a record of 45 - 5 - 1 from 1980 – 1984 , which was the highest win percentage ( 0 . 892 ) in Division 1 - A over that span . 1987 - 2007 : NCAA " Death Penalty " and decades of rebuilding . In 1987 , SMU football became the first , and currently only , football program in collegiate athletic history to receive the National College Athletic Association ( NCAA ) " Death Penalty " for repeat violation of NCAA rules , that is , having a sports program fully terminated for a determined amount of time . SMU ' s football program was terminated for the 1987 season because the University was making approximately $ 61 , 000 in booster payments from 1985 to 1986 . It later emerged that a " slush fund " had been used to pay players as early as the mid - 1970s , and athletic officials had known about it as early as 1981 . SMU was eligible for the " death penalty " because it had been placed on probation in 1985 for recruiting violations . Since many players were poor , boosters would pay for rent or other bills for the parents of the athletes , and several key boosters and administration officials felt it would be unethical to cut off payments . When the sanctions were handed down , SMU had three players - all seniors about to graduate - receiving payments . Not long afterward , SMU announced that its football team would stay shuttered for the 1988 season as well after school officials received indications that they wouldn ' t have enough experienced players to field a viable team as most of the team left the university and transferred to other institutions . Forrest Gregg , an SMU alum who was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers , was hired in 1988 to help rebuild the team . The decimation of the program meant that Gregg was left with an undersized and underweight lineup ; he was taller and heavier than virtually all of his players . The Mustangs struggled for 20 years to recover from the effects of the scandal . Coach Gregg compiled a 3 - 19 record in his two seasons . He moved on to be the SMU Athletic Director from 1990 through 1994 . The Mustangs had 3 more head coaches and only one winning season through the completion of the 2007 season . 2008 - present : Return to Success . In 2008 SMU hired Steve Orsini away from the University of Central Florida ( UCF ) to be the SMU Athletic Director . Orsini then hired June Jones from the University of Hawai ' i to be the team ' s new head coach at SMU and currently the 5th coach in the post death penalty time since 1989 . In Jones ' first season at SMU the team had a 1 - 11 record . In 2009 , Coach Jones ' second season at SMU , the Mustangs had a turnaround season , compiling an improved regular season record of 7 - 5 . Although finishing unranked in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings , SMU was invited to its first bowl game in 25 years , defeating the unranked Nevada Wolf Pack with a final score 45 - 10 in the 2009 Hawai ' i Bowl , the team ' s first bowl win since 1984 . In 2010 , the Mustangs again compiled a regular season record of 7 - 5 , with a 6 - 2 in - conference record to earn their first chance at winning a conference title in 26 years , securing a berth in the Conference USA Championship game . SMU lost the conference title game , 17 - 7 , against UCF . Once again unranked in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings , SMU was invited to its second consecutive bowl game , the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl , where it lost against the unranked Army Black Knights . Following Texas A & M ' s mooted move to the SEC in August and September of 2011 , SMU have made it known that they would like to replace them in the Big 12 . On September 3rd 2011 , Athletic Director Steve Orsini stated : " We want stability in the regional conference that meets our objective , " Orsini said , " and that right now would be defined as the Big 12 . " " Regionalism is a sign of strength , and we feel expansion , especially in the latest trends , is a sign of strength , " Orsini said . " And we feel we can help an AQ conference in both of those areas . " Orsini made it clear that SMU isn ' t solely interested in the Big 12 , but in finding an AQ home . Should the Mustangs ' current league , Conference USA , achieve AQ status someday , that would work just fine . Maybe the Mountain West earns an AQ distinction and decides to dip back into the Metroplex again . " When we were affiliated with those schools in this region [ Baylor , Texas and Texas Tech ] , we were competing very successfully , " Orsini reminded . " We have a lot of conference championships in the Southwest Conference to show for it . " We ' re ready . It took us a long time to rebound from the historic low that hit here , but that was 25 years ago . There are no signs of that anymore . " Achievements . Team achievements . National championships . The NCAA ' s website states that " the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I - A football and is not involved in the selection process . " It goes on to say that " a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I - A football teams at the end of each season . " SMU officially claims three national championships ( 1935 , 1981 & 1982 ) . ( The NCAA officially changed the " I - A " designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) in 2006 . )