July 1, 2005
DALLAS (SMU) - SMU has a new conference home as of July 1, 2005, as the Mustangs have joined Conference USA.
"We're very excited about this tremendous boost to our athletics program," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "Our University community, alumni, and other fans will enjoy the vitality of traditional rivalries as SMU plays comparable schools in our region. Conference USA membership will usher in a new era of spirited competition and accomplishment for SMU, and we are excited about our membership."
"We are very excited to be a part of Conference USA," said SMU Athletic Director Jim Copeland. "Our goal from the beginning has been to put SMU Athletics in the very best position to allow our student-athletes and fans to experience competition at the highest level. I believe we have done that. The new affiliation allows us to be a part of a more regional league and also aligns us with several schools with similar academic and athletic goals. Conference USA's divisional membership arrangement is fan-friendly, allowing our fans to more easily travel to away contests while also encouraging visiting fans to travel to Dallas. We will continue our long-standing rivalries with regional colleges and universities and our increased presence in Houston and New Orleans will provide even more exposure for our University and its athletic programs. I truly believe this increase in fan and alumni involvement will give added momentum to the outreach of the University as a whole."
C-USA begins a new chapter in 2005-06 after celebrating 10 years of remarkable history. Six nationally prominent universities - Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP - join tradition-rich members - East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane and UAB - to form the new look of the league.
"We're extremely pleased with the institutions that will represent Conference USA," said C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky. "Each is nationally renowned and committed to academic and athletic excellence. We are excited about our future."
All C-USA institutions sponsor Division I-A football, along with several other men's and women's athletic programs, many of which compete regularly for NCAA Championships. C-USA sponsors competition in 19 sports - nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and indoor and outdoor track & field) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, softball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball). Seventeen of SMU's 20 sports will compete under the C-USA banner. Men's swimming will continue to be a part of the National Independent Conference, while Equestrian and Rowing will remain independent.
