Buddy and Linda Ozanne have been generous supporters of the SMU Mustang Club for over 30 years. The two met in the summer of 1973 when Linda was a student at Baylor University. It was love at first sight, and the two were engaged by August of 1973! Shortly after proposing, it didn't take long for Buddy to convince Linda to transfer to the Hilltop for her senior year. By September of 1973, the Ozannes were married in Perkins Chapel.
The Ozannes are regulars at SMU Football and Basketball games and have been avid supporters since their union. Residents of the Park Cities, Buddy currently serves on the Mustang Club Board and the Cox Associate Board, the Cox School of Business' executive mentoring program. The couple has two adult sons, one of whom is a 2002 Cox School of Business graduate.
1. What is your favorite memory of SMU Athletics?
Buddy Ozanne's favorite memory: It was a Friday night in 1963. Roger Staubach came to Dallas with the Navy Midshipmen to play SMU at the Cotton Bowl. I skipped the Garland/Highland Park High School game to go to the SMU/Navy game. All my friends thought I was nuts, especially when I bet my best friend, Chuck Rogers, a milkshake that SMU would win. And they did, 32—28. Just before the game started, the Mustang Band prophetically presented a mock sinking of the PT-109.5 in front of the Midshipmen. They were not amused!
Linda Ozanne's favorite memory: In 1981 we drove to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see SMU and the University of Arkansas play in what was being called the "Polyester Bowl." Both SMU and Arkansas were on probation and unable to play in postseason bowl games, so it was the last game of the season for both teams, and they were tied for the Southwest Conference title. SMU had 5,000 fans in the sell-out crowd that day. Starting quarterback Lance McIlhenny had a hard time calling plays because the Razorback fans were yelling so loudly with one side of the stadium screaming "Arkansas" while the other side screamed "Razorbacks." But SMU triumphed with a score of 32—18, and our fans poured onto the field to celebrate. At the time, our sons were five and two years old and had a ball doing somersaults down the middle of the Arkansas turf.
2. Why do you support SMU Athletics and its student-athletes? We love SMU! Supporting SMU Athletics gives us an opportunity to stay connected with our alma mater. But most importantly, it provides a way for many deserving students to receive a quality education at a premier university which they may otherwise not be able to afford. And it also enables them to realize their dreams of playing at the college level and for many to continue their careers in the pro ranks.
3. How have SMU Athletics impacted our lives? The "thrill of victory" by the perennial underdog team has provided unbounded excitement, and the many years filled with the "agony of defeat" has tested our spirit.In the end has taught us that persistence and optimism eventually lead to success. We've learned to never give up!
4. What make you most proud of SMU Athletics? We've found pride in the individual achievements of the young men and women that we've been honored to get to know, both in their athletic and academic excellence. And we're proud of the collaborative support of the administration, faculty, coaching, counseling, development and alumni in helping these student-athletes reach their goals and potential.
