Feature documentary detailing SMU's stunning return to college football prominence to air on ESPN

'Thunder On: Resurgence of the SMU Mustangs' chronicles SMU's dramatic fall from grace and long, improbable climb back to college football relevance
 
The film was produced by Texas Crew Productions in conjunction with Omaha Productions and premieres on ESPN Sunday, September 21 at 3pm ET / 2pm CT

Watch the trailer for 'Thunder On'
Dallas Morning News: SMU to return to big screen 15 years after 'Pony Excess" in new ESPN documentary
The Athletic: 'Thunder On' doc tells the story of SMU's resurgence, 15 years after popular 'Pony Excess'

DALLAS, September 10, 2025 — A new feature documentary detailing the SMU Mustangs' stunning return to college football prominence is set to premiere on ESPN Sunday, September 21 at 3pm ET and will subsequently become available to stream on ESPN+. Thunder On: Resurgence of the SMU Mustangs chronicles SMU's dramatic fall from grace after its football program was issued the harshest penalty in NCAA history and follows the Mustangs' long, improbable climb back to college football relevance.

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing NCAA landscape, the film— produced by Texas Crew Productions in conjunction with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions — explores how one private school in Dallas defied history, politics, and financial odds to earn its way back into the big leagues with swagger, strategy, and Texas-sized pride.

"This is a remarkable story about the resilience of the SMU community and the people who stuck by us," said SMU Director of Athletics Damon Evans. "Given what we have been through as a university and as an athletics program, it is incredible to see the rise back to where we are today. Thunder On will make the people of this great institution proud of what we have already done and what we'll continue to accomplish as we elevate this program to even greater heights."

Thunder On: Resurgence of the SMU Mustangs features many of SMU's beloved former players and coaches, like 1980s Mustangs greats Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Director and executive producer Chip Rives — the Peabody Award, NAACP Award, and eight-time Emmy Award winner at the helm of Texas Crew Productions — also taps the key figures driving the modern rebirth of SMU's football program for the film.
 
"This film is a testament to the current state of business and sports," said Director and Executive Producer Chip Rives. "It's also an homage to the pioneers, entrepreneurs, and leaders who built the great state of Texas. Without that true Texas grit and resilience, this Resurgence at SMU simply wouldn't be possible."

Head coach Rhett Lashlee and quarterback Kevin Jennings — the faces of the Mustangs' current team — participated in the documentary. Also featured in Thunder On are incoming university president Jay Hartzell, newly minted athletics director Damon Evans, and many of SMU's most prominent alumni and donors — including David Miller, Clark Hunt, Rich Templeton, and Marty Flanagan. Respected collegiate sports analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Jay Bilas also participated in the documentary, as did legendary college football coach Mack Brown.

Thunder On: Resurgence of the SMU Mustangs was executive produced by Texas Crew Productions' Chip Rives and David Karabinas and Omaha Productions co-founders Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz.


ABOUT TEXAS CREW PRODUCTIONS

Texas Crew Productions, part of Pantheon Media Group, has built a reputation for delivering first-class content on time, on budget, and with a friendly Texas-sized smile for broadcasters and streamers of all shapes and sizes. From its first series Friday Night Tykes, Texas Crew continues to prove that premium content isn't defined by budgets or physical location, but by creative vision, expert execution, and detailed management in every phase of production.

Its notable content includes the NAACP Image Award-winning two-hour special The 44th President: In His Own Words (HISTORY), ESPN 30 for 30's Brian and the Boz and Phi Slama Jama; the six-part investigative series In the Valley of Sin (FOX); the reboot of the long-running series Sell This House (A+E); the reboot of Ripley's Believe It or Not (Travel); and more than 50 hours of true-crime programming on Oxygen, including Killer Relationships with Faith Jenkins, The Disappearance of Maura Murray, Sleeping with Death, and The Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell. Most recently, the company produced The Pillowcase Murders and Chopper Cops for Paramount+, How I Caught My Killer and How I Escaped My Cult for Hulu, and are in production on multiple series including the Untitled Diddy Documentary for Netflix.

ABOUT OMAHA PRODUCTIONS

Founded by Peyton Manning in 2020, Omaha Productions is a media company dedicated to creating content that unifies and uplifts audiences.

Omaha Productions currently serves as executive producer on ESPN's Emmy Award-winning Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, Netflix's first and upcoming second season of Quarterback, Netflix's Receiver and Starting 5, the NFL Honors, and ESPN+'s Places franchise, which includes series hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning, Stephanie McMahon, Abby Wambach, Vince Carter, David Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, P.K. Subban, Sue Bird, Paul Rabil, and John McEnroe. The company has also produced both seasons of ESPN's Full Court Press as well as shows for ABC, A+E, NBCUniversal, and Hulu, including the upcoming Chad Powers scripted series, premiering in the fall of 2025.

In addition to documentary work — including VICE's Calipari: Razor's Edge, chronicling John Calipari's first season at Arkansas, and ESPN's The Buddy Way — Omaha Productions has produced alternate telecasts for college football, the NBA, golf, and the UFC. The company has also expanded into live events. In 2023, ESPN and the NFL tapped Omaha Productions to reimagine the Pro Bowl as the Pro Bowl Games. The next year, Omaha Productions launched the inaugural NFL Flag Championships, a youth flag football tournament that aired on ESPN.

Omaha Productions is also home to the Omaha Creative Agency, a full-service team behind award-winning content that connects brands with audiences in authentic, culturally relevant ways. With standout campaigns for partners like Bud Light, Nationwide, Nestlé Toll House, and FanDuel, the agency produces commercials, live events, digital content, and branded integrations that deliver real brand impact and audience engagement.