SMU's Return from a Death Sentence
The Lead
Wondery
3.9 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 18 October 2019
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1986 the NCAA delivered what is unofficially known as the “death penalty” to the Southern Methodist University football program. The team was found guilty of egregious recruiting violations and barred from playing any football during the 1987 season, along with other sanctions. Now, the Mustangs are 6-0 and back in the AP Top 25 for the first time in more than three decades. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini explains how a second year coach has guided the team back to winning ways using an unconventional team building tactic.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In the history of college football, only one team has been hit with what's called the |
| 0:11.0 | death penalty, a punishment that's so extreme it essentially kills the entire football program. |
| 0:17.2 | It wasn't Baylor after its sexual assault scandal and it wasn't Penn State after Jerry |
| 0:22.4 | Sandusky. |
| 0:23.5 | The sanctions levied against SMU go beyond the one-year death penalty. |
| 0:27.8 | The NCAA has tacked on another two years to its current probationary period. |
| 0:32.6 | It was Southern Methodist University, the small school in Dallas, Texas, back in the 1980s. |
| 0:38.8 | They were hit hard over recruiting violations and it decimated the program for decades. |
| 0:44.0 | But now, the Mustangs are back. |
| 0:47.5 | Who shall? |
| 0:48.5 | Looking for crochet? |
| 0:50.5 | Who has it? |
| 0:52.7 | There's 6-0 and they're ranked in the top 25 for the first time in more than 30 years. |
| 0:58.6 | Today, we're going to talk with the athletics Chris Vanini about how SMU has clawed its way |
| 1:03.8 | back into the national rankings through a new coach and a rather unusual recruiting tactic. |
| 1:11.0 | From Wondery and the Athletic, I'm Anders Keltow. |
| 1:13.4 | And I'm Kavita Davidson. |
| 1:15.0 | It's Friday, October 18th and this is The Lead. |
| 1:18.9 | It felt like something great was happening. |
| 1:21.9 | There was just something about the emotion and the heart of the team. |
| 1:26.1 | The failures of the past don't matter because we've got this. |
| 1:29.9 | You can't play. |
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