The SMU Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas, United States. SMU was founded in 1911 and joined the Southwest Conference, competing against Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma A&M. They have been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since 2024.
The SMU Mustangs football team is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park, Dallas County, Texas. The Mustangs compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). SMU joined the ACC in July 2024 after eleven years as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
Daniel "Sonny" Dykes is an American football coach, and a former college baseball player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Christian University (TCU), and previously served in the same role at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2018 to 2021, the University of California, Berkeley from 2013 to 2016, and Louisiana Tech University from 2010 to 2012. In his first season at TCU, he led the Horned Frogs to a win in the semifinal and an appearance in the National Championship game.
The Rice–SMU football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Rice University Owls and Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The game was first played in 1916, and since 1998 the winner was awarded the Mayor's Cup. SMU leads the series 49–41–1.
The SMU Mustangs men's soccer team represents Southern Methodist University in men's college soccer. The team currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Mustangs made their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2024. In 2024 the Mustangs reached their fourteenth Elite Eight before falling to No.13 Seed Marshall 3–2.
The 2012 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of Conference USA in the West Division. June Jones led the Mustangs in his fifth season. The Mustangs played home games in University Park, Texas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. This was SMU's last year as a member of Conference USA as they will join the Big East Conference in 2013. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated Fresno State.
The 1978 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Ron Meyer, the Mustangs compiled an overall record 4–6–1 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the SWC.
The 1997 Western Athletic Conference Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Mike Cavan, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for second place in the WAC's Mountain Division. Ten years after the NCAA's 1987 "death penalty" on SMU football, SMU's 1997 campaign was the program's first winning season since the football program resumed operations in 1989. The Mustangs played their home games at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The 2012 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game held on Christmas Eve 2012, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The eleventh edition of the Hawaii Bowl, sponsored by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, began at 3:00 p.m. HST and aired on ESPN. It featured the SMU Mustangs from Conference USA against the Mountain West Conference co-champion Fresno State Bulldogs, and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. The Mustangs accepted their invitation after compiling a 6–6 record in the regular season, while the Bulldogs accepted their invitation with a 9–3 regular season record.
The SMU Mustangs women's soccer program represents Southern Methodist University in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Mustangs compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and play their home games on SMU's campus in Dallas, Texas at Westcott Field.
The SMU Mustangs football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the SMU Mustangs football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, kicking, and scoring. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. As of the upcoming 2024 season, the Mustangs represent Southern Methodist University in the NCAA Division I FBS Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 2017 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by third-year coach Chad Morris during the entire regular season until December 6, when he resigned to become the head coach at Arkansas. On December 11, SMU hired Sonny Dykes as head coach, and he led them in their bowl game. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in AAC play to finish in a tie for third place in the West Division. They were invited to the Frisco Bowl where they lost to Louisiana Tech.
The 2017–18 SMU Mustangs women's basketball team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mustangs, led by second year head coach Travis Mays, played their home games at Moody Coliseum and were fifth year members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 10–20, 4–12 in AAC play to finish in tenth place. They lost in the first round of the American Athletic women's tournament to East Carolina.
The 2018–19 SMU Mustangs women's basketball team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Mustangs, led by third year head coach Travis Mays, played their home games at Moody Coliseum and were sixth year members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 11–19, 5–11 in AAC play to finish in a 4 way tie for ninth place. They lost in first round of the American Athletic women's tournament to East Carolina.
The 2019 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by second-year head coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas. They competed as members of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2020 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by third-year coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, competed as members of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2020–21 SMU Mustangs men's basketball team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mustangs, led by fifth-year head coach Tim Jankovich, played their home games at Moody Coliseum on their campus in University Park, Texas as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). They finished the season 11–6, 7–4 in AAC play, to finish in fourth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament to Cincinnati. They received an invitation to the NIT where they lost in the first round to Boise State.
The 2021 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, competed as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Mustangs were led by fourth-year coach Sonny Dykes—on November 29, it was announced that Dykes would leave the program to become the head coach at TCU. He finished at SMU with an overall record of 30–18.
The 2022 Houston vs. SMU football game was a regular-season college football game between the Houston Cougars and the SMU Mustangs, played on November 5, 2022 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas. The game holds the record for the most combined points scored in an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) regulation game with 140 total points, breaking the previous record by three points.