Has College Football Returned to DFW?

Nicholas Johnson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:11:04 +0000

By Nicholas Johnson

September 5, 2008

It’s football season, again. I love the smell of pigskin in the morning. Saturday morning’s are not just for sleeping in anymore. Sure, my Saturdays will probably consist of waking up around 10am, watching College Gameday on ESPN, and then spending a good 6-9 hours of my day flipping between the slew of games available. This is a common practice for the first few weeks of the college football season. After awhile, the initial sugar shock will wear off and my viewing habits will taper down.

I have the benefit of having grown up in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. When I was young, the Southwestern Conference was in its twilight. It is safe to say that in 1986 when Southern Methodist University received the “Death Penalty” from the NCAA, the SWC was effectively done for. The Death Penalty did more than penalize SMU’s athletic programs and dig the SWC’s grave, it destroyed all the buzz about college football in DFW.

Prior to 1986, the biggest college football game, other than the Red River Shootout (Texas vs. Oklahoma) every October, was always the SMU vs. TCU game. “The Battle for the Iron Skillet” was the equivalent of a shouting match between Ford and Chevy truck owners. It was the Civil War of DFW households. I personally was involved in two different elementary scuffles regarding SMU vs. TCU.

After the Death Penalty came down, that rivalry lost its punch. It lost its relevancy. People forgot about how great those games were. TCU spent the post-SWC stretch playing bad football. With the hiring of Dennis “take the money and run” Franchione, TCU went into something of a renaissance and has a perennially bowl-eligible team under Coach Gary Patterson. Arguably the best running back in the NFL, LaDainian Tomlinson, helped to make TCU relevant again. While TCU has managed to turn their football program around, SMU is still rebuilding.

To the credit of the board of directors of SMU, the hiring of Coach June Jones, away from Hawai’i, was a bold and aggressive move to bring the football program back. Coach Jones is going to make $2 million per season, but his salary is less of an outrageous amount of money to pay a football coach. It is more of a down payment on a rebirth for SMU. More than 20 years after the Death Penalty, the Metroplex is ready to have a reason to cheer again.

It’s not going to be an immediate turn around. Jones is starting a true freshman this year. The Mustangs will take their lumps, but as with most things, the night is usually the darkest right before the dawn. I, for one, cannot wait to get back to Ford Field and Amon G. Carter Stadium when the SMU/TCU rivalry is back in full force. Of course I will be wearing my bright green UNT attire. What can I say? I’ve got to show love to my alma mater.

Don’t sleep on the Mean Green. Former Southlake Carroll head coach Todd Dodge is now in his 2nd season at UNT. Last year was a dismal 2-10 (1-6 in conference play), but Coach Dodge’s recruiting efforts have not gone unnoticed. All I am saying is give UNT a couple more seasons before I start getting bombarded with “love” letters.

It is safe to say that none of the 3 DFW Area are going to be contending for a national championship any time soon, but we are on the verge of a great time to be a fan of college football. So get out there and scream until your voice is gone. It’s football time, baby!

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Has College Football Returned to DFW?