Dallas Mayor proclaims 'Iron Skillet Week' for final SMU-TCU meeting

A rivalry dating back to 1915, the SMU Mustangs and TCU Horned Frogs will meet for the 104th and final time. The two programs could not come to an agreement to continue the Battle of the Iron Skillet moving forward. One does not appear to be on the horizon either, meaning the series’ history book gets closed on Saturday.

Anticipation for the game continues to build and the mayor of Dallas wanted to get in on the action. Eric L. Johnson decided to proclaim this “Iron Skillet Week” across the city, hoping to drum up support for SMU. More than anything, Johnson is hoping the Mustangs can win to keep the Iron Skillet in Dallas for years to come.

“The City of Dallas, supporting the SMU Mustangs, is joining the excitement of the week leading up to the big game; Residents of Dallas and fans of the Mustangs, extending well beyond the city’s geographic borders, will be cheering for SMU to keep the Iron Skillet in Dallas for good.

“Now, therefore, I, Eric L. Johnson, Mayor of the city of Dallas, do hereby proclaim September 14-20, 2025, as Iron Skillet Week in Dallas, Texas, to encourage all Dallasites to join in cheering on the SMU Mustangs in hopes of pulling off a victory against TCU on Saturday and keeping the Iron Skillet forever in Dallas.”

It’s my pleasure to proclaim #IronSkilletWeek in the City of Dallas! Let’s all show our support for @SMUFB leading up to the FINAL #IronSkillet showdown this Saturday! #GoPonies 🐎 pic.twitter.com/B3JJcgoetO

— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) September 15, 2025

For the most part, the Horned Frogs have been the ones dominating the series. This goes back to when SMU came back from its NCAA penalty in 1989, and since then, the record reads 25-9. That allowed TCU to take the overall lead too, 53-43-7.

However, recent trends favor the Mustangs. SMU possesses the Iron Skillet because of last year’s victory on the Hilltop. A wild one from start to finish, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes got ejected from the game, much to the delight of the home crowd. Rhett Lashlee remained on the field and helped his team to a 66-42 win — the most points a team has scored in the rivalry.

Playing on the road has not phased them either. TCU won the last game inside Amon G. Carter Stadium in 2022 but before then, SMU took two in a row in Fort Worth. Adding another tally to the win column would be massive for Lashlee and the program’s long-term bragging rights.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT and ESPN2 will broadcast the game. Johnson is certainly rooting for his city to keep the Iron Skillet.