SMU's $100 million fundraising run coincides with ACC invitation
In just seven days, SMU raised $100 million to support the Mustangs’ transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference, the school announced on Monday.
“This is an unprecedented financial commitment from a core group of donors who have understood from the beginning that moving to the ACC will be transformational for our University on both athletic and academic levels,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner said in a release. “While there is still much work to be done, the ability to rally this kind of support in just one short week demonstrates that SMU and Dallas recognize the excellence of this opportunity and are stepping up to support it.”
The money will enable SMU to align and compete with an elite group of national institutions with powerhouse athletic programs, benefitting both SMU Athletics and the entire University community.
“When we announced on September 1 that SMU would be joining the ACC, I was highly confident that we would be able to cover the cost of the transition into what is one of the top three collegiate athletic conferences in the country,” said David B. Miller, chair of the SMU Board of Trustees. “To be able to raise this level of support in such a short period of time is astounding. It is an incredible start in our campaign to position SMU to compete for championships. I cannot express how grateful I am for the visionary leadership it demonstrates.”
Men’s basketball season ticket sales jumped 30 percent in the last week and hundreds of new football season tickets were sold as well. SMU will now face basketball powers like Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and others while football will welcome Clemson, Florida State, Miami and others.
The school announced that media coverage of the move generated more than $163 million in advertising value in the first three days. In that same small window, SMU also experienced a 103% increase in visitors to its undergraduate admissions homepage.
“SMU is entering an exciting new era, made possible in large part by this small core group of donors,” said SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart. “The news has energized not just our fanbase, but the Dallas community. Every metric we have has jumped in the last week, and we look forward to continuing that momentum both this year and next year as we begin ACC play.”
The Weber End Zone Complex opens in time the 2024 SMU Football season. While suites are already sold out, four types of tickets are still available, including loge boxes, tabletop seats, club seats and patio plaza tickets. This complex will be a game-changing addition to Gerald J. Ford Stadium and provide a luxury game experience for patrons in this exclusive area.
