Southern Methodist University

== Student life ==
=== Student demographics ===
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web|title=College Scorecard: Southern Methodist University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?228246-Southern-Methodist-University|publisher=[[United States Department of Education]]|access-date=May 24, 2022|archive-date=May 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525015327/https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?228246-Southern-Methodist-University|url-status=live}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|64|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|13|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Foreign national]]
|align=right| {{bartable|6|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Other{{efn|Other consists of [[Multiracial Americans]] & those who prefer to not say.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|9|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|91|%|2||background:black}}
|}
* As of the Fall 2020 semester, the university's 12,373 students are 6,827 undergraduates and 5,546 postgraduates from all 50 states and 83 countries. The leading 10 states of origin of U.S. residents in descending order of the total undergraduate population are Texas (2,932), California (858), Florida (264), Illinois (194), Georgia (155), New York (155), Connecticut (149), Missouri (131), Tennessee (114), Arizona (98), Colorado (91), Louisiana (91), New Jersey (91), and Arkansas (84).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/origin_undergrad_and_first-year_2020|title=Top 10 States of Origin for Fall 2020|access-date=October 12, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024737/https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/origin_undergrad_and_first-year_2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Student Enrollment Fall 2020"/>
* As of the Fall 2020 semester, the university's international student population of 1,117 (9%) comes from 83 countries and includes 392 undergraduate and 725 graduate students. The leading 10 countries of origin in descending order for undergraduates are China (204), Mexico (26), Canada (12), Vietnam (10), Korea (9), United Kingdom (8), Brazil (8), Australia (6), India (6), Panama (5), Spain (5), Côte d'Ivoire (4), France (4), Germany (4), Honduras (4), Taiwan (4), United Arab Emirates (4), Venezuela (4), El Salvador (3), Nigeria (3), Peru (3), and Saudi Arabia (3). In descending order for Graduate students, the countries are China (288), India (115), Saudi Arabia (49), Mexico (39), Iran (25), Korea (19), Taiwan (18), Canada (14), Italy (9) and South Africa (8) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/country_origin_undergrad_and_grad_2020|title=Top 10 Countries of Origin for Fall 2020|access-date=October 12, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024737/https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/country_origin_undergrad_and_grad_2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
* As of the Fall 2020 semester, 31.4% of the student body are members of a [[minority group]], while females constitute 49% of the undergraduate and 48% of the graduate student populations, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/GenderDistributionFall2020|title=Ethnicity Distribution Fall 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024738/https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/GenderDistributionFall2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
* As of the Fall 2020 semester, SMU's female to male ratio is approximately 1:1 and its student-faculty ratio is 11:1. The average age of undergraduate students is 20, while that of graduate and professional students is 30, and the total average student age is 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/GenderDistributionFall2020|title=Ethnicity Distribution Fall 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024736/https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/GenderDistributionFall2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/StudentDistributionFall2020|title=Student Distribution Fall 2020|access-date=October 12, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024737/https://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/FactSheets/Fall2020Facts/StudentDistributionFall2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Among students reporting a religious affiliation, 25% are [[Catholic]], 13% are [[Methodism|Methodist]], 38% are from other [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations, and 15% are from other religions including [[Judaism]] and [[Hinduism]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/AboutSMU/Facts/CampusProfile|title=Campus Profile - SMU|website=Smu.edu|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104160850/https://www.smu.edu/AboutSMU/Facts/CampusProfile|archive-date=November 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Undergraduate housing ===
[[File:Southern Methodist University July 2016 014 (Loyd Commons).jpg|left|thumb|224x224px|Loyd Commons]]
[[File:Armstrong_Commons.jpg|thumb|Armstrong Commons, one of five residential commons opened in 2014]]
Since the autumn of 2014, Southern Methodist University's undergraduate housing system has operated on a residential commons model rooted in similar systems at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England.<ref>The New Residential Commons at SMU. [http://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/FAQ Frequently Asked Questions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614093253/http://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/FAQ |date=June 14, 2013 }}.</ref> Undergraduate students are required to live on campus for their first two years, and they must live their first year in one of the eleven residential commons that they are randomly sorted into after enrollment.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/Housing/Selection|title=Housing Assignments|publisher=Southern Methodist University|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807094533/https://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/Housing/Selection|archive-date=August 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Each commons houses a faculty-in-residence and a residential community director that organize events and interact with the residents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/FacultyEngagement|title=Faculty Engagement Programs|publisher=Southern Methodist University|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807064232/https://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/FacultyEngagement|archive-date=August 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The eleven residential commons are Armstrong, Boaz, Cockrell-McIntosh, Crum, Kathy Crow, Loyd, Mary Hay-Peyton-Shuttles, McElvaney, Morrison-McGinnis, Virginia-Snider, and Ware.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/Explore/InteractiveMap|title=Get to Know the Residential Commons|publisher=Southern Methodist University|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807063924/https://www.smu.edu/ResidentialCommons/Explore/InteractiveMap|archive-date=August 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Built in 1926, Virginia-Snider Commons is the oldest of the current residence halls. It served as a women's dormitory in the university's early years, and it later served as the common residence hall for students in the University Honors Program before the implementation of the residential commons model.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vscommons.com/about/|title=History|website=Virginia-Snider Commons|language=en-US|access-date=February 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215143832/http://www.vscommons.com/about/|archive-date=February 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The youngest commons are those that opened in 2014: Armstrong, Kathy Crow, Ware, Loyd, and Crum.

=== Student organizations ===
Southern Methodist University is home to almost three hundred student organizations, including academic, professional, fraternal, sporting, ethnic themed, religious, service, and political diversity groups. Notable examples include the Feminist Equality Movement (FEM), the service organization Mustang Heroes, one of the largest organizations on campus, and the Embrey Human Rights Program.
Student organizations such as Student Foundation and Program Council frequently sponsor all-student events on various weekdays and weekends as well as boulevard tents. Student Foundation helps put on popular events such as Family Weekend, the Tate lectures, Celebration of Lights, Homecoming, and Perunapalooza.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://smu.collegiatelink.net/organizations|title=Orgs@SMU|publisher=CollegiateLink|access-date=December 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221015748/https://smu.collegiatelink.net/Organizations|archive-date=December 21, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Religious life ===
The Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life house religious organizations on campus. There are multiple Christian organizations, [[Hillel International|Hillel]], and a [[Muslim Students Association]]. The South Asian Student Association hosts a [[Diwali]] celebration yearly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/ChaplainandReligiousLife|title=Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life|website=www.smu.edu|access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref> There is a Catholic Center on campus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smucatholic.org/|title=Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU|website=smucatholic.org|access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref>

=== Student media ===
''The Daily Campus'' was the independent student newspaper between 1915 and 2018. The frequency of the publication changed throughout the years and with the change in semesters. Publishing less frequently over the summer, for example. The board of directors of The Student Media Company, the independent nonprofit that at one time oversaw all student media, including KSMU and Rotunda, voted to dissolve due to a lack of funds in April 2018. Although still publishing in digital format, the newspaper lost its independent status in May 2018.

Other student media include:
* ''The Rotunda'', the official SMU [[yearbook]]
* ''SMU-TV'', a student-run television station serving the Park Cities community
* ''The Daily Update'', a weekday morning newscast that airs on SMU-TV and smudailymustang.com
* ''Hilltopics'', a publication sponsored by the University Honors Program that publishes periodically
* ''The Muddler'', a satirical newspaper
* ''SMU LOOK'', a student-run fashion magazine, website, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channel
* ''SMU Style'', a student-run fashion and lifestyle blog
As of May 2018, The Daily Campus was placed under the control of the school's journalism department.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Hardy, Michael|url=https://www.texasobserver.org/smu-just-lost-its-independent-student-newspaper-is-your-college-next/|title=SMU Just Lost Its Independent Student Newspaper. Is Your College Next?|magazine=[[Texas Observer]]|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521104732/https://www.texasobserver.org/smu-just-lost-its-independent-student-newspaper-is-your-college-next/|archive-date=May 21, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

KSMU, a student-radio station, operated from 1964 to 1989. It broadcast as a carrier-current and FM station; in the 1980s, it was restricted to broadcasting within the student center and via local cable. The call letters were changed to KPNI, which operated from 1995 to 2011. In the latter days, it was a digital streaming station and moved from management under the auspices of The Student Media Co. to the department of journalism. The university radio station shuttered in 2011 due to a lack of funding.<ref>"[https://www.smu.edu/Libraries/digitalcollections/stud Southern Methodist University Student Newspapers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505014311/https://www.smu.edu/Libraries/digitalcollections/stud |date=May 5, 2019 }}", Southern Methodist University. Retrieved May 4, 2019.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dreyer |first1=Sissy |title=SMU Sound: bringing student radio back to campus |url=https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-sound-bringing-student-radio-back-to-campus |website=The Daily Campus |access-date=17 January 2022 |date=March 22, 2015 |archive-date=January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117220618/https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/smu-sound-bringing-student-radio-back-to-campus |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/kpni-smu-radio-reloaded |website=The Daily Campus |access-date=17 January 2022 |title=KPNI – SMU Radio reloaded – SMU Daily Campus |date=September 19, 2003 |archive-date=June 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619131926/https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/kpni-smu-radio-reloaded |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Greek life ===
Southern Methodist University has approximately 43% of the undergraduate student body affiliated with its Greek system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/StudentActivities/FSL|title=Fraternity and Sorority Life|publisher=Southern Methodist University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902114232/https://www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/StudentActivities/FSL|archive-date=September 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Starting in 2010, the NPC sororities began updating and rebuilding their older sorority houses. The multi-million dollar projects was received critically by some, praised by others. The first house rebuilt was [[Pi Beta Phi]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pibetaphi.org/pibetaphi/smu/|title=Welcome to Pi Beta Phi|access-date=August 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019105525/https://www.pibetaphi.org/pibetaphi/smu/|archive-date=October 19, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by Kappa Kappa Gamma, [[Delta Delta Delta]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trideltasmu.com/|title=Southern Methodist University Tri-Delta|access-date=August 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709135006/http://trideltasmu.com/|archive-date=July 9, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Chi Omega]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smuchiomega.com/|title=SMU Chi Omega - Sorority - Dallas|access-date=August 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821063607/http://www.smuchiomega.com/|archive-date=August 21, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2014/08/30/why-smus-new-6-5m-sorority-house-went-viral.html|title=Why SMU's new $6.5M sorority house went viral - Dallas Business Journal|date=August 31, 2014|work=Dallas Business Journal|access-date=August 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019105525/http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2014/08/30/why-smus-new-6-5m-sorority-house-went-viral.html|archive-date=October 19, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Kappa Alpha Theta,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/home-garden/2016/12/inside-kappa-alpha-thetas-7-3-million-sorority-house-at-smu/ |title=Inside Kappa Alpha Theta's $7.3 Million Sorority House at SMU |date=December 2016 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024737/https://www.dmagazine.com/home-garden/2016/12/inside-kappa-alpha-thetas-7-3-million-sorority-house-at-smu/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Alpha Chi Omega.

Alpha Phi Alpha was banned in 2004 due to [[hazing]] rituals during which a student went into a coma; four members of the fraternity were expelled from SMU as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 20, 2004 |title=SMU students expelled over hazing incident |work=My Plainview |url=https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/SMU-students-expelled-over-hazing-incident-8804434.php |access-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819110821/https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/SMU-students-expelled-over-hazing-incident-8804434.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, Phi Gamma Delta was ordered to cease all organizational activity pending a university investigation into hazing. [[Pi Kappa Alpha]] received a similar notice that year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/higher-education/2018/02/15/smus-fiji-fraternity-ordered-cease-activitiesamid-hazing-investigation|title=SMU's Fiji fraternity ordered to cease activities amid hazing investigation|date=February 15, 2018|work=Dallas News|access-date=March 1, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302103928/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/higher-education/2018/02/15/smus-fiji-fraternity-ordered-cease-activitiesamid-hazing-investigation|archive-date=March 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 26, 2018, Pi Kappa Alpha was officially suspended by the university until the fall of 2022. This was the second suspension of a Greek Life organization in the 2017–2018 academic year after Kappa Alpha Order was suspended in October 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Pi-Kappa-Alpha-Fraternity-Suspended-from-SMU-Campus-477993173.html|title=Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Suspended from SMU Campus|work=NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth|access-date=2018-08-19|language=en|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225024739/https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/pi-kappa-alpha-fraternity-suspended-from-smu-campus/63783/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

[[Kappa Alpha Theta]] was suspended in 2022 and entered a mutual agreement with SMU through May 2025, after allegations of hazing new members. New members were forced to consume alcohol on February 10, 2022, and were exposed to activities that impacted their safety and health. After Kappa Alpha Theta's suspension, former members established the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Society. The Society recruits new members, has a house, and participates in mixers with fraternities, just as Kappa Alpha Theta did. SMU added a provision to its Student Code of Conduct, warning of disciplinary action towards students who affiliate with unrecognized student organizations, such as The Society. <ref>{{cite news|last=Rold|first=Ellis|date=November 27, 2023|title=Thinking Theta? Think again.|url=https://smudailycampus.com/1063328/news/thinking-theta-think-again/|work=The Daily Campus|access-date=December 12, 2023}}</ref>

=== Athletics===
{{Main|SMU Mustangs}}

Southern Methodist University's athletic teams are known as the Mustangs and participate in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]], with the [[SMU Mustangs football|football team]] competing as a member of [[Football Bowl Subdivision|Division I FBS]].  The football team plays at [[Gerald J. Ford Stadium]] on the SMU campus. The Mustangs compete in the [[American Athletic Conference]] (previously named the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]]) for all sports beginning in the 2013–14 season. Prior to that, the Mustangs participated in the now-defunct [[Southwest Conference]] and the [[Western Athletic Conference]].On September 1, 2023, it was announced that SMU will join the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] starting in the 2024 season.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sherrington|first=Kevin|date=September 1, 2023|title=SMU reaches promised land with ACC invite, a Texas detour for Tobacco Road|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2023/09/01/smu-reaches-promised-land-with-acc-invite-a-texas-detour-for-tobacco-road/|url-status=live|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|location=University Park, Texas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920111351/https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2023/09/01/smu-reaches-promised-land-with-acc-invite-a-texas-detour-for-tobacco-road/|archive-date=September 20, 2023|access-date=September 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Foster|first=Matt|date=September 1, 2023|title=Stanford, Cal and SMU to join Atlantic Coast Conference |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/sport/stanford-cal-smu-atlantic-coast-conference-spt-intl/index.html|url-status=live|work=[[CNN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921022502/https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/sport/stanford-cal-smu-atlantic-coast-conference-spt-intl/index.html|archive-date=September 21, 2023|access-date=September 30, 2023}}</ref> 

[[File:SMU_football_fans.jpg|left|thumb|SMU football fans]]

SMU's closest rival in athletics is [[TCU Horned Frogs|Texas Christian University]] (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. In football, SMU and [[TCU Horned Frogs football|TCU]] compete annually (with the exception of 2006) for the [[Battle for the Iron Skillet|Iron Skillet]]. In 2005, a nationally unranked SMU beat then 24th-ranked TCU for SMU's first win against a ranked team in 19 years (since October 1986).<ref>Associated Press (Dallas), September 10, 2005. [http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=252532567 "TCU's 6-game winning streak vs. SMU ends"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104083059/http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=252532567 |date=November 4, 2012 }}. ESPN.com</ref> SMU also competes annually with [[Rice Owls football|Rice University]] in football for the "Mayor's Cup," a traveling trophy that has been created to enhance the Rice-SMU rivalry, which dates back to 1916. SMU has won seven more games (48-41-1) than Rice in their rivalry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=4394&SnID=2|title=Operation Sellout II Aims for Bigger Season Opener|last=Kaplan|first=David|date=August 27, 1998|publisher=Rice News & Media Relations|access-date=July 23, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123040531/http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=4394&SnID=2|archive-date=November 23, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

From 1980 to 1985, SMU had one of the strongest programs in Division I-A (now FBS). They posted a record of 55–14–1, and finished these seasons ranked No. 21, No. 7, No. 2, No. 19, and No. 8 in the nation. These "winningest" years concluded with the Death Penalty on February 25, 1987, due to repeated violations conducted by boosters. The [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] administered the [[Death penalty (NCAA)|"death penalty"]] for [[Southern Methodist University football scandal|repeated, flagrant recruiting violations]]. Components included cancellation of the entire 1987 season, a two-year ban from bowl appearances, a two-year ban from television appearances, a limit of seven games, all on road, in the 1988 season, a loss of three assistant coaching positions for two years and a loss of 55 new scholarships over four years. Players were allowed to transfer without sitting out one season, per standard requirement. SMU responded to the combination of these conditions by canceling the 1988 season outright.<ref name="deathpenalty" />

The [[Doak Walker Award]] is an annual collegiate award given to the nation's "most outstanding college running back" for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community. It was established in 1989 and is named after SMU [[Heisman Trophy]] winner [[Doak Walker]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smu.edu/doakwalker/|title=Doak Walker Award|year=2012|website=DoakWalkerAward.com|access-date=April 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415190855/http://smu.edu/doakwalker/|archive-date=April 15, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://smu.edu/doakwalker/doak_legends_award.asp|title=PwC Doak Walker Legends Award|year=2012|website=DoakWalkerAward.com|access-date=April 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525071302/http://smu.edu/doakwalker/doak_legends_award.asp|archive-date=May 25, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[June Jones]] was named the head football coach at SMU in 2008. He brought a record of 76–41, all at the [[Hawaii Warriors football|University of Hawai{{okina}}i]], where he won more games than any other coach in school history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/07/smu-slaps-pitt-in-bbva-compass-bowl/|title=SMU slaps Pitt in BBVA Compass Bowl|date=January 7, 2012|website=Collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com|access-date=November 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627053402/http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/07/smu-slaps-pitt-in-bbva-compass-bowl/|archive-date=June 27, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Jones stepped down in 2014 as Head Coach after a 0–2 start to the 2014 season, in which the team was outscored 88–6. He was succeeded by former [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] assistant [[Chad Morris]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Clemson assistant Chad Morris the new coach at SMU|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/12/01/clemson-assistant-chad-morris-the-new-coach-at-smu/19748813/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|archive-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709155624/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/12/01/clemson-assistant-chad-morris-the-new-coach-at-smu/19748813/|url-status=live}}</ref>  Chad Morris led SMU to the Frisco Bowl in 2017 in his third season before departing for the University Of Arkansas. Current head coaches of the men's football and basketball programs are [[Rhett Lashlee]] and [[Tim Jankovich]], having started in 2021 and 2016 respectively.

The SMU football program has produced many professional football standouts, such as [[Don Meredith]], [[Doak Walker]], [[Kyle Rote]], [[Eric Dickerson]], [[Jerry Ball]], and [[Craig James (running back)|Craig James]]. As of May 2021, nineteen Mustangs were active in the National Football League, including wide receiver [[Emmanuel Sanders]] ([[Buffalo Bills]]), wide receiver [[Cole Beasley]] ([[Buffalo Bills]]), tackle [[Kelvin Beachum]] ([[Pittsburgh Steelers]]), wide receiver [[Courtland Sutton]] ([[Denver Broncos]]), and wide receiver [[Trey Quinn]] ([[Washington Redskins|Washington Football Team).]]

=== Marching Band ===
{{Main articles|Southern Methodist University Mustang Band}}
SMU's [[marching band]] plays at football and basketball games, performing [[big band]] and [[jazz]] music.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gorgol |first=Rachel |title=Inside the spirit of The Mustang Band – SMU Daily Campus |date=November 24, 2015 |url=https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/inside-the-spirit-of-the-mustang-band |access-date=2022-08-19 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405025219/https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/inside-the-spirit-of-the-mustang-band |url-status=live }}</ref> The approximately 80-member ensemble is nicknamed "The Best Dressed Band in the Land" due to its variety of uniform combinations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-06-01 |title=General Info |url=http://people.smu.edu/band/General_Info.htm |access-date=2022-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601144818/http://people.smu.edu/band/General_Info.htm |archive-date=June 1, 2009 }}</ref> In 2001, the band performed at the [[first inauguration of George W. Bush]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glenn |first=Mike |date=2001-01-21 |title=Seven Texas school bands march in inaugural parade |url=https://www.chron.com/news/article/Seven-Texas-school-bands-march-in-inaugural-parade-2006467.php |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=Chron |language=en-US |archive-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913065004/https://www.chron.com/news/article/seven-texas-school-bands-march-in-inaugural-parade-2006467.php |url-status=live }}</ref>