SMU has raised $100 million in first week since announcing their move to the ACC, school officials announced Monday.
The money came from a group of 30 donors, some of whom are not SMU alums.
SMU joined the ACC on the condition that it would take no payment from the conference's media distributions for at least its first seven years of membership, and up to as many as nine. (The Mustangs will still partake in other distributions, such as postseason winnings and the conference's shared success initiative.)
SMU took in $8.28 million from the AAC in the most recent fiscal year, which means the $100 million in pledges will allow the Mustangs to come out ahead even if the school does not partake in ESPN money for their first nine years of membership, based on 2023 figures.
In announcing the donations, SMU board chairman David Miller added that the school was joining a "top three" conference, thereby placing, in his own estimation, SMU in a league ahead of the Big 12.
"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."
Additionally, SMU says season-ticket sales for men's basketball are up 30 percent since the Sept. 1 announcement and "hundreds" of new football season ticket packages have been sold as well.
"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," said SMU president R. Gerald Turner. "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."
SMU heads to Fort Worth on Saturday to face rival TCU and former coach Sonny Dykes in the Battle for the Iron Skillet before embarking on its final season in the AAC.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.