SMU celebrates entrance into ACC. It’s quite the contrast from the death penalty days

By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) — SMU is celebrating its entrance into the Atlantic Coast Conference. The move into a Power Five conference is quite the contrast to 36 years ago. That’s when the Mustangs were given the so-called death penalty for NCAA violations in a somber campus scene. SMU has wandered in the wilderness of college athletics since the demise of the Southwest Conference nearly three decades ago. The Mustangs can see clearly now as they prepare to join the ACC officially on July 1, 2024.