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Basketball Grudge?


statsman

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This is a very unserious and trivial topic. That’s your warning. However, it is the offseason. 
 
I was looking at the SMU ON3 board, and was struck by the vitriol that their fans express for Texas. Crazy! How can they be so upset about someone they haven’t played in 28 years (football)? Since the breakup of the SWC, Texas scheduled all the other SWC schools except SMU, in football. Sure, UH pissed us off and made the blacklist, but we weren’t opposed to playing theM before bleacher gate. 
 
Does Texas have a grudge against the Mustangs? Does Texas have a reason? It kind of does. In the 1980s, SMU hired PIs to investigate Texas for NcAA violations, and Texas ended up on (mild, because the violations were misdemeanors and Texas didn’t fight the NCAA) probation. Old that drive a decades long grudge (I’m assuming here that it’s Texas that is balking on scheduling). 
 
I decided to look up and see if Texas had been playing SMU in basketball. Funny thing- the texassports website page, that shows all opponent basketball records, doesn’t list SMU (or Southern Methodist University). 
 
https://texassports.com/sports/2013/7/21/FB_0721135542

Huh. Maybe an oversight (we know plenty of games were played while SMU was in the SWC- twice per year, at least). How about the SMU AD page; maybe it has info-
 
https://smumustangs.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history

Nope. Nothing for Texas, UT Austin or University of Texas. 
 
So, my original question (and thanks for hanging in there)- has Texas played SMU in men’s basketball since the SWC broke up (The women have played twice)? If not, is it on purpose or by chance? Any help is appreciated. Thanks. 

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Posted (edited)

Oops, wrong link for basketball opponents

https://texassports.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history

And it looks like it’s only records since 2005. I checked the other years and Texas has not played men’s basketball against SMU since we were required to by the SWC conference. Unlike football, basketball is a sport where their arena is of a size comparable to ours, and they are only a few hours from Austin in an area with lots of Longhorn fans. So, … grudge?

Edited by statsman
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1 hour ago, statsman said:

Oops, wrong link for basketball opponents

https://texassports.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history

And it looks like it’s only records since 2005. I checked the other years and Texas has not played men’s basketball against SMU since we were required to by the SWC conference. Unlike football, basketball is a sport where their arena is of a size comparable to ours, and they are only a few hours from Austin in an area with lots of Longhorn fans. So, … grudge?

My guess is that UT has played TCU a lot and that gves cover to the AD for DFW alums.  Of course, we play the dirt burglars in football every year also.   I don't know of a specific grudge against SMU like Bleachergate.  I am certainly not surprised at the vitriol from them though.  Same thing with TCU and we did play them a lot, after DeLoss had the visit with "Del" and ushered them into the Rig 12.

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Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, cochamps said:

My guess is that UT has played TCU a lot and that gves cover to the AD for DFW alums.  Of course, we play the dirt burglars in football every year also.   I don't know of a specific grudge against SMU like Bleachergate.  I am certainly not surprised at the vitriol from them though.  Same thing with TCU and we did play them a lot, after DeLoss had the visit with "Del" and ushered them into the Rig 12.

Good points. As you note, we play the biggest game in DFW every year, anyway. Their pride may not accept Austin-only games, and we’re never agreeing to play in Ownby/Ford, and its 30k seats. 
 
Basketball is different- preseason games are needed, and SMU is a short distance away, and places near a lot of our fans. 
 
Reasons for hard feelings? I mentioned the SMU boosters hiring PIs to get Texas in trouble in the ‘80s. I forgot another one- in the ‘60s, SMU coach Hayden Fry was pissed about going in probation for paying players. He turned in Texas. It turns out that the star players at Texas were so hard up for cash that they would take the allowance for hosting a recruit at a steak dinner, but hamburgers, and pocket the difference. Royal was very pissed off about that. 
 
As much as I enjoy the idea that Bellmont has a black list of programs it holds a grudge against (which would be awesome, since Texas never openly criticizes or complains about other coaches and programs), I struggle to believe it’s true. 
 
It is fun, though, to read SMU fans complaining about how Texas has been holding them down. It’s like the Mad Men elevator meme. 

Edited by statsman
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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, statsman said:

Good points. As you note, we play the biggest game in DFW every year, anyway. Their pride may not accept Austin-only games, and we’re never agreeing to play in Ownby/Ford, and its 30k seats. 
 
Basketball is different- preseason games are needed, and SMU is a short distance away, and places near a lot of our fans. 
 
Reasons for hard feelings? I mentioned the SMU boosters hiring PIs to get Texas in trouble in the ‘80s. I forgot another one- in the ‘60s, SMU coach Hayden Fry was pissed about going in probation for paying players. He turned in Texas. It turns out that the star players at Texas were so hard up for cash that they would take the allowance for hosting a recruit at a steak dinner, but hamburgers, and pocket the difference. Royal was very pissed off about that. 
 
As much as I enjoy the idea that Bellmont has a black list of programs it holds a grudge against (which would be awesome, since Texas never openly criticizes or complains about other coaches and programs), I struggle to believe it’s true. 
 
It is fun, though, to read SMU fans complaining about how Texas has been holding them down. It’s like the Mad Men elevator meme. 

We certainly have good reasons to have  them blacklisted, like chop blocking Leo Brooks knocking him out for the season (speaking of DKR days).  Agree 100% with your blacklist comments.  I would highly favor that, it just doesn't seem to be in our DNA.  As for hoops, I've always disliked their version of Moody...

Edited by cochamps
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1 hour ago, statsman said:


 
Basketball is different- preseason games are needed, and SMU is a short distance away, and places near a lot of our fans. 
 

 

Texas wouldn’t play SMU in a pre-season game so I’m going to assume you mean OOC game. 

And even then, SMU doesn’t really fulfill the requirement of the practice Barnes, Beard, and Terry have when it comes to OOC games. If we play in-state teams, it seems like it’s either because a.) is a gimme game and a payday game for them or b.) it’s a conference game. SMU was in a weird spot when they were in the AAC because that’s not exactly a gimme game. 

If we aren’t playing gimme games in OOC we are usually scheduling nationally in some way. With SMU, you would most likely have to do a home/home. It might have been worth it when Brown was there, but not now. And because we’re UT (i hate saying that phrase), if we want to play in Dallas for recruits and alums, we don’t need to play SMU. We can just schedule something at the American Airlines Center, Jerryworld’s, or that new arena in FW against a bigger name opponent. 

SMU being angry at UT because we are the flagship “The University of_____” school in the state, well that’s just normal hatred. 

 

 

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And I just realized, SMU isn’t part of the SEC/ACC challenge. That would have been a chance to match SMU up with Texas or A&M but neither Stanford nor SMU got matched up with a SEC school. 

No one is sure why those were the 2 ACC schools chosen. 

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I remember it like it was yesterday.

"After SMU's 82-79 loss to Texas on Feb. 28, losing coach John Shumate, irate because a foul was not called against Texas on a close play in the closing seconds, gave his Longhorn counterpart, Tom Penders, a hard hand slap instead of a shake. Penders was left with a jammed thumb but no hard feelings. "They tell me I'll be able to bowl by Monday," he said."

 

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