Started in 1916 and originally nicknamed the Parsons, head coach Ray Morrisson helped SMU Football rise to notoriety before the Mustangs became the first program in the Southwest Conference to integrate under head coach Hayden Fry in the 60s. Jerry LeVias officially became the first black scholarship player in the SWC in 1965. The program rose to national prominence in the 1980s under head coach Bobby Collins behind the Pony Express spearheaded by running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James. SMU's short-lived reign at the top was beseidged by the team's notorious downfall in becoming the first-ever collegiate program to succumb to the "Death Penalty" and were subsequently terminated from participation by the NCAA in 1987. The Mustangs went bowl-less until 2009 under June Jones and the foundation was set for SMU's revival.

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