SMU marks two years in ACC with championships and record growth

Two years in, the results are piling up for the Ponies.

SMU officially joined the ACC on July 1, 2024, exactly 30 years after leaving the Southwest Conference, where the Mustangs had spent nearly eight decades competing in one of college athletics’ most storied leagues.

The return to power conference play has gone well from the start, and the two-year report card covers a lot of ground.

“Our first two years in the ACC have confirmed what the SMU community always believed was possible,” athletic director Damon Evans said. “Our student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors and supporters have embraced the opportunity and challenge of competing at the highest level.

“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together, but we’re even more excited about what comes next.”

The statement wasn’t short on confidence, and the numbers give him plenty of reason to feel that way.

The Ponies have posted wins on and off the field, in recruiting offices and in classrooms.

Championships across the board

SMU’s trophy case has gotten crowded since the conference switch.

The Mustangs have claimed an NCAA individual championship, an ACC team title and two ACC individual crowns. Seven Coach of the Year awards have come in, along with 79 All-ACC selections and 77 ACC Player of the Week or Month honors across the program.

Twenty-five sports made postseason appearances over the first two ACC seasons.

Football reached the College Football Playoff and played in the ACC Championship Game. Men’s basketball punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2025 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship now sits on the shelf, and football picked up its first bowl win since 2012 — against a top-25 opponent.

Volleyball reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

Diver Luke Sitz won an NCAA individual title. Women’s golf made an NCAA Regional run and finished 12th in the country.

Tennis standout Trevor Svajda climbed to the No. 1 ITA singles ranking after reaching the NCAA Singles Championship match, and Nea Sanders won the ACC title in the 100-meter hurdles.

During the 2025-26 academic year, 10 Mustang programs ranked inside the nation’s top 30 and the department earned 21 All-America honors across multiple sports.

Growing the brand on a national stage

The Mustangs have expanded their reach well beyond the Dallas market.

SMU appeared in more than 400 televised events across ESPN platforms, the ACC Network, the CW and other outlets over its first two ACC seasons.

Football alone reached more than 25 million television viewers.

The Ponies ranked among the nation’s top 15 programs in social media follower growth, with the department’s total following up more than 50 percent since joining the ACC. Men’s basketball saw its engagement jump 741 percent in the 2025-26 season.

Attendance records followed.

The 2025 football campaign set program highs for average attendance, student attendance and season ticket sales, with home ACC games averaging more than Ford Stadium’s listed capacity.

Volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s basketball each posted some of their best attendance numbers in program history.

Students showing up in bigger numbers

The momentum has spilled over into university enrollment.

Undergraduate applications have jumped nearly 60 percent since the ACC move, and SMU is set to welcome more than 1,800 first-year students, the largest incoming class in school history.

That class ranks among the top academic groups in the country, with average ACT scores placing students in the top five percent nationally. Forty-seven percent graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

On the student-athlete side, 290 Mustangs earned ACC Academic Honor Roll recognition during the inaugural conference season.

The department posted a 91 percent Graduation Success Rate and celebrated 114 graduates in the 2025-26 academic year. The department-wide GPA of 3.306 is the best mark in six years, with 301 student-athletes finishing at 3.0 or higher.

Financial foundation taking shape

The investment side of the equation has kept pace with the on-field success.

A $50 million commitment launched the Boulevard Society major-giving platform, giving the program a significant financial runway.

The Ponies also rolled out Mustang Partners and Mustang Studios, expanding NIL opportunities for student-athletes and building new revenue streams through innovative partnerships.

Facility upgrades have continued across campus.

One of those facilities is already on a world stage. Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium has been selected as an Official Venue Specific Training Site for the FIFA World Cup 2026, giving SMU a prominent role in the sport’s biggest event.

As the Mustangs head into year three, the mission has shifted. It’s no longer about proving the Ponies belong at this level. It’s about building something that lasts.

Key takeaways

• SMU has won an ACC team championship, two ACC individual titles and an NCAA individual title while reaching the College Football Playoff and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in its first two ACC seasons
• Undergraduate applications to SMU have grown nearly 60 percent since the conference move, with the school set to welcome its largest incoming class ever — more than 1,800 students
• A $50 million major-giving commitment and the launch of Mustang Partners and Mustang Studios have strengthened the program’s financial foundation heading into year three