The 1987 NCAA Sanctions Against SMU Football

Name: The 1987 NCAA Sanctions Against SMU Football
Start: 1987-02-27
Location: Unspecified

Overview of the 1987 NCAA Sanctions Against SMU

In a landmark decision, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) took a striking step in 1987 by cancelling the entire football schedule of Southern Methodist University (SMU) for the season. This unprecedented move stemmed from serious violations concerning athletic corruption and bribery, placing SMU at the center of one of the most notorious scandals in college sports history.

The NCAA Investigation into SMU

The NCAA’s investigation revealed that SMU was engaged in widespread violations of NCAA rules, including the infamous "death penalty" where a program could not compete for a period of time. This marked the first time a football program had been forced to forfeit its entire season due to violations. The findings showed that SMU had provided players with improper benefits, which is a serious breach of NCAA regulations aiming to maintain the integrity of college athletics.

The Fallout from the Scandal

The ramifications of these sanctions were immense. Not only did the cancellation of the 1987 season cripple the SMU football program, but it also created a lasting shadow over the university's reputation. The sanctions led to a significant drop in recruiting and a long recovery process for the program that endured years of underperformance.

The Impact on College Sports

The 1987 sanctions on SMU sent shockwaves through the college sports community...

Changes in NCAA Regulations

This incident prompted the NCAA to reevaluate and strengthen its rules regarding compliance and governance of intercollegiate athletics. As a result, new measures were introduced to help prevent similar situations in the future, highlighting the need for transparency and ethical conduct at all institutions.

SMU's Long Road to Recovery

After the scandal, SMU faced a challenging path to rebuild its football program. It wasn’t until decades later that the Mustangs were able to return to a competitive level within college football, illustrating the long-term consequences of the sanctions and the importance of adherence to NCAA rules.

Fun Fact

SMU's Infamous Death Penalty

The death penalty inflicted on SMU remains a cautionary tale—witnessed as a last resort by the NCAA—of what can happen when a program chooses to circumvent the rules. This precedent has since deterred other institutions from engaging in similar unethical practices.