SMU Football Receives “The Death Penalty”
To borrow from the great Keith Jackson: among all the scandals involving “pay for play” in college football, the scandal involving the football program at Southern Methodist University might be “the granddaddy of them all.” In 1985, SMU was already under NCAA probation after being caught for recruiting violations — the program’s seventh time being on probation for such violations.
In 1986, whistle-blowers came forward identifying that upwards of 20 players were receiving cash and benefits through slush funds established by program boosters. The NCAA had no choice but to lay down “The Death Penalty” on SMU, cancelling a myriad of games over the next few seasons, and stripping away over 50 scholarships over the next four years, among numerous other punitive measures.