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SMU Donor Guide and our "17" Sports

PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:02 pm
by DanFreibergerForHeisman
For years now, SMU has been using some sort of tag on press releases saying something along the lines of "SMU is the only Division I school in Dallas and sponsors 17 sports".

The donor guide even talks about 17 sports. If you google around a lot of the Big East articles around the country copied "17 sports" stuff from our website too.

But, we only have 16 - and have for years!

It's pretty typical of our athletic department to not know how many sports we actually have, but I wonder how they got off by one?

Men (6) - Football, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming/Diving, Tennis, Golf
Women (10) - Basketball, Soccer, Swimming/Diving, Tennis, Golf, Equestrian, Volleyball, Rowing, Cross Country, Track/Field

It can't be counting swimming and diving as two, because that would make 18. And, since track and field compete for one NCAA championship (like swimming and diving) and are considered one sport by the NCAA it can't be that.

I haven't taken the time to go back through history and see if we ever actually had 17 sports at one time during the addition of equestrian, rowing, and volleyball and the elimination of men's track and field, but shouldn't the athletic department know how many sports we have?

Re: SMU Donor Guide and our "17" Sports

PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:27 pm
by Hoss
Maybe the sports were counted up by the marketing department.

Re: SMU Donor Guide and our "17" Sports

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:43 am
by SMU SID
Track & Field make up two - indoor & outdoor - per the NCAA. They each have a Championship meet.

Re: SMU Donor Guide and our "17" Sports

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:27 am
by Junior
and there you have it

Re: SMU Donor Guide and our "17" Sports

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:09 am
by DanFreibergerForHeisman
Yeah - there you have it! Thanks.