Southern Methodist University football scandal
Violations of NCAA rules by the SMU Mustangs football program / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Southern Methodist University football scandal was an incident in which the football program at Southern Methodist University (SMU) was investigated and punished for repeated violations of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules and regulations over a period of several years between the late 1970s and mid-1980s. The most serious violation was the maintenance of a slush fund used for "under the table" payments to players and their families to entice them to come to SMU to play.
The Mustangs, who were one of the more successful teams in the early 1980s and contenders for the national championship, received what is referred to as the "death penalty" from the NCAA in early 1987 for their repeated violations. The punishment resulted in SMU football being canceled for two seasons; the NCAA canceled the 1987 season and the university itself opted not to return for 1988. The two-year hiatus had long-term effects on the program.