After nearly four decades of hardship, embarrassment, and accountability, the Southern Methodist University of Dallas is back in the Atlantic Coast Conference today. And the first one to note this was none other than Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. 37 years after the infamous “death penalty“, the MSU Mustangs have worked their way season after season to regain the lost trust. The prayers have been finally answered and Nowitzki wanted to share a personal message ahead of this new journey. 

Dirk Nowitzki can proudly say that Dallas is his second home. And in any memorable thing that has happened there, he has taken part in it. The German basketball icon shared, “Hey SMU fans, Dirk here. I just wanted to congratulate the SMU on joining the ACC. Pony up!”

The Dallas Mavericks legend did not forget MSU’s famous tagline, “Pony up“, which the Mustangs continue to use as a campaign to promote and support their athletics team. With the return to the ACC, it’s the only right way to celebrate the success, which Nowitzki did perfectly. The upcoming NCAA season will be a huge challenge for the Mustangs. 

They have overcome the death penalty, which was slammed by the NCAA in 1987 along with a two-year ban for widespread recruiting violations. The scholarships were snatched away, which affected them on their return to the field in 1989. In fact, the real struggle started only after ’89, as Mustangs had to regain their lost spot. They have done that now, and here is what coach Rhett Lashlee has planned for the upcoming season. 

Rhett Lashlee speaks about the struggles of the Mustangs with a plan for them

As a coach for the team, it’s safe to say Lashlee has to take the most pressure. It sounds scary but Lashlee is ready for it, rather prepared! When asked about the return to ACC, the 41-year-old shared a few things about the history of the program and what the future will look like. 

Lashlee shared, “I’ve been in this league before…We knew what to expect and started preparing for that.” When asked about their dark past, he said, “This is special when you think of our fan base and what they went through for 29 years. SMU was in a top conference. The SWC is as good as any conference in the country. They were at the top then.”

Lashlee is ready to take the big challenge, and Nowitzki is all set to see it in the new season. It’s a bright time for the MSU and let’s hope they get to the top of the ACC conference in the next few years.

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