It still does not make a lot of sense that SMU is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference but that is the new reality of college football and collegiate athletics. The Mustangs will play a conference game in Boston.
They are already planting their flag in enemy territory with more than seven days until kickoff.
SMU would love to establish a college football recruiting pipeline from Boston to Dallas. It starts with the proverbial planting of the flag at a place considered sacred to the history of the region.
SMU plays in the same conference as Boston College.
This is only the second year of this new-look ACC. Although we have mostly come to grips that schools like Stanford, Cal and SMU compete in a conference based on the Atlantic Coast, some of these unusual matchups are being played for the first time this season.
That includes next Saturday, when the Mustangs travel to Massachusetts to play the Eagles in Chestnut Hill.
Southern Methodist University is located in Dallas, Texas. Boston College is located more than 1,700 miles to the north and east.
These two college football programs will play for just the third time in history on Nov. 8, 2025.
The Mustangs beat the Eagles by two points in 1986. The Eagles tied the series with a win at the Fenway Bowl in 2023. SMU beat Boston College in Dallas during their first-ever conference game last season.
The Mustangs are laying claim to Beantown.
There is a unique recruiting element to these unusual conference matchups, especially for a program with seemingly unlimited NIL resources like SMU. Those schools get to play in a part of the country that they previously would not visit.
With that in mind, the Mustangs are establishing their presence in enemy territory.
Quincy Market was built in the heart of downtown Boston approximately 200 years ago. It remains one of the most well-recognized landmarks in the United States today.
As SMU prepares for next weekend’s road trip, the university paid for two separate banners to hang between the historic pillars. I would imagine they will remain in place for the next week to welcome the visiting fanbase to New England.
Regional recruiting is far less important in the modern era of college football than in years prior. Recruits are less likely to stay home for sake of staying home when there is more money on the table elsewhere.
SMU would love to get into the greater Boston area and build a pipeline to Dallas. The banners at Quincy Market is just the first step. The Mustangs are coming north!