TCU and SMU’s historic football rivalry faces an uncertain future as their 104th meeting approaches.
DALLAS — In the grand tapestry of sports, rivalries provide the color. Layers of history, tradition and bad blood woven deep into the fabric of time.
“There is a lot of emotion around rivalry games when it comes to fan bases,” said SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee.
Divided by 35 miles of highway, the Horned Frogs and Mustangs have united on the football field more than 100 times since their first meeting in 1915. It’s a crosstown rivalry defined by neighborhood pride and a shared piece of cookware: the Iron Skillet.
“For something to be a rivalry, it’s gotta be competitive. And it’s turned into a very competitive game,” added TCU head coach Sonny Dykes, who has coached on both sides of the matchup.
On Saturday morning in Fort Worth, the rivalry continues with its 104th edition — the last one on the schedule, with no certainty on when they will meet again.
TCU decided to pause the rivalry, prior to SMU moving to the ACC — a Power 4 conference in college football.
“If we were in the same conference as SMU, we’d play them every year,” Dykes said. “And there was a long time that they were [in the SWAC]. It was very convenient to play them when they were in your conference.”
When asked how conference realignment has impacted rivalries, Dykes didn’t hesitate: “That’s the culprit.”
Texas and Texas A&M renewed their rivalry after more than a decade. However, that was due to the Longhorns joining the Aggies in the SEC.
A better example may be the fierce rivalry between former Big 12 foes Missouri and Kansas, who last met in 2011, before Mizzou went to the SEC. After 14 years, the Tigers and Jayhawks renewed their rivalry with a non-conference game.
The same fate could await TCU and SMU.
Perhaps, one day, they will unite in the same conference. If not, they will have to resume scheduling non-conference games like they’ve done since 2001 after TCU left the WAC (which SMU was a part of at the time).
Until that day comes, Saturday’s 104th meeting will be the last for a while.
It’s unfortunate, though. When a rivalry becomes frayed, a piece of it is lost forever.
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