Boulevarding: The SMU Tradition That Became a Verb

SMU did not simply bring football back to campus. It created a game-day ritual that would become part of the social fabric of Dallas.

I arrived at SMU in 1991, long before Boulevarding was a verb.

We dressed for football games—even when it was 100 degrees outside—(some things never change) because dressing for the game was already part of the culture. There simply was no Boulevard waiting for us when we arrived.

SMU played at Ownby Stadium then. Students were interested, but not incredibly so. We did not have much to cheer about.

Some Saturdays, first downs were the biggest highlights of the game.

It sounds almost comical now, particularly when compared with the energy surrounding SMU football today. But the program I watched was still trying to recover from one of the most consequential penalties in college football history.

Football After the Death Penalty

In 1987, the NCAA imposed what became known as the “death penalty” on SMU for repeated recruiting violations. The entire 1987 football season was canceled. The sanctions would have limited SMU to road games in 1988, but the university ultimately canceled that season as well.

Football returned in 1989, only two years before I arrived on campus.

The players who agreed to rebuild the program inherited an almost impossible assignment. Scholarships were limited. Recruiting had been devastated. The infrastructure surrounding the team had been dismantled, and SMU was attempting to compete against established Southwest Conference programs that had continued recruiting, training, and playing while the Mustangs were gone.

The physical difference could be startling. Some of those early post-penalty players looked almost like Little Leaguers lined up against the teams on the other side of the field.

That is not a criticism of them. If anything, it makes what they were willing to do more remarkable. They stepped onto the field knowing exactly how steep the climb would be.

We showed up. We dressed up. We cheered when there was something to cheer about—and sometimes when there wasn’t.

Before the Boulevard

The Boulevard may not have existed yet, but unofficial tailgating certainly did.

Much of the pregame social life happened around the fraternity houses. I was a Pi Beta Phi, and game day was as much about finding friends and deciding where everyone would gather as it was about what happened at Ownby Stadium.

Football brought people together, even when the football itself was difficult to watch.

The Boulevard would eventually take that informal social culture and turn it into something larger, more visible, and distinctly SMU.

A New Stadium—and a New Tradition

The Mustangs continued playing at Ownby Stadium through 1994, returned to the Cotton Bowl in 1995, and entered the Western Athletic Conference the following year.

Then football came home again.

Gerald J. Ford Stadium opened on September 2, 2000, with SMU hosting Kansas in its first game at the new on-campus stadium.

Before kickoff, tents appeared along Bishop Boulevard and the Main Quad. The Mustang Band and cheerleaders led a procession toward the stadium. Students and alumni gathered beneath the live oaks.

What began as a way to make home football games feel more collegial and connected quickly took on an identity of its own.

The idea was inspired, in part, by The Grove at Ole Miss, where SMU President R. Gerald Turner had previously served as chancellor. But Dallas put its own stamp on the tradition.

The setting mattered. Bishop Boulevard provided a natural stage: red-brick Georgian buildings, gracious lawns, mature trees, and Dallas Hall waiting at the top of the hill. It felt less like a parking-lot tailgate and more like a very large—and very well-dressed—lawn party.

Soon, Mustangs were no longer tailgating.

They were Boulevarding.

The Party Was Sometimes Bigger Than the Game

The Boulevard became successful well before the football program consistently did.

For years, that was part of its peculiar charm. Alumni returned to see friends. Families brought children. Students moved from tent to tent. The food, music, people-watching, and general revelry could draw a crowd even when SMU’s record could not.

At times, the party became so successful that getting everyone to leave it for the game presented its own challenge.

SMU experimented with rules, locations, and game-day logistics intended to move more students and fans toward Ford Stadium before kickoff. Not every change was popular. The Boulevard had become more than a pregame event. It was a tradition people felt belonged to them.

For many years, you could reasonably argue that some people came for the Boulevard and considered the game optional.

Times have changed.

When the Football Caught Up With the Tradition

Under head coach Rhett Lashlee, SMU football has entered an entirely different era.

The Mustangs joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024 and, in their first season, became the first new member to reach the ACC Football Championship Game. They also earned a place in the College Football Playoff—an almost unimaginable sentence during some of the leaner years of SMU football.

The shift has been visible beyond the scoreboard. Ford Stadium set attendance records in 2024 and again in 2025. Average attendance exceeded the stadium’s listed capacity for ACC home games, while student attendance and season-ticket sales reached new highs.

The Boulevard still has its sundresses, boots, tent parties, old friends, and glasses raised before kickoff.

But now there is a growing sense that everyone is going somewhere.

The stadium is no longer the obligation waiting at the end of the party. It is the culmination of it.

A Tradition I Never Had—and Still Claim

Boulevarding was not part of my SMU experience. It arrived five years after I graduated.

Still, there is something particularly satisfying about watching a university acquire a tradition in real time—and then seeing that tradition become so established that current students can barely imagine the Hilltop without it.

My memories are of Ownby Stadium, Southwest Conference football, fraternity-house tailgating, and seasons when optimism required a certain amount of imagination.

Today’s students know Bishop Boulevard filled with tents, Ford Stadium packed for conference games, and an SMU program that expects to compete on the national stage.

The setting changed. The stakes changed. Thankfully, the football changed.

But the best part of game day remains surprisingly familiar: showing up, finding your people, and celebrating the place that brought you together.

I may not have Boulevarded as a student.

But I have been more than happy to make up for lost time.

Planning Your First Boulevard

You do not need to be an SMU alum—or even an SMU fan—to experience the Boulevard. Friends, families, visiting fans, and members of the Dallas community are welcome.

The setup changes slightly from game to game, so check SMU’s current Boulevarding information, Student Boulevard guidelines, and alumni tailgate page before you go.

Know the Timeline

Four hours before kickoff: Boulevarding festivities generally begin. Arrive early enough to walk the full Boulevard without rushing.

Two and a half hours before kickoff: Bishop Boulevard becomes pedestrian-only.

Two hours before kickoff: Mustang Walk begins at Dallas Hall. The players, coaches, Peruna, and the Mustang Band make their way toward Ford Stadium through the crowd.

Do not wait until the final few minutes to leave for the game. Allow time for security and the stadium’s clear-bag screening.

Where to Go

Bishop Boulevard
This is the heart of the experience. Walk from Dallas Hall toward Mockingbird Lane to see the alumni, school, organization, and sponsor tents lining the Boulevard.

Dallas Hall Lawn
The Student Boulevard is located here for the 2026 season. Expect student organizations, music, and plenty of game-day energy near one of the most recognizable views on campus.

The Barley House Tent at Bishop and Binkley
This is my personal recommendation. Barley House often brings live music to its tent, and guests can typically purchase a wristband for food and drinks. SMU fans and visiting fans are both welcome, making it an easy place to join the festivities when you do not have a private tent of your own. Offerings may vary by game, so confirm the details before heading over.

The Alumni Tents
Look for tents hosted by Alumni Relations, individual schools, affinity groups, and other members of the SMU community. Boulevarding does not end at graduation.

Armstrong Fieldhouse
Families with younger children can visit the Peruna’s Pals Kids Zone for games and bounce houses. It is also a useful stop when Dallas weather makes a little time indoors especially appealing.

Corporate Sponsor Tents
These often include games, giveaways, and other activities open to people walking the Boulevard.

Where to Go Before—or After—the Boulevard
Check out our LOVE List for recommendations on pre/post game festivities.

What to Wear

SMU game-day style tends to be more polished than the average college tailgate. Red, white, and blue are always appropriate, while the first home game traditionally calls for white.

Comfort still matters. Wear shoes suitable for walking, choose fabrics that can handle the Dallas heat, and remember that sunglasses may be your most important accessory.

What to Bring

• Water

• Sunscreen

• A hand fan

• A portable phone charger

• A clear stadium-approved bag

• Your game ticket

• An SMU-colored—or game-theme—outfit

A frozen water bottle can be particularly useful on hot afternoons: ice at the beginning, cold water later.

A Few Things to Know

Ford Stadium has a clear-bag policy, and bags are checked upon entry.

University rules prohibit open containers, kegs, and glass bottles on the Boulevard. Food and beverage service is available through participating tents and approved vendors, but individual offerings and access can vary.

If you plan to drive, review the current game-day parking map in advance. Parking near campus becomes limited quickly. A rideshare or the shuttle from Mockingbird Station may be the easier option for visitors.

Most importantly, take a full lap. The Boulevard is not one destination or one tent. The experience is the walk itself—Dallas Hall, the live oaks, old friends, visiting fans, live music, Peruna, and the slow gathering of everyone toward Ford Stadium.

Then go to the game. We have a lot to cheer about now.

Pony Up!