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A Payroll To Meet: A Story Of Greed, Corruption, and Football At SMU
Southern Methodist University in Dallas is one of numerous prestigious universities in Texas. The school’s football team was the pride of the university and the city. Before the late 1970s, however, the relatively small school had trouble recruiting and struggled to keep up with the big-time football universities that were often more than double its size. Under pressure to compete, the SMU football program engaged in ethics, rules, and recruiting violations for years. When the corruption came to light, the NCAA handed out its most serious punishment in the history of college sports—the “death penalty”—which cancelled the team’s entire 1987 schedule.
In A Payroll to Meet, author David Whitford details the Mustangs’ descent into corruption and the fallout when it was discovered. Most egregiously, the football program ran a huge slush fund that was used to pay players from the mid-1970s through 1986. Bill Clements, chairman of the SMU board and soon to be reelected governor of Texas, knew all about the slush fund before the NCAA did. He opted, however, to phase out the payments rather than stop them immediately, for fear that angry players might go public and create still more problems for SMU. Clements and the athletic director Bob Hitch decided that the football program had “a payroll to meet.”
In A Payroll to Meet, author David Whitford details the Mustangs’ descent into corruption and the fallout when it was discovered. Most egregiously, the football program ran a huge slush fund that was used to pay players from the mid-1970s through 1986. Bill Clements, chairman of the SMU board and soon to be reelected governor of Texas, knew all about the slush fund before the NCAA did. He opted, however, to phase out the payments rather than stop them immediately, for fear that angry players might go public and create still more problems for SMU. Clements and the athletic director Bob Hitch decided that the football program had “a payroll to meet.”
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First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 23, 2023
The book started out super hot and interesting, but it fizzled out towards the middle/3rd quarter. As with any sports story, it's hard to follow all of the characters -- athletes, coaches, alumni, boosters, students, fans. This is especially true when they're all old people that I don't know.
As for the actual story, it's wild. SMU was a rising program in a rising market, and could've grown to be a national powerhouse. They made mistakes in recruiting, but not unlike their opponents in the SWC. The NCAA decided to make an example out of them. History decisive move.
As for the actual story, it's wild. SMU was a rising program in a rising market, and could've grown to be a national powerhouse. They made mistakes in recruiting, but not unlike their opponents in the SWC. The NCAA decided to make an example out of them. History decisive move.
November 24, 2024
A facts-based retelling of a very interesting sports story. The story dives into one of the only instances of the NCAA governing body awarding the infamous "Death Penalty". A ban-and-fine laced penalty that effectively destroys a University's sports program and leaves people without jobs. SMU's violations took place in a booming Dallas city, where entrepreneurs and Texas O&G tycoons were rich with greed, money, and a love for football.
My biggest critique is the way the story is driven. The book fails to draw extra excitement or intrigue about the most interesting moments during the scandal. I think more time spent and more narrative emphasis on these moments would make the tone of the book less monotone. That said, I enjoyed the read!
My biggest critique is the way the story is driven. The book fails to draw extra excitement or intrigue about the most interesting moments during the scandal. I think more time spent and more narrative emphasis on these moments would make the tone of the book less monotone. That said, I enjoyed the read!
May 9, 2021
Ever since I saw the ESPN 30 for 30 special on SMU, I've been fascinated with Mustang football. Originally published in 1989, David Whitford's work was part of the source material for the documentary. No wonder they used it; it's because this book is well researched, well written, and highly readable. Whitford lays out answers to the big questions: not only "how did this happen?" but also "why did it happen?" A fantastic book for anyone who likes college football, conspiracies, and human interest stories.
July 18, 2024
I enjoyed this one which is no surprise since football season is around the corner. I was in HS in Texas when all of this went down, so I recall those days of craziness - although at my school it was more about Jackie Sherill stuffing FedEx envelopes with cash to send to recruits. And I saw "Pony Excess" when it came out, but what really sparked my interest was SMU's successful pursuit of membership in the ACC along with the recommendation of Stephen Godfrey of the Split Zone Duo podcast. Feel free to read over Chris Vannini's story in The Athletic "How SMU got into the ACC, a three-year sprint to end a three-decade return to the big time" (link) which reminded me of what I remembered of SMU's old ways (if you will).
In any case, this is a good quick read that really details the shenanigans in Dallas around SMU football. It also contextualizes the scandal (or what we now call a "collective" which arranges "NIL" deals for student-athletes) in the history of SMU the institution and its strong relationship to banking and real estate leaders in Dallas. Whitford offers just enough of the founding and development of SMU to fit the main story into the larger history of sports and higher education. SMU's is the typical story of civic boosters bringing a college to complete the civic identity of their town - put it on the map as it were - which is pretty typical in American higher education. And this being Texas, the football became (and remains) prominent part of that identity. Even among the fall out of the Death Penalty, SMU's leaders understood the importance of football to the institutional culture of the campus.
Getting into the weeds on the complicated - but simple, really - relationships of recruits, coaches, boosters, trustees, administrators, and bagmen is the heart of this book. And it all culminates with the governor-elect of Texas (the damn governor!) making the final OK on the last acts which brought football to its knees. It sounds like he was a bastard (he was), but that decision was right and decent even if it was self-serving and perpetuated cheating (which is all above board now). SMU had committed to pay those athletes and had an agreement. It's honorable to uphold that even if it comes at a high cost. Still, the damn governor! It's too much Texas.
Personally, I got a big kick out of the Houston bagman having no connection to SMU at all, but was an alum of my own modest alma mater. Can't believe Lamar got a call out in this scandal.
In any case, this is a good quick read that really details the shenanigans in Dallas around SMU football. It also contextualizes the scandal (or what we now call a "collective" which arranges "NIL" deals for student-athletes) in the history of SMU the institution and its strong relationship to banking and real estate leaders in Dallas. Whitford offers just enough of the founding and development of SMU to fit the main story into the larger history of sports and higher education. SMU's is the typical story of civic boosters bringing a college to complete the civic identity of their town - put it on the map as it were - which is pretty typical in American higher education. And this being Texas, the football became (and remains) prominent part of that identity. Even among the fall out of the Death Penalty, SMU's leaders understood the importance of football to the institutional culture of the campus.
Getting into the weeds on the complicated - but simple, really - relationships of recruits, coaches, boosters, trustees, administrators, and bagmen is the heart of this book. And it all culminates with the governor-elect of Texas (the damn governor!) making the final OK on the last acts which brought football to its knees. It sounds like he was a bastard (he was), but that decision was right and decent even if it was self-serving and perpetuated cheating (which is all above board now). SMU had committed to pay those athletes and had an agreement. It's honorable to uphold that even if it comes at a high cost. Still, the damn governor! It's too much Texas.
Personally, I got a big kick out of the Houston bagman having no connection to SMU at all, but was an alum of my own modest alma mater. Can't believe Lamar got a call out in this scandal.
April 7, 2019
While this book was interesting, it was also repetitive in spots. Also, the edition I read used two different typefaces. It didn't seem the author used the different typefaces to delineate time shifts, so the only reason I could fathom was that new information came to light and was replaced into the book in newer editions. It also could have been that previous information was incorrect. It was obvious my edition was not carefully proofread. In one instance, it said that SMU scored 35 points and seven touchdowns in a game. If they'd scored seven touchdowns and made all the point afters, they would have scored 49 points. If they'd scored seven touchdowns and missed all the point afters, they would have scored 42 points. There is no way mathematically they could have scored 35 points on seven touchdowns. Also, there were some other basic grammatical errors, including the misuse of apostrophes (for example, a sentence included the word "know's"). The lack of decent proofreading makes me question the veracity of all the information in the book.
September 10, 2022
What an amazing read and the total corruption of a university and its athletic department. Though SMU will never recover from the death penalty (even 30 years later), the NCAA also has never recovered from the penalty it imposed and realized that it can never again impose such a penalty - even if it is deserved. It is a great read and a cautionary tale of how rogue coaches, administrators, and alumni can destroy the very thing they profess to love. Definitely worth the read
January 8, 2023
Thorough look at the history of the “Death Penalty” and SMU’s scandal written just three years after the ruling came down. Very interesting to get the inside story and a tight look at all the dynamics that led to the fall of SMU football.
March 6, 2023
Good history on the SMU football scandal of the late 70s early 80s. Also includes a brief history of SMU and the city of Dallas. I'm not sure if this was just my copy but some of the paragraphs were in a slightly smaller type and more bold than the regular type.
June 3, 2017
I appreciated a lot of the small details that the ESPN movie left out.
February 5, 2020
great book on the SMU football scandal
July 13, 2020
Good and informative...but dry writing.
December 26, 2020
Couldn't put it down. I've had an interest in the topic for a while and this book summarized everything perfectly. A very well researched and easy-reading book.
March 24, 2023
Fascinating book, 10/10
October 21, 2023
Interesting first half, really drawn out second half
January 22, 2024
An amazingly comprehensive documentation of a period of time in history that has not been discussed enough.
September 16, 2024
Gimme Stone and gimme the pony express
March 18, 2025
Picked up as part of a research paper. Very interesting read. Detailed account of the events leading up to SMU’s ‘execution’.
September 8, 2016
Whitford's story is about the coaches, oil tycoons, blue-chip ball players, lawyers, college administrators, and the NCAA officials who caused and executed the only "death penalty" in college football history. Whitford covers SMU football history in the decades before Ron Meyer's arrival, the expansion of the payment plan under Meyer, the NCAA investigations, the death sentence imposed by the Committee on Infractions on February 25, 1987, and, finally, the departure of SMU's top players to programs across the nation.
This book is the perfect complement to Thaddeus Matula's ESPN 30 for 30 film Pony Excess. The video and book documentaries examine many SMU affiliates including coaches Ron Meyer, Steve Endicott, Bobby Collins, athletic director Bob Hitch, assistant Henry Lee Parker, alumni Robin Buddecke, Ken Andrews, Sherwood Blount, NCAA head of enforcement David Berst, and Texas governor Bill Clements. There are, however, differences between Pony Excess and A Payroll to Meet. Whitford's story describes the secret boardroom meetings, parking lot conversations, and mansion visits that determined the continuation of payments after the NCAA's first round of sanctions. Whitford provides a better explanation of Bill Clements, Bob Hitch, and Bobby Collins' involvement in the SMU scandal. The focus of blame in Pony Excess is the alumni; however, A Payroll to Meet shifts the blame to the SMU coaching staff, administration, and board of governors. Finally, Pony Excess explains how SMU recovered (20 years later) and the implications of future death penalties. Whitford stops after the players leave SMU's terminated program for other schools. Pony Excess may be more "known" in mainstream sport culture due to the popularity of 30 for 30; however, Whitford's account (who is also interviewed in the 30 for 30 film) provides depth to the interested fan. Watch the film and read the book.
To the Good Ole Boy's.
This book is the perfect complement to Thaddeus Matula's ESPN 30 for 30 film Pony Excess. The video and book documentaries examine many SMU affiliates including coaches Ron Meyer, Steve Endicott, Bobby Collins, athletic director Bob Hitch, assistant Henry Lee Parker, alumni Robin Buddecke, Ken Andrews, Sherwood Blount, NCAA head of enforcement David Berst, and Texas governor Bill Clements. There are, however, differences between Pony Excess and A Payroll to Meet. Whitford's story describes the secret boardroom meetings, parking lot conversations, and mansion visits that determined the continuation of payments after the NCAA's first round of sanctions. Whitford provides a better explanation of Bill Clements, Bob Hitch, and Bobby Collins' involvement in the SMU scandal. The focus of blame in Pony Excess is the alumni; however, A Payroll to Meet shifts the blame to the SMU coaching staff, administration, and board of governors. Finally, Pony Excess explains how SMU recovered (20 years later) and the implications of future death penalties. Whitford stops after the players leave SMU's terminated program for other schools. Pony Excess may be more "known" in mainstream sport culture due to the popularity of 30 for 30; however, Whitford's account (who is also interviewed in the 30 for 30 film) provides depth to the interested fan. Watch the film and read the book.
To the Good Ole Boy's.
January 25, 2015
This is a must-read for anyone who loves college football. I was interested in reading the book after seeing ESPN's 30 for 30 "Pony Excess" about the scandal, not having known a book about the subject existed beforehand. It's taken a long time to track down a copy - Amazon has a new copy currently marked for sale at $1000+ and all used copies are going for over $100. My city library system did not have the book and it took a couple weeks to get it through interlibrary loan (thank you College of Charleston!) While this is likely due to the fact that it doesn't seem to have been available in softcover as far as I can find since published in 1989, it's a very worthwhile read. Whitford (who appears in 'Pony Excess') goes into more detail than the episode, which helps clear up some of the picture about who knew what, did what, and when. All in all, definitely a good read about a program and people who thought they were above the rules, just like all the other programs doing the exact same thing - they just happened to get caught.
April 19, 2016
As a Southern Methodist University alum who was born after the 1980s, I was tired of hearing about the "Death Penalty" and not understanding it. Hence why I decided to read "A Payroll to Meet." I found that the book had a lot of interesting details, but perhaps at times it was difficult to keep the names straight. "A Payroll to Meet" helped me grasp the events leading up to the NCAA Death Penalty, because surely we are still seeing the effects of it today.
January 11, 2020
Great telling of important episode in college football history
Whitford gives a wonderfully detailed narrative of one of the most notorious episodes in the history of sport. I read this after seeing "Pony Excess" on ESPN and loved learning more about the backstory and how it all played out.
Whitford gives a wonderfully detailed narrative of one of the most notorious episodes in the history of sport. I read this after seeing "Pony Excess" on ESPN and loved learning more about the backstory and how it all played out.
September 15, 2020
An excellent analysis of the recruiting corruption that entangled the football program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The writing style is smooth an the interest remains high throughout the book, even when bogged down with some of the NCAA regulations and investigations. The ESPN doc Pony Exce$$ whets the appetite for this more in depth evaluation.
August 3, 2011
I read this because I really enjoyed the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary this past winter on SMU. It was good, but having seen the documentary, possibly not as interesting as it would have been otherwise.
December 12, 2012
Relatively run-of-the-mill reportage, but remains the standard (if hard to find) text on this scandal. Much more detailed than the stylish 30 for 30 film, although without the accompanying and cogent argument in favor of paying the players.
September 5, 2016
Very good book dealing with the history of college football, the Southwestern Conference and the SMU football program. I highly recommend this book for anyone that love college football or sports history.
February 10, 2011
A very interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes in college football. I highly recommend this book for all college football lovers. It is an eye-opener.
November 5, 2013
Good companion piece to the "Pony Excess" 30 for 30 episode from ESPN.
January 8, 2014
Cheating = bad. Texas Good Ol' Boy Club = ummmm... Not great. Story = gooood.
June 30, 2014
Thank you for reissuing this book since the cheapest I could find before was $400. The tale of the Pony Express and college football greed.
April 19, 2020
Just finished reading "A Payroll to Meet: A Story of Greed, Corruption, and Football at SMU" by David Whitford. Good read about what led to the 80s death penalty for SMU
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews