Like any successful person, organization or business, you have to have a plan and be prepared to be successful. Our goal for the SMU athletic program is simple: be Top 25 nationally in everything we do. From graduation rates and competition on the field, to budgets and facilities, we want to be among the nation's best.

In many areas, we are already there but in some we aren't quite there. We will work as hard as possible to get there and I know we can do it. SMU is too great a place not to.

Obviously, we need to win in our revenue sports - football and men's basketball. Our goal is to win conference championships and make bowl game and NCAA Tournament appearances in those sports.

Heck, Matt Doherty will tell you that his vision for the program is to go to the Final Four and win the national championship.

Hope you can make it in from San Diego for games in Ford and Moody this year.

Cleve, thank you so much for your support of SMU Athletics! We have been very excited about the progress of our online store, Mustanglockerroom.com. Our department took over the store about this time last year, and its performance has exceeded our expectations.

To answer your question, yes, one of our goals for this year is to have SMU merchandise available in many retail stores and online outlets. We are currently in talks with several retailers to begin carrying our merchandise so that loyal fans, such as yourself, will have many choices in which to purchase Mustang gear. You can help by requesting SMU merchandise at your favorite sports or department store.

Retailers are driven by demand, and if our fans begin asking for SMU merchandise then they will meet that demand!

I want our student-athletes to look back on their years at SMU as the best four years of their life. It is difficult to be a student-athlete at a place like SMU. It is like having two full time jobs. But we will make every effort to ensure that their experience is a good one. I know I wouldn't be where I am today without my experiences as a football student-athlete at Notre Dame back in the '70s.

I'll ask three things of our student-athletes: 1) to graduate from SMU; 2) to have success on the playing field; and 3) to represent our University with class and be a positive role model in the community.

I'm sure I'll see you a lot this year James, since you are in Dallas. Have you renewed your season tickets? If not, please e-mail me at sorsini@smu.edu. Thanks for your question.

Enjoy the trip up I-35 this year and bring some friends from the state capital with you to Ford Stadium and Moody Coliseum.

First, you may have heard details of a basketball center for our men's and women's programs. We have raised more than $9 Million of the estimated $12 Million that the facility will cost. Completing the fundraising for the practice facility is one of our top short-term priorities and I am confident that we will have shovels in the ground by this fall. The facility will be built on the existing Haggar Stadium Tennis Courts on the East side of Moody Coliseum.

Also among our top facilities priorities are:
1) Westcott Soccer Field renovation. We have raised the necessary funds to install a new playing surface that will improve play-ability and lengthen and widen the field. This project is underway and is expected to be completed by the beginning of the soccer season this fall.
2) Construction of a practice facility and clubhouse for our men's and women's golf programs at Dallas Athletic Club.
3) Construction of an indoor and new outdoor tennis facility for our men's and women's tennis programs. With the basketball practice facility going up where the tennis courts currently are we will build a new home for our tennis programs.

Phase two of our facility master plan will include a renovation of Moody Coliseum, a new aquatic center for our swimming and diving programs and a boathouse for our rowing program.

Obviously, facilities like the above mentioned don't just come about. We will be aggressive in our fundraising and will rely greatly on our donor base to make these facilities become a reality.

Thanks for your question, Carson, and I hope to see you on The Boulevard and in Ford Stadium this fall.

As I mentioned earlier in this chat, we are planning significant investments in the facilities of several Olympic sports. That shows a commitment to those programs. I want us to be among the nation's elite in EVERYTHING we do, not just some things.

Just looking through our facility master plan, those projects will have a positive impact on 10 of our Olympic sports.

All those things played a role but the biggest factor was the leadership at SMU provided by Dr. Gerald Turner, SMU's President. He is committed to winning in athletics and doing it the right way. He understands intercollegiate athletics, the role it plays within the University and how a successful program can benefit the entire University.

There is a good foundation in place here and it is my job to build on that foundation and show results. I believe my skills fit the needs of SMU athletics at this stage in its development

Thanks for your question Adam, and I hope you can also make it back to Dallas for some games this year.

The marketing focus this year will be on our alumni and students. Last year, SMU ranked ninth in Conference USA in football attendance and number of football season ticket holders. That is not acceptable. We are asking our fans to help us become a top 25 program and support athletics. All of us must act like champions (ie. fans fill the stands) to become champions. Buy season tickets, come to games, and bring your friends. The most powerful advertising is word-of-mouth. SMU's best advertisement comes from you the SMU fan.

Justin, you can support SMU by purchasing season tickets, and bringing your friends to games. To purchase or renew your tickets, please click here or email me at sorsini@smu.edu.

SMU has a great relationship with DISD and a number of community groups around the Metroplex. We consistently organize community groups, offer them free tickets, and help arrange for transportation to a number of our athletic events.

Last spring 13 buses full of children from DISD schools were invited to the Women's Basketball Championship. SMU provided the transportation, tickets, and t-shirts free of charge to the schools. The kids had a great time, and next year we are looking to bring this program to every sport.

SMU has a created a reading program with the University Park library entitled Milk and Cookies, and last fall thousands of SMU Athletics bookmarks were distributed to area school children as a reward for reading. This summer student-athletes are visiting over 20 local football camps speaking to young football players about the importance of staying in school and respecting your coaches. The athletes distribute posters and vouchers for a free ticket to a game next season. By summer's end the athletes will have spoken to over 2,000 kids in the area.

These are just a few examples of the many community relations activities that SMU is a part of. It is my promise that we will continue to grow this program, and communicate our activities to the community.

I've got to go now as there is lots of work to be done. Thanks to all who participated. I'm looking forward to seeing you at our events throughout the upcoming year.