Intersections Inside SMU’s Big Bet: Dallas, the ACC, and the Future of College Sports
Mar 24, 2026
Jay Hartzell, SMU president and former UT leader with a finance and academic background, reflects on choosing SMU for impact and Dallas’s support. He discusses navigating COVID and campus crises, the big shifts in college athletics like conference realignment and NIL, and SMU’s strategy for growth, research, and memorable campus experiences.
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Thrown Into The Deep End As Interim President
- Hartzell was called in early April 2020 and asked to serve as interim UT president during COVID and civil unrest.
- The appointment leaked Monday and was announced Tuesday, forcing him into an intense leadership role with little preparation.
Two Core Barriers To Minority Retention
- Hartzell saw recurring causes for low minority retention as students not feeling welcome and lacking financial support.
- He used that frame to prioritize targeted programs and renamings to improve inclusion and graduation gaps at UT.
Paused The Song Debate With Public Research
- Faced with controversy over the UT school song, Hartzell convened a public, multi-perspective committee to research rather than immediately ban it.
- The committee's findings disproved several key allegations and calmed tensions while preserving the song pending evidence.