Miami vs. SMU: How they compare off the basketball court

Mar.

17—It will be a test between two high-scoring offenses Thursday when the Miami University RedHawks (31-1) take on the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (20-13) in First Four matchup at UD Arena.

Here's a look at the two Cinderellas off the court.

Miami Category SMU
Feb.

2, 1809 Founded April 17, 1911
Oxford Location Dallas
More than 200, including pre-professional studies Number of majors More than 100, and 85 minors
75%-82% Acceptance rate 53%-61%
No.

1 among Ohio public universities for return on investment (Payscale.com), No.

2 public school and No.

13 overall nationally for undergraduate teaching (U.S.

News & World Report), No.6 public university (LinkedIn Top Colleges), No.

35 best value public college (The Princeton Review) Academic rankings No.

1 university in North Texas (U.S.

News & World Report), No.

2 private university in Texas (U.S.

News & World Report), Top 20% national university (U.S.

News & World Report), Top 125 best colleges for future leaders (TIME)
$15,161 for Ohio residents, $38,682 for non-residents Average tuition $67,736
Ben Roethlisberger — Super Bowl winning quarterback
Paul Ryan — Former Speaker of the House
Michael "The Miz" Mizanin — WWE wrester
Benjamin Harrison — 23rd President of the United States
Nick Lachey — Singer, songwriter, TV personality
Tina Louise — Actress, most famous for her role at Ginger Grant on Gilligan's Island
Katie Lee — Chef and Food Network and Cooking Channel host
Mark Coleman — UFC Hall of Fame inductee
Mike DeWine — Governor of Ohio
Eric Lange — Character actor, best known for the TV show Lost
Wally Szczerbiak — Former NBA player
Paul Brown — NFL Hall of Fame member, founder of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals
P.J.

O'Rourke — Author and political satirist
Donna Shalala — Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
Margaret Peterson Haddix — Children's author best known for the series Shadow Children and The Missing
Chung Un-chan — Former Prime Minister of South Korea
Sidney Souers — First Director of Central Intelligence
John Henry Patterson — founder of the National Cash Register Company
Ryan Graves — Former CEO of Uber
Marne Levine — Former chief of staff for the National Economic Council Famous alumni Barbara Bush — Former First Lady of the United States
Kathy Bates — Academy Award-winning actress
James Cronin — Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Lauren Graham — Actress best known for Gilmore Girls
Tucker S.

Bridwell — President of Mansefeldt Investment Corp.

Brian Baumgartner — Actor best known for The Office
Regina Taylor — Golden Globe-winning actress and playwright
Beth Henley — Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Bill Fagerbakke — Actor best known at the voice of Patrick in SpongeBob SquarePants
Amy Acker — Actress best known for Angel and Person of Interest
Lamar Hunt — Founder of the American Football League
$40.9 million Athletic budget $159 million
$850 million School budget $923 million
Miami University is known as the "Mother of Fraternities" because four national fraternities were founded there, and the "Cradle of Coaches" for producing three Super Bowl-winning coaches and multiple others who revolutionized football.

Interesting fact SMU's live Shetland pony mascot, Peruna, has represented the university since 1932 and is in its 9th generation.

17 NCAA appearances 13
Sweet 16 in 1999 Best performance Final Four in 1956
In January 2025, Head Coach Travis Steele signed a contract extension through the 2031-2032 season that included a $300,000 base salary through 2026, $400,000 2026-2030, and $500,000 2030-2032.

The contract also includes $1 million in retention and performance-based bonuses.

In February 2026, Miami University offered him an extension through the 2033-2034 season that has not been signed.

Coach's salary SMU, a private university, has not disclosed Head Coach Andy Enfield's contract details since he was hired in 2024 from the University of Southern California.

SMU paid his $2 million buyout fee.

Enfield's USC salary was $3,806,389 for the 2023-2024 season.