Rhett Lashlee details importance of SMU-TCU rivalry for
The Iron Skillet rivalry between SMU and TCU encapsulates some of the best that college football has to offer. Two teams from the same metro area. Passionate, fervent fan bases. And a trophy as off-the-wall as the next.
So with SMU set to host TCU this weekend in a showdown of 2-1 teams, Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee is ready to revel in the tradition. And the Iron Skillet game will not be played much in the foreseeable future, as the series will go on hiatus after the 2025 matchup, the 104th time it will be played.
“It’s been played over 100 times so it’s important to a lot of people,” Lashlee said. “I think when you look at rivalries around the country, this one’s pretty unique, when both schools are separated by 30, 40 miles in the same greater metroplex area. There’s a lot of rivalries that are not even in the same state, much less the same city. So I think it’s unique from that standpoint and like I said, anything that’s been done over 100 times is important to a lot of people. Rivalry games are a big deal. I’ve been blessed to coach in a lot of different versions, whether it be the Iron Bowl, Florida State–Miami and so on and so forth. But when it kicks off, it’s another game and fortunately for us it’s our fourth game and it’s an opportunity for us to go out and play good football.”
And as the decision not to renew the series has mostly fallen on TCU’s shoulders, Lashlee used the discussion around the game to diplomatically point that fact out after he was asked if it takes more importance knowing the game might not be played again for a while.
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“It’s unique to have two teams this close together in a rivalry,” Lashlee said. “That’s rare. The fact that we’re only going to play two more times, that was their decision, not worried about that. We’re worried about trying to play good football and get a win. And you know, that’s just the truth. That’s the truth. It’s a big game because it’s the next game. And it’s important to our fanbase, it’s important to our players just like it is to their fanbase and their players and that’s what makes college football great.
“And you know, I’m sure one day it’ll come back, just like Texas and Texas A&M has and all that. But we’re going to be in the present and right now we’re playing them, so we’re going to play well.”
Lashlee himself would happily keep playing the game, he said.
But that’s also not his call, so he doesn’t spend too much time worrying about it, either, he said.
“I mean absolutely we’d play it,” Lashlee said. “I mean we’ll play anybody anywhere anytime. There’s great rivalries you know, I think us and Houston’s a good one. Just when both schools change conference it’s hard to keep those things, especially when it was a conference game. This situation’s different because it was a non-conference game. So it could’ve been renewed as long as you want. But, I think down the road once — your non-conference schedules get scheduled out five, six, seven years in advance, so sometimes it’s hard to sync back up. But a game like that would be great. This game would be great. Makes too much sense.”