

Pony Excess
“A dynasty lost in sudden death.”
Synopsis
From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University were riding high on the backs of the vaunted "Pony Express" backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program to the city's oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. In 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out "the death penalty" on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. SMU would be without football for two years, and the fan base would be without an identity for 20 more until the win in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This is the story of Dallas in the 1980's and the greed, power, and corruption that spilled from the oil fields onto the football field and all the way to the Governor's Mansion.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Video: Trailer for Pony Excess, the ESPN documentary about SMU's death penalty sentence
Type: Trailer • Published 2011-04-20
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Release History & Theatrical Window
December 11, 2010
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Thaddeus D. Matula
- Original Title
- Pony Excess
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 42m
- Production Studios
- DLP Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Thaddeus D. Matula
Adam Goldberg, Erin Leyden
Department Leadership Roster
Thaddeus D. Matula
Director
Adam Goldberg
Producer
Erin Leyden
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Pony Excess.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Pony Excess.
MovieLens[30K:40K]
500 best 2010's movies
All Netflix Movies — USA
Movies TMDB currently marks as available with a Netflix subscription in the United States. Generated 2026-08-10.
Missing Mine
webflix list
webflix movies list
DP - P
Similar Titles to Pony Excess
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
More Like Pony Excess
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About Pony Excess
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Pony Excess about?
From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University were riding high on the backs of the vaunted "Pony Express" backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program to the city's oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. In 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out "the death penalty" on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. SMU would be without football for two years, and the fan base would be without an identity for 20 more until the win in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This is the story of Dallas in the 1980's and the greed, power, and corruption that spilled from the oil fields onto the football field and all the way to the Governor's Mansion.
Who directed Pony Excess?
Pony Excess was directed by Thaddeus D. Matula.
Who stars in Pony Excess?
The principal cast of Pony Excess includes Patrick Duffy, Eric Dickerson, Skip Bayless, Ron Meyer.
When was Pony Excess released and how long is it?
Pony Excess was released in 2010 with a total runtime of 1h 42m.


















