Ava Hunt’s freshman year at SMU is shaping up to be a memorable one.
Moments after the 11-2 Mustangs were announced as the final addition to the expanded College Football Playoff bracket as the No. 11 seed, the daughter of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt celebrated the historic inclusion on social media.
Hunt, a member of SMU’s Spirit Team, re-shared a post from the ACC’s page congratulating the Mustangs, now set to make their first CFP appearance in program history when they face No. 6 seed Penn State (11-2) in the first round of the 12-team playoff field — a seismic shakeup from the previous four-team bracket.
The announcement comes one day after SMU fell to Clemson in Saturday’s ACC title game following a walk-off, 56-yard field goal at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Hunt’s family, including older sister Gracie Hunt, were in attendance.
“Not the result we were hoping for, but so proud of our Ponies!” Gracie exclaimed on Instagram.
Hunt announced her commitment to SMU in March.
“It’s official!! So beyond thankful for the opportunity to keep doing what I love!” she gushed on social media at the time, adding the hashtags “SMU Cheer” and “Pony Up.”
Hunt committed to the Mustangs one month after her beloved Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl.
The Chiefs topped the 49ers in the championship contest in February, defending their title after the team’s 2023 victory over the Eagles.
“BACK TO BACK CHAMPS!!” Hunt shared from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Chiefs knocked off the 49ers in overtime, 25-22.
“God is so good! This one was for NKH.”
The Hunt family lost Norma Hunt, the wife of the Chiefs’ late founder Lamar Hunt, in June 2023. She was 85 years old.
The Chiefs’ quest for a Super Bowl three-peat is well within reach as the team clinched a playoff berth in late November following a win over the Raiders.
The Chiefs (11-1) will host the Chargers (8-4) on this week’s edition of “Sunday Night Football.”
The Mustangs will visit the Nittany Lions on Dec. 21.