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It appears as though the lower bowl seating is being carved out. I guess they will form them up for an eventual concrete pour. My link

The only thing I can say is....that at least right now...with the stadium going up....we can put our best foot forward (so to speak). If we still had dumpy old Fouts in our future....our chances of moving up the conference food chain would be low. Now at least we have something to offer. And if football could start getting respectable again (and I think we will)...we'll really have a lot to offer.

Okay, Flyer had his MEGA Conference idea that raised a few 'huhs' so I'll trot out my concept of the FBS based on ten 12-team conferences. This system would do little changing of the existing conferences. It would also tout a playoff system and each conference would have a conference championship game. To appease the current BCS, each of their conference runnersup would be playoff eligible for a period of ten years. While I propose that we start with 12-team conferences not all will be able to maintain that number. Why? Because I also propose a rolling average attendance of 18,000 to begin; advancing to 20,000 in five years. By rolling average I mean that if a team averages only 16,000 one year it must average 20,000 the following year or be dropped to Division 1AA. I've also tried to regionalize the conferences to reduce travel costs (except for existing 12 team BCS conferences). I would hope that every conference has a TV contract with a major network, ESPN, Fox, or maybe Turner or Cox. Or, that failing, the conference contracts their own network. Here are my ten conferences: PAC 12 Washington Washington State Oregon Oregon State California Stanford UCLA USC Arizona Arizona State Utah Brigham Young WESTERN/MOUNTAIN Hawaii San Jose State Fresno State San Diego State Boise State Idaho Utah State Nevada UNLV Wyoming Colorado State Air Force SOUTHWEST Tulsa New Mexico New Mexico State UTEP North Texas TCU SMU Houston Rice Louisiana Louisiana Tech Tulane BIG XII Iowa State Nebraska Kansas Kansas State Colorado Missouri Oklahoma Oklahoma State Texas Texas A&M Texas Tech Baylor BIG 10 Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Northwestern Illinois Indiana Purdue Notre Dame Michigan Michigan State Ohio State Penn State BIG EAST Louisville Cincinnati Syracuse Army Connecticut Rutgers Pittsburgh West Virginia Navy East Carolina South Florida UCF ATLANTIC COAST Boston College Maryland Virginia Virginia Tech North Carolina North Carolina State Duke Wake Forest Clemson Georgia Florida State Miami SOUTHEASTERN Kentucky Vanderbilt Tennessee South Carolina Georgia Florida Alabama Auburn Mississippi Mississippi State LSU Arkansas SUN BELT Arkansas State Memphis Middle Tennessee Temple Marshall Western Kentucky ULM Southern Mississippi UAB Troy FAU FIU There can never be a system where everyone is satisfied but this seems the least contentious. There are several that got the shaft, so to speak. But, even their merits (save one or two) are less travel expenses, an easier path to conference championship and the fact that the teams that cannot comply with moderate standards will be weeded out.

I saw that today while driving back from N. Denton. Seems almost surreal.

Will never happen because will block the inclusion of .

That's a great alignment. I'd love to a rivalry form between the pirate and the ninja. I think the wizard and Santa would be a snoozer.

I find a lot of the comments humouros regarding the "Tea Party" and those that oppose this administration. It is not that we don't think there should be social services, public schools, public hospitals, etc..., it is that we, or I should say I, don't want the government making every decision for me. The new healthcare reform is a prime example. The government will penalize citizens if they don't sign up for healthcare, which is a personal choice not one the U.S. government should make for its citizens. Government doesn't need to control every aspect of our lives and make decisions for us.

any conference that would allow me to take a trip to vegas to see morth texas, i'm in favor of!!!

I am not worried at all about this matter. In fact, I know most on here don't like 'stealth' recruting, but at this point that's what our coaches are doing and it seems like their asking kids to keep quiet. Can you blame them? I mean almost any other school in the country can knock North Texas to a recruit while talking on the phone, sitting in the high school or living room, whatever. So, our coaches offer, tell kids to keep it hush. They do. Come early February, we're sitting here with 10 verbals or whatever that we don't even know about as a fanbase. Look at this year: Chris Bynes (WR Coffeyville CC via St. Thomas Aquinas HS in Florida), DeAndre Wood (CB New Mexico Military Institute, via North Carolina-yes Tar Heels...kid won the 5A 100 meter dash state title as a SR), Mike Miller (DE California JC who was an all region player), Jamize Olawale (TE/H Back California JC via Long Beach Poly HS). These are a few examples of kids we didn't know about who are VERY good athletes and solid recruits. Now, going forward as we improve, get into the new stadium, start playing on TV and winning conference titles in C-USA I think our staff(s) can afford to publicize things and other schools (besides OU, Texas, aTm, OSU, Ark, etc) won't say a whole lot about it. That's where I want us to get, and by golly, we're on our way!

It's amazing how many people in that thread...don't want to add a current FBS member from their own state. We have UTEP, Rice and Houston guys against us; several Memphis fans are against MTSU. I think, in this day and age of oil uncertainty...it's utterly ridiculous to have these wide spread leagues. One day if gas gets back up to $4 a gallon (or more)....the leagues are gonna be wasting a lot of travel money for no reason.

None of this worries me as much as others. We're not, nor were we ever going head-to-head with Texas or anyone from the Big 12...or any other bigger conference. And, yes, I realize some kids say they have offers from this school or that. But, having known several people who played college ball and other sports, words at this point in the game are just words. I've seen guys with shoeboxes full of letters from schools and coaches. We are what we are. If every other Sun Belt team had 20 commitments at this point and we had zero, I'd worry. Our clout at this point in the game is that same as it was before Todd Dodge arrived - even though many here believed Dodge had some magic recruiting dust to sprinkle over the landscape and change it. No matter what your conference - and particularly in the Belt - the only magic dust is winning. And, we will win this year. And, I think we will win it all. But, even if I'm right and we do win the Belt, I still don't think we'll be up there with Texas, OU, Texas A&M, etc. with half a dozen or more commitments by May 2011. It's just not going to happen that quickly. It takes season after season after season of proving it. We're not there. The 2010 season is the first step. But, don't worry about recruiting at this point...unless UTEP or Rice or ULM or Lousiana Tech or Tulsa, etc. go on a summer tear and start garnering a bunch of commitments. Kids are going to see that Chico Canales is a guy who they want to play for. They are going to see Gary Deloach and Mike Nelson's defense is worth playing in. But, they have to see it first.

I will do my best to fly in for such goings-on.

Perhaps you didn't read the SMU newspaper article where the athletics dept was blocking audit and cost info....reportedly they have a defecit of some 90 million bucks....that means the are in the red 90,000,000. Doesn't sound like they have the money....sounds like the SMU of old.

I would probably help all of us if the 3 area schools would play each other every year.

For me, the most notable thing Banowsky said is, We have it openly. We do, however, believe while you're on the team, you've got to support the team. This is true regardless of which conference we're talking about. As long as we're in the conference we're in, we should support it by supporting North Texas. The question should never be"Who are we playing." Rather, "North Texas is playing."

"We can't lose focus worrying about what may or may not happen. We'll be prepared for it." Interesting sound bites that Commissioners are throwing out regarding realignment. It depends on their conference's situation: hunter or hunted? It would be fun to play match the quote to the conference. All sides are hunkering down in their war rooms for the realignment draft to begin. The Big 10 has the first picks. The SEC says it will match any size change over 12 members. The PAC 10 wants first dibs over the Big 12 of Utah and Colorado. If the Big10 also raids Mizzou and Neb then the Big 12 will be in full panic mode. That could cause Texas and A&M to be offered by the SEC. Meanwhile, further down the chain with the 29th and 30th draft picks sit CUSA and the WAC. How much they need to reload depends on the carnage from above. As for UNT, we sit and wait for the smoke to clear from the main battlefield. Will opportunity exist or will we be banished to another 10 years in the basement?

There is oversight - legitimate oversight, and then there is bloated bureaucracies that manage this oversight inefficiently and often with a political agenda. You bring up Education, so let's look closely at that. We spend more per child in this country by a long shot on education than other countries which quite frankly are kicking our ass in that same effort. There are far too many layers of crap between the taxpayer and the student in our system and as a result the actual dollar getting spent ON each child is a very small portion of the huge number that gets spent PER each child. Too many layers of administrators, and debt due to unsustainable pension programs (teacher's unions have done the same thing to the Public School system that GM and the other car guys let unions do to them. When it happens to GM, people call it bad management. When it happens to levels of government, no one is blamed, but our taxes just go up to compensate.), programs designed to get students to pass standardized tests instead of actually learning and wasteful spending are the biggest factors in the waste in the public school system. I notice in a time when teachers are being laid off we never hear news stories of Teacher's unions offering to do more for a little less for the good of the system and the children and families they serve. I never hear about Administrators getting laid off. Your argument about the police limiting your freedom wins the strawman of the year award. Conservatives depend on the rule of law as the foundation of our belief system. We are not anarchists. Roe vs. Wade is far from settled law. In fact, constitutionally speaking, it is bad law, and is a perfect example of legislation from the bench. In this case, a constitutional right to privacy was made up out of thin air so that the court could side with the Pro Abortion side of the case. Roe vs. Wade should be overturned by the courts and the issue should return to being a states rights issue, OR a constitutional amendment put in place, which would be the two lawful ways to regulate a medical procedure. ...and lest you blast me as a neanderthal pro-life Christian who doesn't like your statement because you "don't go to the right church", I'm personally pro-choice. ...but my political opinion doesn't change the constitution. I think the argument being made here is that there is a happy medium. Public Hospitals are fine so long as they aren't abused and taxed beyond their limits by folks who are abusing the system or here illegally (or neighboring counties who won't spend their money to take care of their citizens) - but Private ones are too and if folks want to make their own health care decisions without input from Washington they should be allowed to. The FDA is fine, but it isn't efficient, and if a private company let as much tainted food on the market they would be hauled up to capital hill and grilled like BP was last week, but the FDA is given a pass. The reason you're hearing socialism so much right now is the hard swing that this administration and congress has taken in that direction. We've been moving further and further in that direction for decades (since the early 1900's) but now all of the sudden we're adding spending and social programs and making more people dependent on the federal government for their very lives at an astounding pace, and bankrupting us in the process. We need to tax our people less, give them incentive to depend on themselves and not government and get the hell out of the way of the hard working people and businesses that have made this country great. Giving huge new entitlements to more and more people who don't contribute (either by choice or by situation) is not how we get this economy on solid ground and will only take us deeper into debt and further from a point where we can turn it around.

From the DMN: Calderón blasts Arizona immigration law during White House visit Some comments from the article that I found of particular interest: Mexican President Felipe Calderón, arriving at the White House for a state visit, wasted no time today criticizing Arizona's new immigration law as unfair and discriminatory. My mother always told me "life's not fair" - so what? Lots of laws are "unfair," deal with it. Obama vowed to work with the Mexican government to create jobs, fight drug cartels, and "ensure that our common border is secure, modern and efficient, including immigration that is orderly and safe." Mr. President, I believe you forgot to mention one key word; how about legal? "We can do so with a community that will promote a dignified life and an orderly way for both our countries," Calderón said, adding in English: "Can we overcome these challenges? Can we build that future of prosperity we want for our people? Yes, we can, if we work together." Translation - Mexico wants the US to wholly fund the immigration battle, just like the drug war, so corrupt Mexican officials can pocket the majority of those funds and do very little to actually correct the problem. Mexico is home to several of the world's wealthiest people, yet they continue to allow greed and corruption to keep a large percentage of their population living in shacks and extreme poverty. By some estimates, one-tenth of Mexico's population resides in the United States without permission. So, 10% of Mexico's population lives in the US illegally? Nice. Remind me again, why is it "discriminatory" to ask Mexicans for proof of lawful US residency?? Meanwhile, to make the Mexican delegation feel welcome, the State Department was poised to announce it is speeding up delivery of long-delayed aircraft promised under the $1.3 billion Mérida Initiative — a pact hammered out by Calderón and President George W. Bush more than three years ago. Two Bell-412 helicopters will be delivered in October. The Defense Department and Coast Guard will deliver four maritime patrol/surveillance aircraft in the last quarter of 2011. And three Blackhawk helicopters will be delivered in September 2011, two years and two months earlier than anticipated just a month ago. Calderón has complained repeatedly to U.S. officials that the delays have hampered the Mexican government's fight against drug cartels, a stated priority of his administration since he took office in late 2006 — a point he made to Granger more than a year ago. Case in point, why not throw in a couple dozen buses or additional funding for a high-speed, cross-border light rail transportation system and not ask any of those passengers for passports?

OK, I am a bit more than concerned by people in very prominent positions within the current administration criticizing Arizona's new Immigration Law BEFORE READING IT! Today, Homeland Security Secretary and ex-Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano joined Attorney general Eric Holder and State Dept. spokesman, P.J. Crowley in admitting they had not read the new law BEFORE going on television and criticising it. I don't care if they support or oppose the new law once they have taken the small amount of time it takes to read the thing. I know, I read it, it doesn't take long. Arizona is facing a backlash from several quarters after passing the new law (which they say they did only after the refusal of the federal government to take any substantive action regarding reform which was promised to take place immediately upon the inauguration). Even Frito-Lay is getting hit with negative press for their sponsorship of the Fiesta Bowl. And, then there was the question to Miss Oklahoma during the Miss USA pageant...good grief! I think this sort of response from high ranking administration officials is not only dangerous, but arrogant and stupid. It is political pandering at its worse, and it is too bad that it has happened. Like the new law or not, that is 100% beside the point here, if you are a person in an official capacity of one form or another, at least read and understand something BEFORE you go public! I can only imagine what the press would be doing to our previous administration had they acted this way. Why can't we elect and appoint government officials who act in a professional manner? Seems to be a trend here, and not a very positive one. Too bad. So very many opportunities to really lead here have been missed.

Were you ever in the military and go to a VA hospital? Well I was and I have and yes, VA hospitals are failures. As is the USPS and FDA.

--hahaha... socialism... some think public schools are a socialist idea and that everyone should home school or send their kids to private schools... as once was done in most of America. I actually know a few of those people personally now. Closing them would satisfy a lot of T-party types.. more tax cuts and let us have religious private schools (unfortunately many just couldn't afford to go). --If they didn't go would you want them on the streets all day long while you are gone...plus the education level would suffer greatly.

---Is public schools, public hospitals, public fire depts, public ambulances (there weren't any where I lived as a kid, all privately owned in my town), food inspectors, banking inspectors, FFA, CDC, etc.... socialism... where does it stop?? Maybe we should just "trust" everyone to provide safe food and products to the population... maybe we should let each county build the roads they want and not support the interstate system either...that is obviously a socialist big-government idea. Where is the line??? Those ideas at one time in the past would have been considered socialistic. The police interfere with my freedom all the time... I can't drive 90 mph. ..that is government interference of my right to do as I want. ---There are some people who just yell LIBERAL or SOCIALIST if you dare disagree with them on anything or don't attend the church they attend and belief exactly as they do... [ Prohibition anyone?? ] That was big-government (also some religious groups) telling people what they could or couldn't do. ---Row vs. Wade is also a big issue now.... when I was in high school, they were a lot of groups that opposed ANY birth control and especially the pill. Some still do. Times change, as well as issues and attitudes.

It doesn't... but pointing out things change... what some once called socialist ideas are widely accepted now. Once the debate was over birth control pills and now that area that has changed to something else. --Maybe I live a sheltered life but had not heard that joke. Out here in West Texas, rowing is rarely an option, wading happens quite a bit though, including last night.....LOL.

--You must not live in Texas, Teacher Union's have no power here. I taught 30 years in public schools (retired but have 34 years in college math classes as well, now part-time) and both of my sons made more their first month on the job in industry than I did my last month in Texas classrooms. That is exactly why it is so difficult to hire good math and science people now, especially male ones. Women are a bit different since some teach so they can have a similiar schedule as their kids and be home with their kids in summers and during some holidays. ---Poor teachers rarely last long but those still around are there often because nothing better exists, so much competiton from the private sector. To say Teacher Unions have any real power in Texas is just showing no understanding of the realities in Texas. What you say may be true in some northern states, not here. ---Salery minimums are set by the Texas Legislature, the local school boards can raise them from there if they chose. Where did you come up with the Union comments??? No Union has any contract with any school district in Texas. ---Ran by bureaucrats??...hmmmm.. locally it is run by schools boards which YOU elect. They even have final say on who gets hired as administrators and teachers in your district. Statewide YOU elect the state school board and the legislature that controls schools.. That is a rather crazy comment. Who do you want to be in charge then???

--And who hires and fires the administarative staff..?? The school board. They run it and approve many of the decisions and fire those who do things they don't approve of. True they don't micro-manage most details but the buck stops at the school board. ---You really don't know what you are talking about even if your wife does teach, dues to professional organizations (which you seem to think are unions but really aren't) can not legally be spent to support candidates. A PAC of an organization can collect donated money for that purpose can but there aren't many of those in Texas schools plus very few contribute to one. A few towns do have a Labor Union presence but here there is less than 30 members out of about 2000... and it has no power and can't legally in Texas. --I have no idea about your school but the administration here is running rather lean with little "dead wood". Some districts have cut more administrators than teachers, you statement may be accurate in a few bad cases. Schools just can't do what the federal government can, run up huge deficits. ...sometimes the money just isn't there and people have to be let go. Yes there has been some administrators I would love to see disappear.... it is also true that some great teachers become awful administrators while some average teachers are good in the administrative positions. Totally different deal. In Sports great players often make terrible coaches.. same thing. --If you have weak spineless school board members that don't have a clue, then elect some that will take action. The buck stops there.