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I just talked to some high level officials at UNT. We're closing the school, as of Monday......because some jackass on a sports message board posted comments from another sports message board jackass, about us being left behind. It's been nice. UNT 1890-2010.

He also mentions just about every walk-on running back.....and leaves out Jeremi Mathis. He mentions Tanner Smith as an incoming TE.....leaves out Austin Fitzpatrick. I agree...this was not his best effort. But I do appreciate his site...and the fact that he has uncovered some info.

SS WAC Has The Boat Sailed On UNT Again? Maybe, but then again, there are some boats that absolutely nobody would want to board.

Kirk Cameron will star in a series of "UNT: Left Behind" movies.

Really a sad statement from someone who considers himself a supporter of UNT. If UNT played in Denton High's stadium I would expect our fans to show up and support the program. If you live in Houston, that might be a better understood reason why you don't come to games, but not coming because of Fouts? Really? You are kidding, right? This says something about a good many people who say they support the program, but seem to find reasons why actually to not do so. Really, Fouts, Fouts is the reason...the only reason, you don't support the team with your attendance? Please explain further, as on the surface of it, it really seems like just an excuse. I'll certaily be open to further review if you would care to explain further.

Yes or No Yes or No

It actually shows what fans think about our conference opponents since 1995...not much. Fouts was expanded to 30K in 1994. The Top 9 games in attendance were all since that expansion and return to 1-A football in 1995. However, only one (1) was a conference game. Of all the conference games we've played since 1995, Big West and SunBelt, only the FAU game last year topped 23,000...and it was homecoming. Point being our fans will show up to see good regional teams like a Tulsa et al (CUSA), but ULM not-so-much. Now that we have proven it with factual data, how do we provide it? Threats, bribery, cash? If the WAC idea is too Wacky, I'm OK with that. But we need a plan that makes us the desired next CUSA addition over La Tech, Muts, FAU, etc. How can we ensure that or what can we do as fans outside of building a new stadium, more attendance, and winning again?

My fellow GMGers: I have come to decide that this board is right and that the Sunbelt Conference is better than the WAC. I don't want to recreate the Big West conference of 10+ years ago. I will forever look forward to the day that the Sunbelt gets the recognition it so desperately deserves; hopefully another 10 years will do just that. I think by staying in this conference we can help build it to its full potential and then we can really build a name for ourselves, even if it takes another decade. I am committed to sitting by and watching the other Sunbelt schools advance go to other conferences (which are not near the quality of the SBC) while we wait and build. Furthermore, I am extremely excited to see what the newly accepted D-2 or equivalent schools will bring to the Belt. Forgive me for disagreeing with your points of view and being so stubborn in my thinking that I did not catch on to this truth sooner. Carry on and long live the Belt.

I like to do bad thangs.

The 6-7 Hawaii. I guess that win over Washington State was a bigger BCS arse-whooping than I thought. Haven't been a player without June. What was Fresno, 8-5? Beat Illinois n got their business handled by Wyoming. Again, haven't done much in the last few years. I'd certainly have trouble making a case that these guys were kicking butt. As long as we're re-making the WAC in dream scenarios, at least play like you've got a pair: WAC East: Texas A&M TCU SMU (personally think we should reject them from our megaconference, but if you don't talk about SMU at least a couple of times a day, some people will shrivel up and die) Arkansas North Texas Louisiana Tech LSU (just for good measure) People are like, you know, just rejecting the WAC in its current formation, but I'm sure if the WAC made a division with these teams, North Texas fans would probably be cool with it.

I agree with this. The WAC is about an improvement in perception of opponent over the SBC. That's all, just an investment in PR, but a good investment. I doubt you could find any publication ranking SBC football above WAC football as a conference. Opponent image is important, especially to non-BCS programs trying to draw crowds. There is a reason only one or two of the Top 10 attendance games at Fouts was a conference game...opponents fans wanted to see were not in our conference. Thus, get in a conference with better known or more regional rival opponents.

Waving from the shore as I watch the Titanic sail away...

It's the Bleacher Report, the only source with less credibility than the Weekly World News.

I think we need to understand the balance that winning and named opponents both matter, we were on a 26 straight game winning streak running through the belt and we still were not having great attendance, until we played Baylor. The students easiest excuse is our record right now, but if we start winning it will be the same thing we never play anyone I have heard of at home. But good things are happening, with enrollment increasing and more students living on and around campus then ever before we will naturally increase our attendance. Plus the population in and around Denton is really booming and that is going to help. We start winning and every time we play a team the general public as an idea who they are we will have great attendance.

Since conference talk is a beating. Still a big fan of Shiner Bock and Shiner Kosmo

I notice none of the teams from the Big West who have gone Wacy are on the list. So much for the thought playing them would help attendance.

I think that is what I was trying to say, and I agree with the last part of your post 100%.

I've heard some strong rumors out of downtown Dallas about the need to form a secret committee with 4-6 specially selected members chosen from a pool of the same 8 people who've been posting about realignment for 6 years. They really want to find the best poster from Texas State as well and have narrowed that list to 4 candidates, with TulsaFaninTexas considered the wild card to replace all four. More in VVIP.

I agree about not putting the entire burden on the students. Maybe down the road after the stadium has been expanded to 50K and we are filling it up on a consistent basis. The students have committed to a much larger fee on top of rising tuition costs as it is, and they account for roughly 50% of the home attendance as it is today. I think starting to charge them for an "all sports pass" at this time could be counter-productive. Besides, it is time for more of our 100,000+ DFW alumni to step up and contribute. Thank you CMJ for posting these attendance numbers. I doubt we will be in a conference with Baylor of TCU in the near future, but this just goes to show what a regional conference/schedule would produce as far as attendance figures go. RV as said for years that a paid home attendance average of 25,000+ would allow us to eliminate a body bag game.

I agree on your comments about the potential for a packed 30k stadium to create a greater buzz than a half-full 50k stadium. However, I'm a little reluctant to put the premium on students entering the game, at least in the short term. As it is, the athletics fee will probably need to be raised within the next few years. If we actually get to the point where demand is greater than supply, the AD can raise ticket prices, raise the required MG Club donation levels for premium seating, etc. The burden does not need to fall entirely on the students. But you are right--having a stadium slightly on the small side could be a big part of funding its own expansion.

I'm just going to go find a cash machine?

my bad. 1. No 2. No

I haven't read anything about other Belt teams exiting...but admit I have not really been looking at this. We can argue every offseason (and it will happen) about who wants what. I would prefer a discussion that focuses on the people that are actually making this decision, and what they want. When A&M, Texas and OU agreed to turn down the PAC10/SEC invites, it had just about everything to do with the new TV contract that the Big XII commission scored. Just my humble opinion, but this leads me to believe that a lot of this shuffling around is driven more by "show me the money" and not so much about conference prestige. Otherwise, I think (at least) A&M would have jumped at a chance to be in the SEC. Regardless of all of our opinions of the WAC's prestige or lack there-of, I think RV is looking at the potential travel costs and evaluating all kinds of theoretical/potential budget scenarios presented by WAC membership. Personally hated the WAC when UTEP was in it. The charter MWC members I am sure got tired of Hawaii-SJSU road trips and did the smart thing. Boise also did nothing for the WAC. Brought in money? how much for the other members and to what end? Who has really turned it around because of Boise's success? If the WAC is crumbling after 15 years with various combinations of BYU, Boise, etc, how could it possibly benefit us without any of those institutions? The WAC has been dying in slow motion for 15 years. I do not care to be associated at all with Karl Benson.

4 of the top 10 attended games happened in the Dodge era with a team that was just terrible. Tell me again how we can't draw over 30,000 to the new stadium, cause I just don't get that.

Could the season hurry up and get here PLEASE. The off-season is way too long as indicated by this never-ending conference this or that stuff. Folks, sit back, relax...believe it or not, you (nor I) have anything to say or do about it. Let the folks that make their living messing with this stuff handle it. They will do what they believe is in the very best interests of UNT and its programs, and we can then watch UNT beat whichever team from whichever conference UNT is playing that day. And, it will do wonders for you blood pressure. Please, God, let the season get here! GO MEAN GREEN! PS Yes, I realize I can just ignore it, but even in threads with different titles it seems to get back to conference realignment.

Glad to hear others making good arguments for moving to the WAC. We can't be scared of a Big West conference from 15 years ago. Things change, and if we don't, we will be left behind.

access to what?

i am pretty sure the last 3 or 4 home basketball games were at 3,000 + which brought up our attendance in a down year...the hype of another 20 win team and winning the division made people come out to those games and we also had a good student showing at Hot Springs...one of the problems with the attendance number is we had a noon game this season and i think 4 home games during Christmas break, that killed our overall numbers, better scheduling needs to be done to take advantage of when us students are in town....i really think we are building our foundation of students and i think attendance will be 3,500 + on average for the season next year/

Italy is out. Diving should be greatly reduced moving forward.

We just don't have fan support... True, we could definitely improve here. But a 2-10 team over the last several years still draws top of the Belt in attendance. Someone else can verify, but I think we were top 3? That sounds pretty good to me.

I still can't take this idiot sports writer serious. His opinion is about as good as someone who thinks Utah left the WAC. Oh wait he was the one that said that.

CBL...nice explanation of the "stoppage time" situation. BTW...found this quote also in today's Wall Street Journal..."Remember June 23, 2010: the day the lame old "Soccer is boring" argument finally died in the U.S.". "If you weren't completely, utterly thrilled, exhausted and satisfied by Wednesday's 1-0 Team USA World Cup thriller over Algeria, you're a lifeless sports corpse. You are banned from all future U.S. World Cup matches and hereby ordered to spend the rest of the season watching the moribund Baltimore Orioles, eating cold oatmeal in a Slanket". Life, forevereagle, etc., etc. are you listening?????

There is too much rule breaking going on in this thread. Please, can you people make your points with a simple "Yes" or "No"? I don't think it was too much of Lifer to ask...

Best way for UNT to "get noticed" and earn respect is to keep doing what it is doing...getting better. With the upgraded facilities for athletics overall, with teams in most sports doing quite well and with solid and improving academic standards and programs and with an improving football team, UNT is on the correct path. This stuff takes time. To get all fired up and disappointed over what some "talking heads" on message boards and radio talk shows have to say is of no real consequence and matters not to what and how UNT is doing about its own house. The stuff that does bother me is the continuing "bad mouthing" of UNT by its grads and so-called "fans". The fastest way to lose some one's respect is to bad mouth your own program on a consistent basis and to show continued lack of support. UNT's "supporters" do seem to have a penchant for first looking for something they don't like and only if they can't find something they don't like will they decide that not all is wrong at UNT. You might be surprised how your attitude might change if you first looked for the "good stuff" (yes, I remind you that there is plenty of good "stuff" to be found if you will simply open your eyes to it). Life is too short to go around complaining about everything all the time. The "younger" crowd on the board will realize that soon enough and everyone, of any age, should realize that being known as a university whose "fans" do not support it does absolutely no good. Whining and complaining constantly does no good. Want to help UNT improve? Easy, support the university. That's what you CAN do. Don't give that lame old excuse (because that's exactly what it is...an excuse) that you won't support UNT until......or the lame old excuse that you were somehow "dissed" or "wronged" some long years ago. What to see UNT improve...be part of the solution not part of the problem. UNT is a GREAT university any way you want to judge it. I am extremely proud to say I am a two-time graduate of UNT and I take a back seat to no person in that regard. It is a privilege to support UNT in the small ways that I can and wish only that I had the resources to provide enough funds to add both baseball and men's soccer to the program. If I had that kind of $$$$ UNT would have baseball and soccer right now. Alas, my name is not Gates. But, whatever is possible is enough...do what you can. But, everyone can be positive and supportive. It does not cost a dime to let people know how great UNT is these days. GO MEAN GREEN!

King...the goal was scored in the 91st minute. Yes, a game is 90 min. plus time added for game stoppage (injury, subs, etc.). Yesterday's game had 3 min. of stoppage or extra time. Let me quote an article in today's (6-24-10) Wall Street Journal...P. A3: "The US soccer team Wednesday prompted Americans to forget the problems besetting their country and embrace a sport that they usually ignore...". the article goes on to say "At 11:46 Eastern time, America suddenly looked as if it were becoming a soccer nation. In a terminal at New York's LaGuardia Aiport, a loud cheer arose from long-delayed passengers watching the game. On the other side of the country, in downtown San Francisco, a car full of soccer fans drove down California Street waving American flags from the windows and cheering. In Washington cheers arose from legislators who had paused to watch the game amid deliberations over the financial-overhaul bill". it continues..."Within moments of the goal, Twitter - the online social networking site-became so over-loaded with traffic and ceased working for hours". As to the comment about the refs...agree...however, show me a sport anywhere where the refs are always consistent and wonderful. Seems a No-No was "lost" due to a pretty bad call in MLB recently. I recall that UNT lost a pretty good game in Austin a few years ago on a late blown TD call. Ask Nebraska about some calls against Texas, check out what Team USA basketball still says about the Olympic gold medal game against the Russians a few years back. Soccer does not have a lock on inconsistent refereeing. Anyway, you like it, you don't, no problem. But, you might give it a few more tries...you probably didn't like beer the first time you took a sip either! Soccer might just grow on you as it seems to be doing the rest of the nation. USA-USA-USA-USA!!!!! Saturday...9:30AM...USA vs Ghana in the round of 16. Can they? Will they? Yes, they will (maybe, I hope!).

You're not hitting nerves... just grating them.

TXST_CAT opinion

Why isn't he a head coach now with all these skins on the wall? His play calling has been questioned at his past two stops. I hope he succeeds, but it is going to take more than just him to turn this thing around this season.

Everyone around here seems hell bent on CUSA. Aside from the potential travel expenses, I think the WAC represents a nice upgrade for UNT. Seems like every year lately one of the WAC teams (and not just Boise) are kicking BCS arse. And I like the scenario painted with a bunch of Texas and Louisiana schools in one division. I think folks would travel from San Antonio and San Marcus and us to them for football games. Could start some nice new good ole' Texas rivalry games. I'm sure RV is looking at all conference realignment possibilities.

Better than Ubadlo Himenez and Jim Lincucum?

I think there is a better perception with some of these WAC schools, is it dramatically better no. But also look at other schools that have used the Wac as a stepping stone. I think every little step up helps. When I say we are playing LaM I get looks like we are about to play the waterboy. I am not going have a problem sleeping either way I just think from a perception point of view the WAC is better in general and we could use all the help we can get.

If you morons want to see SS, he is pitching now on MLB network. He has already fanned 4 through 3IP. Maybe if you actually watched him and witnessed how big of a badass he is you wouldn't go on and sounding so ill-informed.

Worst-NO Least Respected by the Unknowledged -YES You won't find the MAC, CUSA West, or even half the MWC wanting to schedule TROY,MTSU,FAU. UNT is fortunate to even be considered in the same breath as most of the SBC.

At what point will you and your administration stop blaming everything on the Bush administration and actually start taking responsibility for your own decisions and actions?

"May I see your birth certificate, please?"

My hope is that one, preferably both, of our D-Tackles, Shavod A. or Kelvin J., has a breakout year thus allowing our linebackers to roam freely and make plays and our d-backs to have a realistic chance in coverage. My hope is Shavod and Kelvin. Realistically: Phillips on Defense and Ross on Offense.

I'll pick two positions: Field goal and H-back I hope both positions put up big numbers!!!!!!!

Having turned the gameplanning and playcalling over to Chico Canales, it will be really easy being Mean Green for Dodge this year. Combine that with the fact that Canales will play quarterbacks who can see over the line of scrimmage and throw the ball further than 15 yards down the field, and it's a lead pipe cinch that Dodge will have an easy time being Mean Green in 2010...and, thus 2011.

What if we fly on a magical perception plane?

Castro would not be on the ballot as a Republican. He is definitely more from your side of politics.