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I am amused by the delusional La Tech fans but also chagrined a bit at the number of fatalistic NT posters. There is a great chance that there will not be an opening in CUSA and there are numerous ways to fill it if one does occur. However, assuming it does come down to La Tech and NT. Outside of the intangibles, who likes who and who is afraid of who, if it comes down to the raw data; NT is an easy choice. Here are some quick comparisons of key factors taking from online sources inclusive of school websites. As an aside I am very skeptical of almost all university reported data, but that basically is the only source for most of the information. 1. football success, what everyone seems to consider first:, . No doubt, NT has been one of the worst programs in the nation, but La Tech is not exactly stellar. La Tech won 4 games last year over NMSU, Hawaii, San Jose State and Nicholls State. They lost to Idaho and Utah State; two old Belt mates. Over the last decade; NT has been 42-78 versus La Tech's 52-69. La Tech would get a small edge here, but both schools are in trouble based on this criterion. 2. Resources are I believe the biggest factors in a logical decision, that will ultimately define a school's progress. Last years reported operating expenses were $14,651,000 for La Tech versus NT's 16,449,000. NT with the recently approved increase of $7 per hour which will not come on stream till 2011 will give NT an enormous edge not only over La Tech but a lot of the non-AQ competition. Granted the majority of these funds will not immediately go into operational budgets, but they will go into athletic program. The fee can be increased by 10% without vote annually until it hits the state max of $20 per hour. La Tech currently has no student athletic fees, but with a student body of 10,564 compared to NT's 34,710; NT will always have a huge advantage. I have no numbers but I would imagine that La Tech does a much better job of getting direct contributions. It is hoped the new stadium and such will spur NT to much better results in an area that must be improved. With probably 4 times the alums of La Tech, this is an area that NT should expect to eclipse La Tech very quickly. NT has an advantage in resources which should expand greatly 3. Facilities are another area that La Tech IMO cannot compete. La Tech's football stadium was build in 1968 with several major renovations since then and now seats a reported 30.600. Their basketball arena was build in1987 and has a capacity of 7,720. I am sure La Tech has made improvements to their football stadium since I was there and they plan major improvements. Frankly, I thought their stadium other then not having a track was worse than Fouts last time I was there. The BB arena is ok but not close to the Super Pit. I have not seen their other facilities but I can't fathom that they would be on a par with NT. Facilities is a big plus for NT. 4. Attendance average reported for last years football games. La Tech had a miraculous 20,000 even last year versus NT's 18,228. I give NT a slight edge here as La Tech had at least one good draw Boise State at home and considering 5 wins in three years; NT has been better than expected. 5. Media Market, no matter how La Tech fan's want to spin this one, NT has a major advantage. From "Market Track" DFW is the fifth largest market in the nation with 2,544,000 households. La Tech believe that they are a big factor not only in their market; Monroe La/ El Dorado Ar (177,200 households) but Shreveport (386,180). Giving them that, their total market is 560,000 households. They claim they control much more of their market than NT does the DFW because they are the only fb division school and there is no pro competition. I can only guess they think the 80,000 that go to cowboy games on Sunday are hurting college attendance. The issue with pro teams is through TVs and other media dominance, not live attendance and as far as I know Shreveport can get televised Saints games as well as the Cowboys. Likewise LSU and SEC games versus UT and Big 12 games, are the same issue. As far as sharing DFW with two private FB division schools, my guess is that 2,000,000 extra households trumps that point. 6. Geography is a two edged sword. The only down side for NT is it to close to other CUSA members that they fear increased competition. I keep seeing a familar point on both NT and LT sites, SMU will block NT entrance to CUSA. Maybe, but they have signed a contract for long term football games. They could just come to their senses and realize that it would be good for the fans and the budget. As far as travel, I would think NT has an edge with two major airports 30 miles away and I doubt many are in a hurry to go to Ruston. 7. Academics are always bannered about, but I don't think it will be a factor. Actually La Tech and NT are not far apart. Some stats from "College Stats" are retainment LT 72%, NT 74%; Graduation rate: LT 47%, NT 44%, Acceptance rate; LT 66%, NT 65%: 75 percentile ACT; LT 20 (SAT not reported), NT 21(SAT 1200) and student to faculty ratio; LT 88 to 12, NT 91 to 9, From schools sites, NT's admission standards are higher. La Tech reguires incoming freshmen to have either a 2.5/4.0 hs GPA, top quarter of class, or 23 ACT or 1050 SAT. NT automatically admits top 10% of hs class compared to LT top 25%. Next 15% at NT require 950 SAT or 20 ACT and second quarter 1050 SAT or 23 ACT (Any student would gain admission to La Tech with these scores). As far as degrees offered bachelors; NT 97, LT 82; masters; NT 101, LT 57; Doctors; NT 48, LT 9. 8. Other sports with the exception of MBB will be minor points . La Tech has a good basketball program but not up to NT in last few years. I don't think the lack of baseball will hurt NT at all. If CUSA required it, NT would have one next year. 9. Potential is an intangible that should make the decision. La Tech is limited by size and location. They are a relatively small school in a relatively small market in a state with severe economic problems despite a lot of support from their fan base; it is tough to visualize them significantly improving. NT of course is loaded with potential but has failed to significantly improve over its history. I can see NT in the next decade having 45,000 students with an additional 20,000,000 dollars flowing in from student activity fees plus greatly increased outside fund raising. NT should have state of the art non-AQ facilities. I don't see how Louisiana Tech can come close. In summary, neither La Tech or NT may be chosen for anything or La Tech may be picked because they are not North Texas. But look at some of the stats and don't assume NT has nothing to offer or is not in a fairly good position.

UNT GOAL! 76th minute. Julie Lackey scores on an assist from Ellen Scarfone. Scarfone lobbed a pass over the MSU back line. The ball bounced pretty high and lackey headed it right over the head of the out charging keeper into the back of the net.

Good scrimmage today. Generally speaking, I thought the defense stepped up some. I thought the receivers in the end-zone were better covered than I've seen in the past. QBs threw some good long balls, but I was more impressed with their ability to put the ball where only the receiver could get to it. I know there are some starting receivers out, so it was encouraging that the 2s & 3s did a nice job catching the ball. I watched the O-line pretty closely and I think the starting five are very good with the 2s being just slightly behind. The difference is in the little things; a step, some ball awareness and some line communication, but they could step in almost seamlessly if necessary. To me the best improvement from last year to this year is that we now have a Division I offense with a plan and goals. It has runs, short and long passes, misdirection and accountability. I LIKE IT! I think we're gonna win a lot of games because of the accountability alone.

I still think some...probably you included, Emmitt...would be better suited just ignoring them as they're really insignificant...but yeah, they're cocks.

So me and my wife headed up to campus today to move my niece into her dorm for her first year at UNT. Needless to say she was excited to to start her Mean Green life. As a side trip the better half let me take a drive over to the AC to see Valhalla, Nirvana, Eden if you will. I just about wanted to weep green tears of joy and happiness. I have tad time and again on the board that, "you just have to see it in person", " pictures don't do it justice", " wait until you see it up close" etc... Well I can' stress enough how true those words are. The new stadium will make Fouts look like the turd it is. I was absolutely blown away by the stadium even in it's current state. The field level is wayyyyyy below grade and the sight lines are simply amazing. Keep in mind that the portion we see from ground level will amount to the 2nd tier of seating. We will be practically be on top of the field in the lower bowl. Please take some extra time before the Rice game to d over to the AC to see the progress. It will be well worth the extra time. WOW Just WOW!

While we are hoping recruits read blogs, I hope Trey doesn't read this forum. Trey commits and we talk about Devonta, who would be a huge get for UNT, then SMU, who is insignificant at best!

This is the first day that he's listed us on Rivals.....among others as you can see. Same AAU team as Trey Norris: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Jalen-Jones-111371

UTEP compiled those envious attendance records while they were in the WAC and they were in the WAC before Boise became big. They weren't playing Rice, SMU, Tulsa, etc. or any other Texas schools. They drew well because their fans come out no matter who the opposition is. They did better in winning years of course but they did substantially better than 20,000 in losing years. Their fans came out to support their team. They did have one thing we don't have, traditional rivals in UNM and NMSU. Boise cranked it up in the '90s playing Big West teams. They cranked it up with alum and community support, much as TCU has done. They had more donors in the '90s than we do now. Saying we will do better in a better conference may not be a big selling point though it is clearly true. People complain about the conference we are in, well, we are in the conference we are in because we earned it.

I care about SMU basketball like I care about UTSA football. Meaning: I don't give a flying intercourse until they start competing on the D-1 level. They can all have fun in fantasy land. Meanwhile, we'll be over here racking up more 20 win seasons, NCAA berths, and National Top 150 commits.

My last hope is they did not say if there would be any changes, just the staff would stay. Wow I hope they juggle the staff around and still bring in some good assistant coaches, wow, it is like a nightmare and it just gets worse.

I hope RV gets on here and explains this crap, what a f'ing joke I am about to switch to SMU season tickets.

I feel like the flood gates of hell just opened up! Dodge had better learn how to practice his team and hopefully bring in a few more assistant coaches.

Dodge and the staff will be back Now the fans can commit suicide neatly and get it over with.

I doubt this is official he probably just read Vito's blog.

1-1 at the half from the UNT Soccer Field. Missouri State took the lead in the second minute after our clearance was stopped by a blatant uncalled handball. Play was allowed to continue and the ball was in the net within ten seconds. UNT found the equalizer in the 16th minute on a goal by Michelle Young. After a great through ball she was left one on one with the keeper down the left flank. Her left footed finish cut across the keeper and goalface into the far side netting. UNT is lacking the edge they had Friday, probably due to the heat and a more talented opponent. Our finishing at this point appears to be much better than last year though.

UT-Austin, and to a lesser extent, A&M are mostly correct. The other two are delusional.

Volunteer coaches, such as the OL coach that played for Tampa, can help in the film room, weight room, etc. but they can't instruct on the field at practice/game etc.

You may be right....but that mentions coaches EMPLOYED and grad assistants. How about volunteer coaches...who are working for no pay and no scholarship? I think we have a guy doing just that...for the O line (that guy who had played with Tampa Bay). Anyway, Rick isn't talking about one of these people being added to the staff...nor is he talking about someone being out there with them every day. (As I'm sure these aforementioned people don't have time for that). But a kicker (like these mentioned) might be able to observe a practice (or two) and help correct some technique problem which our coaches are overlooking.

Yes, he's still coaching at Denton High, you can find that on the Denton ISD Web Site. Here's the story that I like though (excuse me if I posted it before) from the DRC in 2008: DRC on Iseed Khoury, "Denton's Soccer Son". The story about the Denton High coaches not knowing he was left-handed until his senior year is great. My favorite quote from there is, in so many words, "Denton didn't help raise me, Denton raised me". I was hoping they'd have the story about how he told Hayden Fry, when Fry asked him to kick for the football team, something about his English might not be good enough (he was an immigrant from Israel), and Fry told him that being from West Texas, his wasn't either. It is great how that, when he didn't have a place to stay over Thanksgiving, Fry gave him the keys to his house and told him "you'll always have a place to sleep and eat".

If Wilson, Meager, Vizza or Dodge had had the same defense Hall and Smith had to play behind our QB situation would have never been an issue these past 5 years. Rick

After what some might agree was a bit of a shake'y start at UNT, I really believe Rick V has found his nitch in Denton. Even where we are right now in light of recent losing seasons, I think our future is very much more interesting than some of those schools now in CUSA who will never compete with our enrollment/alumnus numbers (and yes) still our unlimited potential. Folks, we can't change our past (of which we can learn much from I hope) but I think the University of North Texas has one helluva' future which can now be jumpstarted and all but put in warp speed because of a new Mean Green football palace presently being built between those 2 major Texas Interstates in the northern part of the (almost) 8 million populated Metroplex. What a location for a college football stadium! GMG!

culture is changing... I took my son to meet the teacher the other night at his school. His teacher is a 2010 NT grad. She had 4 or 5 NT items up on the wall in her class. My son likes her already.

How can I get one of those schedule posters if I live six hours away? I'm a teacher and I would love to put one up in my classroom with all my other NT stuff!

Here is my problem with that logic. The epicenter of CUSA would be near the Mississippi River; actually a little west of it. There are eight of twelve members west of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Why would you want to move further away from the core of your member schools? If and when the Big East decides to get with the rest of the BCS and increase their membership, UCF and East Carolina are almost assured to be gone. Marshall is a little more iffy but they could as well. That would leave UAB as the easternmost CUSA team. Even if it didn't happen, you just jumped the travel expenses by a fairly large amount. In this economy, especially, it makes much more sense to try to reduce expenses.

So I can't tell someone they were wrong on the internet, but you can tell me I am wrong....That makes sense....

I thought Scott was special before he ever threw a pass, and before I even noticed Booger. Just my own experience/perception. And Scott was the perfect fit for the Buick's offense. We're not asking for an all-world QB, we're asking for one that fits our current O. Hopefully Tune or Thompson will bring that to 2010.

Wesley Davis 0 2011 Mansfield Summit 6’1″ 165 Kelvin Downs 1 2012 Grand Prairie 6’8″ 210 Trey Norris 3 2011 S. Grand Prairie 5’10″ 165 Austin Franklin 4 2011 Dallas Kimball 6’1″ 173 Kevin Wagner 5 2011 Lubbock Estacado 5’7″ 158 DaJuan Cooper 8 2011 Keenedale 6’7″ 175 Denzil Zackery 10 2011 Lancaster 5’8″ 155 Jarion Henry 15 2011 Dallas Kimball 6’8″ 177 Jalen Jones 22 2011 Mansfield Timberview 6’5″ 186 Billy Johnson 24 2011 Cedar Hill 6’2″ 170 Amadou Konte 00 2011 Gods Academy 6’8″ 220

C'mon, Brett! You asked the most exciting question of Jordan Williams... Nothing from Norris???

FWST Value

As long as there are people that still want to sink on the Titanic, there will be someone scalping tickets to board.

I'll admit to glazing over the word "stars" when I first read that sentence, but of your list I'd have put Scott easily above Awasome and Cody. Behind Booger, that entire defense was stacked.

The Star-Telegram has turned into a junior high newspaper.

Gave you a +1, but I'd like to write in an additional +999

You can't lay this at the feet of the coaches. Olen was a highly rated and recruited coming out of high school.

I hear ya about the two most important ingredients in selecting realignment teams. I would add a third in which we are also currently deficient, success on the field/attendance. As to power, none of our competition is dripping with it. We are fortunate to have Lane Rawlins at this time. There are few men available with his NCAA credentials. Also, his hiring of Chuck Neinas, one of the more respected men in college sports won't hurt our political clout either. If they can't do it then we deserve to stay where we are. It's also true that we don't have money but we are about to add a good deal to that thanks to our students. Our competition is not exactly rolling in dough either. Beginning next year, we could be at or near the top in total revenue among the major competitors for a vacant conference spot. The third factor that we are fighting is more serious. We have been non-competitive in football for the past five years. If we had success during that time, as we did in the first half of the decade, then I believe we'd stand at the top of the list. What we are going to have to sell is potential. In spite of five losing seasons, our attendance has been on par with our competition. We appear to be on the verge of really turning this program around. Maybe enough of the presidents that will decide new members will be able to see that. I've been around this program for more than sixty years and if anyone should be pessimistic about our chances it should be me. I've seen us never try so many times and fail a few times as well but this time I sense something different from our other efforts. There is a spirit now that hasn't existed before to make this effort a success. We haven't begun to reach our potential yet but at least an increasing sized group is trying. With our size and location we should be the leading candidate.

So, tell me...why is a simple honest question worth -2 in points???? It's a fact that JUCO football signees have some challenges at times actually getting to enroll at their D1 programs and then there have been numerous cases where JUCO transfers don't stay for one reason or another...including academics. It was just a question guys...and honest one as I do not follow college softball all that closely..GEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Who's Dickey?

G) Player abandonment, I wonder how many will leave this sinking ship?

Maybe RV needs a drug test he has to be on something.

This is absolutely insane........

If that is the official word, that will just put the whole exclamation point on how bush league our AD is.

yeah, I think I'll mix myself a Judy Garland cocktail and catch yall on the flipside.

you're making jokes, right?

Unfortunately thats the problem. Many see UNT as having an unfair advantage if allowed to be affiliated with the name schools because of our size and location and hotbed of talent. How many more kids will stay home and play for UNT if OU, OKST and others are on our home schedule? SMU, Houston and TCU understand that all too well. Whats sad is that they would rather cut their own throats then allow UNT the opportunity to help fill their stadiums and generate income for them because of natual rivialries. The good news is this! We may not be considered this time because of ignorance, pride and fear but I believe that if we can keep the people we have now in key positions we will overcome any and all obstacles. I may not see it in my lifetime, but it is close! No ONE or no School will be able to stop us now! Go Mean Green!! WIN!!!

Man, give it a rest. Let them think they are better than us. Who gives a damn? Obviously recruits pick us over them. They know we're better. Our fans posting over there just looks awful. Don't be this guy:

Why all the asshole UNT fans over there posting on their board? It's one thing if it's witty, but that Glick guy is throwin' up some weak shit. That's embarrassing. It really would pay to be a bit more cordial to them. I see no reason why the one guys comment of having a DFW area tournament with UNT, UTA, SMU, and TCU can't be done. The attendance would be high and coverage from local media would be high. Throw in some other area schools if they're interested. With UTAs new stadium coming online, it could put fans in seats in everyone's arena on a rotation.

You know, I hear a few saying "Look at Nevada, BSU, and Fresno. They went to the WAC and now they are in the MWC. We should follow their model. I think we are all glad we didn't join now, whether they admit it or not.

If four years in, you still have yet to master the PAT and are in a "might as well go for it" mode, then yeah, it's on the coaches. As are most of the deficiencies we've seen minimal improvement in in a three year period. I don't understand how Chancellor redshirts with all the issues at WR, especially in such a critical season for this staff. Then again, it's the same head coach who said re: Carey “We hope to get him back for the first game [at Clemson], but definitely I want to get him back for Rice and Army", so who the heck knows what the end goal is. Maybe we'll just roll out the Eagle Angels at WR at Clemson, take our 7 TD beating, and get ready for Rice. Hopefully Jackson and Stradford are just dinged and won't miss time, unless the Clemson sandbagging claims them. Sounds like the biggest positive was the defensive speed... I hope that translates, particularly in the "giving up the big play" arena....