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Pure gold.

I'll never forget one day my freshman year I was walking to a bio or chem class from Clark Hall, and it began just pouring, so I thought I'd duck into the music building, cut over and come out over by the admin building, right across from the bio side entrance since I knew there was a door over there... Needless to say, I was totally lost for about 5 minutes in that monstrous, nonsensical building. If we're going to hang our hat on the music program, I'm fine with giving them a building to rival the new business building.

I love reading the stories, guys... Very moving. I just worked full time, went to school full time and had very little to start with though I've trudged on to building the better life I now enjoy. My wife and new twin babies were a part of that mix. I wanted a monument to my efforts and the Lord's provision and boy did I get one. I work as in IT professional at A&M so I can't wait for all the conversation this behemoth will inspire.

Lonnie, I've read that a couple of times & I'm still not sure what your point is. You seem to have a problem with random events. Physicists do indeed talk about random events but what they mean, usually, is events which are, in fact, caused but our understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships are, at least for now, beyond our ability to observe. No physicist believes the events of the Big Bang are magical (and that seems to be what you mean when you say 'random') - everything that occurred was in accord with the laws that govern energy & matter (though those laws may have been a bit exotic in the first few milliseconds following the 'bang'). Turning to evolution - a subject with which I am more comfortable - 'randomness' is not a very useful term. The source of the variability on which evolution depends is mutation. Mutation is often described as 'random' but that's again a reflection of our failure to understand the cause-and-effect events that lead to mutation. Mutations are determined by physical events. Even more importantly, the probability of any particular mutation is determined by the biological context in which it occurs. As an example, previous mutational events may raise the probability of new mutations occurring in that cell lineage (you may recognize this as part of the process of carcinogenesis). Even if you insist on calling mutation 'random', don't make the mistake of thinking the other components of evolution are random. Natural selection, the major process by which evolution occurs, is a determinant process. Mutations that are detrimental (i.e., make reproduction less likely) are selected against. Mutations that are beneficial (make reproduction more likely) are selected for. Neither physics nor biology are magical. Neither physics nor biology are random in a real sense.

Ok, first off. Mac has won more games with dodges recruits than dodge ever did. Sad but true. The cupboard was bare. This is only looking at starters. We all know that it's not only 22 players that play the game. On top of all this the sad thing is that we don't have more offensive playmakers when that was pretty much all dodge recruited early in his tenure. The best or second best, however you want to argue it, offensive player we had from dodge was a walk-on. Our d improved immediately under Mac, but we had very few offensive weapons. He's done more with what he had than dodge ever did.

Unless I missed something in the transfer, it's the other way around. SMU has already made the bucks from A$M visiting Ford now it's the Mustangs time to visit Kyle. The Aggies can sell out Kyle regardless of who they play but they are more interested in a sure win. Sorry SMU, it's now time to pay the fiddler. Pony up!

The exxcuses for your douchebagness continues....

Tell them $1000 is on the table for a game at Apogee.

My ring should be in tomorrow! So excited. Somebody show me your ring and tell me ring stories. GMG!

Institutions are required to submit capital projects greater that $1 million planned for the FY2013-2017 schools year. I was looking over the plan and saw some interesting requests: New Construction Baseball Stadium 12,000,000 New Construction Construct Track and Field Stadium 5,600,000 New Construction UNT Hotel and Conference Center 82,500,000 New Construction Visitor's Center 2,500,000 In total UNT is undertaking $817,370,000 in construction projects!!

I put half of it in a pot of soup, and ate the other half straight up. I'm not entirely sure that that I'm not hallucinating right now. Just. Wow.

Exciting to see. Sure would be nice if the populace of Denton would take a look at these numbers. $1 Billion dollars directly into the local economy thanks to UNT. Not to mention the future dollars said improvements will bring to town. Of course The University could save a ton by scrapping the science cluster and just build a small chapel instead.

@Cerebus, thanks. Hopefully they get built sooner rather than later. Especially the expansions to the sciences, we are going to have a nice little science cluster up by the Environmental Education, Science, and Technology building. Which should turn to a better reputation as a school and hopefully more research.

Why if Dodge was such a disaster as a coach, do people continue to cite a moderately improving program from his level as significant progress. NT had one descent win last year, ULL. The others were over a bad fc division team, a close win over a program in transition to the FB division, and a bottom of conference FAU. Only with a lot of optimism and knowledge that NT was a young team last year does this look like any kind of advancement.

Addition Construct Science and Tech Research Bldg Ph 1 50,000,000 Addition Discovery Park Greenhouse Addition 3,000,000 Addition University Union Renovation and Expansion 137,100,000 Infrastructure Discovery Park Infrastructure Development 15,000,000 Infrastructure Electrical Substation Expansion 4,000,000 Infrastructure Renovate General Academic Building MEP 4,700,000 Infrastructure Renovate Wooten Hall MEP 3,000,000 Land Acquisition Land Acquisitions Expansion Central Campus 10,000,000 Land Acquisition Purchase Apartment Complex-Maple St 2,000,000 New Construction Academic Building 75,000,000 New Construction Baseball Stadium 12,000,000 New Construction Construct College of Visual Arts and Design 90,000,000 New Construction Construct IT Services Facility 23,000,000 New Construction Construct Music Building 50,000,000 New Construction Construct Residence Hall 17,600,000 New Construction Construct Science and Tech Research Bldg Ph 2 48,000,000 New Construction Construct Sorority Housing 4,500,000 New Construction Construct Startup Facility at Discovery Park 25,000,000 New Construction Construct Track and Field Stadium 5,600,000 New Construction Discovery Park Academic Building 60,000,000 New Construction Materials Testing Laboratory 4,000,000 New Construction Research Building 40,000,000 New Construction UNT Hotel and Conference Center 82,500,000 New Construction Visitor's Center 2,500,000 Repair and Renovation CEng Laboratory Build Out 6,020,000 Repair and Renovation CEng Laboratory Build Out, Ph2 8,550,000 Repair and Renovation College of Visual Arts Exhibition Space 4,100,000 Repair and Renovation Marquis Hall Renovation 7,000,000 Repair and Renovation Relocate IT Functions 4,500,000 Repair and Renovation Renovate Administration Building (Phase 2) 4,000,000 Repair and Renovation Renovate Discovery Park 5,000,000 Repair and Renovation Renovate Matthews Hall MEP 4,200,000 Repair and Renovation Renovate West Hall Commons 1,500,000 Repair and Renovation Woodhill Square Renovations 4,000,000 That us only for the Denton campus, system wide the plans call for over a billion in expenditures. This post has been promoted to an article

I would rather call them 'former conference mate'.

Absolutely not! I, DeepGreen, was the first to coin the label "MUTS". I am hearby registering that name. MUTS­® Next: www.muts.com

Tasty disappears about the same time Andrew shows up with crazy basketball knowledge. Coincidence? Or the greatest bit ever? Question, no info .

And it was such a successful program that Coach Mac was mistaking DE's for DB's. You can call it "coachspeak" all you want, but if you sat in the stands and didn't see a big difference then you are blind. Dodge didn't have the defense hitting in practice, etc... Dodge probably had a good vision, but he didn't know how to successfully implement that vision. He left the program in terrible shape, so bad that Coach Mac deserves the time needed to turn it around. Hell, this program has been in bad shape for years, even during the Dickey era, yet everyong thinks a new coach is going to walk in here and change a culture overnight that has been cultivated for decades. The truth doesn't bother me emmit, although I don't consider myself an apologist. A realist would be more accurate, and a dose of reality may do you some good.

A loss to Idaho would be confidence crushing defeat, and I doubt UNT would win either game against Ball St or Ohio after a loss to Idaho. Beating Idaho is imperative to avoid a season killing 0-4 start.

Hell yes...save a ton on the bodybag games, come to Denton! We will buy you ice cream too! Maybe even t-shirts..."I Volunteered to come to North Texas" sounds pretty good to me...maybe after 60 visits to Apogee they will be out of debt...hmm...sounds like my student loans! I like it!

Just remember, you have only experienced half the pain so far...

Also in the thread someone mentioned that smut was tring to got out of our series with them. Someone else mentioned that on this board. Is that true? We better not let them out, I am looking forward to stomping them.

I said a long long time ago that I didn't believe Mac would be able to recruit well enough to turn this thing around. I've seen nothing to change my mind. We're in CUSA and we're still recruiting to the bottom rung of the SunBelt. GrandGreen won the thread when he remarked that our success level tracks right on with our recruiting ratings.

To add to a little scientific vocabulary and context, gravity is currently nothing more than a theory. It's not proven, just supported by lots of data, and bruised knees, and dropped passes.

Well, we need to by golly hurry up. Some of us are running out of time. God Almighty doesn't always extend life contracts like they do at North Texas.

This is CUSA football. The money games are better than going in as fodder to Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge every damn year. BYU could actually have a down year or an off game.

Now it's official! The apocalypse is near! Get all of your earthly affairs in order fellow alums and MG fans! LOL! (Seriously.......I agree, Gray Eagle)! SMU will probably start trying to use the Boise model to get to a BCS bowl game except they will be in a new conference whose teams IMHO will be beating up on each other quite effectively causing too many losses for any new Big East team to get ranked high enough to get to a BCS bowl game; that is, if I am understanding the formula as it is today for that to happen any more. GMG!.

100% Yes! Bring Johnny Football to Denton.

I won't say we're quite ready for the "any team, any time, anywhere" concept just yet (who was that, SDSU?), but the thought of aTm at Apogee is a cool thought. There are a lot of Aggie faithful who could fill the stands. If it's not a "we play at their place for cash" bodybag game and we can host, I'm down. Especially if our positive hopes for this/next year come to fruition. If our new QB is as good as he's been touted to be, a Berglund/Manziel shootout might just be the coolest game ever played in Denton. There are so many students and alums who identify as Aggies because of family ties, it would be great to get them to a game because of the Aggie bloodline. Hey, I think it's weird too, and when Emmitt and CMJ and a few others were students with me was when they (Talons crew) started the t-shirt trade to get students to STOP wearing the other schools' crap that their parents bought for them. This would be a great chance to let them bring their Aggie family to Apogee. It's so prevalent, I really don't see why we don't promote that more than the other games we play against big conference schools. I know we get good money to go to 'Bama, LSU, UGA, UT, OU, etc, but if you deduct the travel costs from those...and then add in the huge influx in ticket sales we would get from hosting aTm, it's about break-even. Plus, it's a bit of a win-win; the D/FW area Aggies don't have to drive down to College Station, and the ones who normally wouldn't make the drive help them keep their alums in the area active/involved/pay dues; and we fill up our badass stadium, probably for a TV appearance on one level or another, getting more exposure and, if the game stays fairly regular over the years, hopefully winning a few games against a big name (rather than the "why couldn't we play them THAT year?" problem). Why does the rivalry have to be between aTm and UT? Because that's the way it's been for a while? They are moving away from that already...WHY NOT NORTH TEXAS?

That you're not standing in the shower, mouth agape, with the cold on high is a testament to your manliness. Bravo.

nBE going to a 9 game conference schedule? Why? That can wreak havoc with schedules made years in advanced. I can see SMU wanting out of our series just to clear up space. Speaking of which ... assuming Tulsa is one and done in CUSA, I guess that "out of conference" game with them in 2014 ... that turned into a "conference game" when we joined CUSA ... will now be an "out of conference" game again. Unless we adjust our schedule that gives us only five home games in 2014. But then again, Tulsa may want to drop that game if they need an extra conference game in the nBE.

I was going to point out this whole "coaching other coaches' recruits round robin" as well. And to the discussion regarding Mac's recruits, I'd have to side with those who agree that redshirting as many as possible to grow a program is smart. If they told Mac that he had 1-2 years to have a winning record, we would have seen those guys on the field already. But they chose a guy from big-conference programs to give us big-conference coaching and attitude. We may not go 12-0 at any point under Mac (though that would be a turnaround both he and I would probably like to see in our lifetimes), but I think what he is doing - if in fact we are reading it correctly - will alter the attitude, discipline, and atmosphere of our football program in the long run. Dodge, as much as I like him and as exciting as the games were, just seems like he wasn't as ready for the transition as we had hoped, and he set us back a few years when we were cheering for an expectation that he would do the opposite. Dan is cautious and calculating, and I dig that. We go up a level in conference competition this year (well, almost half the conference is comprised of old conference mates, so maybe half a level). So with that new variable factored in, I don't think anything under 6-6 means calling for his job. If we go 3-9 or less, yeah. But move up a level and be just under .500? Still not bad, though I expect and hope for better. We can't really be too positive or negative or presume too much until at least part of the season has been played, but I'm optimistic about how he coached "up" Dodge's players, when even Dodge seemed to coach them "down". We will start to see some serious action from Mac's guys this year, and I'm cautiously optimistic about how well that will likely pan out based on those other factors.

You're right. It is much easier to read one book than many complicated ones.

This is exactly what I have been saying. 5-7 at best.

The targeted return date from injuries has often been wrong, no matter the coach. I'm sure CJ is still hoping to play but he was barely moving at the last game. I just can't see how he will be able to go from that to playing in what, six weeks.

A Highland Park High School assistant football coach told me the other day that in thirty two years of coaching in the Dallas area this the first year a North Texas football coach has ever visited him about a football player and possible recruit. He seemed both genuinely surprised and quite pleased. I don't know if this means anything, but is so frustrating to see so few UNT commitments on the list of top one hundred recruits in the Dallas - Fort Worth area year after year.

I don't think Mac's stockpiling is baffling. I think, as bad as this sounds, Mac was expecting 5-7/4-8 seasons. He's trying to build a system, an idealogy and discipline. I get the feeling that he has a three year plan like a lot do in the NFL and in college, if they get that long. Look at Willie Taggart. Came in, low recruits, but started stockpiling them, hiding them behind redshirts and playing mostly only the old regime's players. Suddenly, his players come in because they've had a year or two to study and really understand his system and bam, WKU is relevant. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Despite our recent uptick in recruiting, Mac is not recruiting stars. Mac is recruiting system players. And I'm okay with that. Because he's now got his QB. If Berglund busts, Mac needs to go. If we go 5-7, Mac needs to go. But Mac obviously wants to bring the pain, ala a smashmouth, ground and pound type team. Well, he's got the running backs, the offensive line and seems to have his wide receivers. He's even got the fullback. He's missing the ground and pound QB. Thompson did NOT fit our scheme. Berglund does. This is why Mac chased Osborn out and was so insistent on McNulty. I'm clearly just going off of his recruiting and what he did at ISU, but this is the vibe I get. I do expect the UNT coming out party next year. If not, Mac is done, in my eyes. Dodge recruited players, in fact, anyone highly rated. They often didn't fit his system though and he threw them to the wolves. Mac is doing the opposite.

You know Harry, I have been hearing the same "wait till xxxx for recruits to mature" forever at NT. People poo poo the rating services and praise NT recruits. This is a natural reaction, but frankly NT success and their recruiting ratings track. All those low rated recruiting classes have produced the same kind of teams. I am not a big fan of the ratings services but I do believe they tend to be right because if you distill their ratings they are basically predicated on what teams are recruiting players. We may all like to think that NT coaches are smarter than others and can get rich on under recruited players, but that is a tough way to grow a program. The facts are that a new coaching staff often produces some excitement and better recruiting. We saw this from Dodge and Dickey to some extent, that didn't happen with McCarney. Dodge quickly lost that edge because he didn't produce, Dickey actually grew the program till he got to be too good for "the worst coaching job" in America. I find the argument that McCarney is stockpiling a lot a players by reshirting, baffling. There is no reason in the world other than injuries and the players can't significant help the program to redshirt a player currently at NT. Also the increased emphasis in jucos also supports the thesis that there are not a lot of players waiting in the wings to take the field. McCarney will get his chance in 2013 and I think it looks promising. My point is that significant progress needs to happen next year. Many think that occurred last year, I don't. Progress to me is not being better than Dodge or Dickey, it is moving the team upward when compared with NT's peers.

So he's doing a parody account of himself?

So now the argument is that Dodge couldn't develop talent ? I think there were several current NFL players at the recent basketball game that would disagree with you. It is good to hear you say you expect something this year. It's like we agree. No one is calling for Mac's job right now, but those calls should come with anything less than a 6 win season this year. I'm sick of losing and sick of excuses.

I would suggest you look at the rosters of this year's bowl teams. RS freshmen and Sophs are starters all over those rosters, but again, we are just a special case. But not tat special, cause Ybarbo started as a redshirt freshmen and Lemon started as a true freshman. And let's not forget who was our best DB until injury took him away (Warner). The same folks who are saying Mac needs 4 years will be the sane folks who will say he needs the full 5 if this year is a disaster. And they will again use Dodge as an excuse.

So either the cupboard wasn't bear or Mac's 1st two recruiting classes have been terrible?

They based that on the results of his Junior year. I would say he didn't live up to those expectations this past season not even garnering All Area by the DRC and making 2nd team all district at safety. Hope I am wrong and didn't mean to upset you Mrs. Schilleci.

My gut tells me we're no more than a 5 win team again. All of our reasons to hope for improvement are complete unknowns and I fear we're getting Stratford'd all over again.

Darn coaches just can't coach....fire them all!

If you all don't shoot at least 101% from the line, you should fire him.

We should trade coaches!

After we fire Benford, we'll be naming the practice facility for him.

We just have to hang on and hope SMUt doesnt Pony Exce$$