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Just reserved mine (yes, @ $75 each)through the ticket office. Anyone else already on board? https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/unt/EN/legacy/flexdiff/details/13FLEX And for those who have sticker shock about the price, just remember that NT is "judged" by how well we sell our allotment. We asked for this exact bowl game and we always complain when we're not treated like the big boys...let's, literally, put our money where our mouth is.

And we finished tied as the 4th best team in CUSA ( probably 5th if tie breaker was broken by BCS) Let's not act like we deserved so much better. We haven't been to a bowl game in a decade , we have a legitimate shot at Winning a bowl game , we have a bowl game that almost all of our fans can attend There are a number of bowl eligible teams staying home this season. I don't care if we played Texas St , I'd be ecstatic. I get to Watch my Mean Green on New Years Day in the Cotton Bowl This is a process. Have a few more winning seasons & then maybe we can get the higher profile opponents No sorry , I can't complain here

Took in the SMU loss (well, half of it) and enjoyed the company of the other 500 people in attendance. Dressed head to toe in green I got a few sideways glances and one guy who asked me why I was there. When I replied that we were already going bowling and had the week off he replied "Yeah, well just wait until we play next year". Never let the ponies say they don't pay attention or care about us. Also, while sitting there I was approached by this guy: http://rivals.yahoo.com/indiana/football/recruiting/player-Jay-McCants-94727 Seems he remembers losing to us in 2011 and is looking for a place to play his last two years. I did the right thing and referred him to the AD offices instead of encouraging him. We can win this game next year folks. SMU does nothing special.

You're saying DT might be off the mark? That never happens.... A joke people.

I don't care who we play as long as we don't play like we came off a bye week.

It amazes me what people find to complain about...

I'll take the big possibility of the win in our first bowl in a decade. I'll take the marquis opponent next year when our program shows sustained success and experience. I refuse to believe that every man, woman, and child in the world wakes up every morning thinking, "Hmm. How can I screw North Texas today?" There is no conspiracy, we didn't get screwed. We're playing on new years day, in the cotton bowl, and we have an excellent shot at victory.

I'll look down on the field and see North Texas.

Did no one realize that before? We're playing on New Year's Day. That's the biggest day of bowl season, when a lot of the major bowl games are being played. Outback bowl, Gator bowl, and Capital One bowl will all be playing at the same time and will probably all have a ranked team, if not two ranked teams playing. I agree, it isn't great, but we're still playing on New Year's Day in Dallas. Just glad I get to see them live and in person.

I would take this bowl wen if it weren't on TV. It's an opportunity for disengaged fans to come check things out and have a transformative experience that leads them to get involved again...unless we lose.

Lets just only win 5 game next year so we do not have to go through this....

our fan base always finds something to bitch about....i cant believe it. Were playing a freaking bowl in our back yard. Buy your darn tickets, put on your green, and watch NORTH TEXAS. that is what its all about

Just threw a pick... It is okay though.

I worked the Fort Worth Cowboy Santa's kick off fund raiser event last week and the starting bid for a framed, autographed Tony Dorsett Pitt jersey was $1200. Im willing to bet people who know college football know who the Pitt Panthers are. Rick

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like we will be getting a "big name" opponent...at least in the mind of people down here...whoever the opponent is we just need to win.

I'd like to congratulate their student section for this:

I believe 5 bowl eligible Sun Belt teams will be staying home this year ( USA,WKU,Troy, Texas St,ULM)

Ouch. Well played. I recall quite a few lambasting LA Tech last year for looking down on their would be opponents.

If people are unhappy about having to play UNLV instead of a BIG 10, ACC, or any other team, then that is their right. It amazes me how some on this board choose to attack or belittle the opinions of other North Texas fans just because they feel differently. People can bitch if they want to. Those of you that are glad we are playing the 4th best team in the MWC West, over one from the BIG 10, ACC, or any other conference, are welcomed to that opinion. I don't share it. -1 me all you like. Wit, sarcasm, and sugar coating won't change how some of us feel about having to look across the field on New Years Day and see UNLV.

Hmmm... I wonder how many perspective recruits are going to be there.. This will be a big deal, not just for the fans but for the program.. Well that and the payout is kinda nice

I'll take ESPNU if it means we get to play in the Cotton Bowl on New Years Day.

DEFINITELY UNLV.

a poor showing will hurt any chances of future bowl consideration. What more motivation do UNT fans need than breaking a decade long drought in your own backyard ? Currently 10 bowl eligible teams who will be staying home this year. Let's not let that ever happen to us Time for our marketing department to work overtime

I bought my ticket to watch North Texas. You?

North Texas To Play In Heart of Dallas Bowl On New Year's Day Mean Green's Opponent To Be Named For Game At Cotton Bowl Dec. 8, 2013 DENTON, Texas - In the centennial year of North Texas football, the Mean Green today accepted an invitation to play in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on New Year's Day. "It is an honor to be invited to participate in the Heart of Dallas Bowl," North Texas head coach Dan McCarney said. "We are tremendously excited to be involved in a New Year's Day bowl game at a venue with all the history of the Cotton Bowl Stadium. This will make it easy for all of our fans to come and watch this team make history while going for its ninth win of the season." The Mean Green's opponent has yet to be announced. The Heart of Dallas Bowl will be played on Jan. 1, 2014, at the 92,000-seat Cotton Bowl in historic Fair Park, the 277-acre landmark complex of art-deco architecture that hosts the State Fair of Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tickets for the Heart of Dallas Bowl are on sale now online. To purchase tickets, click here and select Heart of Dallas Bowl. Tickets are $75. The 2013 season marked the 100th anniversary of the start of North Texas football as well as the first year for the Mean Green in Conference USA. In posting an 8-4 record and a 6-2 mark in C-USA play, North Texas earned its eighth bowl appearance and the 21st bowl berth in the career of Mean Green head coach Dan McCarney, who in only his third year in Denton resurrected a program that went 13-58 in the six years before his arrival. "This a validation for all the hard work put in by this team and the leadership of this senior class," McCarney said. "I can't give enough thanks to Brant Ringler from the Heart of Dallas Bowl and Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky for the confidence they have shown in this team and the effort they have put in during this process." This will be the Mean Green's second appearance in a New Year's Day bowl. North Texas played on January 1 in 1948 in the Salad Bowl, which was a precursor to the Fiesta Bowl, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Heart of Dallas Bowl will also be the Mean Green's fourth game at the Cotton Bowl, but the first in a post-season game. North Texas first played at the Cotton Bowl in 1971 against Brigham Young, and played there twice in 1981, against Oklahoma State and UTA. North Texas has never won at the Cotton Bowl. North Texas is the only school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to earn a bowl invitation this year. TCU (4-8) and SMU (5-7) had school-record streaks of eight- and four-straight bowl appearances, respectively, come to an end this year while the ascendant Mean Green earned its first bowl berth since 2004, when North Texas concluded a four-year run at the New Orleans Bowl. This year's bowl invitation ends a nine-year bowl drought for North Texas, which was the sixth longest in the nation.

Why am I here? I'm here representing the university in its efforts to sucure a second stadium in the metroplex.

I will say that from the viewpoint of accounting, SMU in Dallas and TCU in Fort Worth have a network that hires their own whereas UNT really doesn't, save one very questionable operation. On the other hand, where it counts, which means earning your keep after you're hired, UNT students are actually prepared.

Their passing game has had problems so it's a good match for our D.

You know that's different Arlo. CUSA is not AQ.

Same could be said about us from the other fan base Especially after being off the bowl map for a decade which in modern era is light years We need to show up reguardless who we play Go mean green

Awwwwww.... That seriously makes me want to cry. WHAT s***** parents to not even to sho w up for their kids games... we have parents that fly in, drive extremely long distances and would die before missing a game. SMU has just as many parents from the Texas area as we do. Those athletes deserve better. if not from their parents, THEIR SCHOOL. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. Edit.... And upon further evaluation of the photo: if that isn't a real depiction: Cerebus, I hate you.

"All 11 ACC schools" ... What is wrong with this statement?

Yes.

I'm really hoping against this. We need to be the Lead Story for this game, not him.

No idea. Just replying to his comment about being a recent graduate unable to afford season tickets.

I think I was one of the few against Fran. If you look at his past , he left all his stops on some bad terms

Also, if you aren't a MGC member or season ticket holder (can't imagine why not), find someone who is and get your tickets through them. You'll get better seats and it'll give the impression that our donors buy bowl tickets in bunches.

#HeartOfUNT

I like the suggestion that they drop football

Called up to the Pac-12. Now that's funny.

You can be married with kids and will always be immature. At least my wife tells me that everyday!

This. No doubt in my mind we would have taken Marshall apart today. Conference Championships mean a lot.

I laughed at this because I'm really immature.

The real question is which "head" was the hat made for?

Hard to tell. I forget who/when but there was a team around the top 5 or 6 in the last few years that got left out. If OSU and FSU both get upset, $#!+'s gonna get crazy.

Lord.... this thread. Washington State or Syracuse.

Bumps OSU out of the title game, so they go into one of the other bowls, and it bumps everybody in their conference down a notch in bowl selections, making it almost certain we would play a Big 10 team instead of an at-large fill-in from another conference.

Would FAU perhaps get a bid to Hawaii? I know we're going to HOD, just curious to know who ends up in Hawaii. So, as soon as it's official, I'll book my ticket back to Dallas all the way from Europe. Yup, that's how important this will be and, well, I have family in Dallas as well, so that's obviously a plus for me personally. Really excited!