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Wyoming fan here. We finally started fall camp yesterday and I am getting excited for football. looking for some thoughts on the Pikes and Mean Green. What are your thoughts on how this game will play out? Strengths vs weaknesses etc… I feel good about this years team in Laramie. We return a bunch of physical talent on both sides of the ball. The biggest question we have, and it’s a big one, what will the offense look like? We will run the ball well I think but, can we throw the ball more effectively? We will be starting a new QB that doesn’t have a lot of experience. He had a big arm but is low on playing time. Also, we have a new OC and I’m hoping this offense evolves a little with more passing and just a little less three yards and a cloud of dust. Anyway, I’m interested in some friendly banter about how this game is gonna play out.

Temple journalist having similar feelings about NIL... "What you have now in men’s college football and basketball is the Power 5 starting at the 40-yard-line, while the Group of Five is way back at the goal line and that’s not fair. The guy holding the starter’s pistol doesn’t seem to notice or looks the other way. What used to be a major infraction in the NCAA (see SMU football death penalty, 1987) is now accepted practice. We won’t see it change unless the Power 5 itself notices..." "How many JUCO-dominated Temple teams will be able to compete with million-dollar transfer portal guys? None. So if Temple is caught in a downward spiral of perpetual 3-9 seasons, count me out. Maybe the best hope for Temple is to get with a similar G5 group and get out of the business of trying to compete with the P5 for things like playoff spots. When the first question a recruit asks is how big is that bag of cash, that’s not quite why college sports was created in the first place so there should be no tears shed if they come to an end eventually at a lot of schools. I won’t hold my breath waiting for a rich Temple benefactor to save the Owls nor should I be expected to." https://templefootballforever.com/2024/01/29/nil-and-transfer-portal-a-matter-of-right-and-wrong/

Both BIG Z and NT 80 hit the nail on the head. I think a lot of fans are upset over the way College sports has moved from amateur to semi professional seemingly overnight. Between the transfer portal and NIL every year appears to be a rebuild, especially for most G6 programs.I don't have any idea who,if any, players on UNT's last years football and basketball programs are returning this season. The only thing worse that being a UNT fan in the NIL sweepstakes is being a head coach here. Every year you basically start from scratch.

This is the most apathetic that I have felt about the Cowboys and my Mean Green in years. However, I renewed my season tickets because I like drinking beers in the parking lot and watching college football. The Cowboys on the other hand, I'm just waiting for Jerry to die. Dude has made a ton of money, but holy shite is he holding the team back. I'm going into the season with low expectations. But I'll still follow them both.

I think we are feeling it the most, but it will catch up with all the schools sooner or later. I don't really have any hope right now, and I don't see a way to build a program the way the NCAA currently has it set up. It's more like a huge pick-up game, starting over each year while losing your best players.

College football as a whole has lost what appealed to fans the most: that feeling of connection. That feeling of family. The sport has become so commercialized it’s just another pro league at this point. Seeing players have that feeling of “school pride” just doesn’t really exist anymore.

I really think the solution to number 3 lies with number 2 by doing what pro soccer does internationally. You want my guy? Pay a buyout fee to release from his contract (scholarship) which will then allow the program to reinvest in transfers or better HS talent. Rinse, repeat. The way things are going, smaller programs need a reason to keep pushing. That's the solution. I'll never forget Leicester City, who 2 years after moving up to the Premier League, won the Premier League over perennial powers. They just fell back down but that type of season is what keeps fans over there dreaming. College football has no such formula anymore. That needs to be fixed or it will die.

Definitely. Easily the least interested I’ve been in the team since I started following them in 1997. It’s impossible to keep up with the roster changes. No continuity. Used to it was fun speculating how your returning players could be added to from the high school ranks and developed. Now it’s all just a mercenary portal grab crapshoot.

It could be; I like Morris, though, but I sure would hate to be a head coach in this environment. Especially without unlimited funds.

North Texas 72 Wyoming 13 LOL!

Gosh I’m depressed.

Mixed feelings here: Clearly, the team is different. The uniform is the same. Regardless of how this plays out, none of the players, coaches or department employees will be here longer than I will. They won't love the school or team more than I do. That theory has held up pretty well since about 1985, four or five years after I got here. The system will continue to change. We are being toxic shocked currently, kind of like when free agency came to baseball (Curt Flood, I believe, was the first). My biggest gripe is I see no sign that the stakeholders of the schools most adversely impacted are fighting to right the game so that the "minor league" teams can still provide their fans something to cheer about. On the other hand, if memory serves, we were a below .500 team last year. We lost, then replaced, about 50% of our players last year, maybe a bit more. Is it possible we improved the talent enough, using this new system to do so, that we are better than last year's team? If so, does that make the system good (No, it doesn't)? Would it infer our coaches figured out the new rules well enough to put together a better team in the new system? Being able to pull for the same guys is like meat loaf at lunch....comfort food. It's easier, more comfortable and familiar, when you have experienced the player's ups and downs for a few years, to see or meet his parents at the game, to hear said player praise the team and school. For me, that's usually 5-7 players a year that I follow. Maybe 2-3 this year. I will have reloaded by the end of game one. Enjoy what you got. Pull for who you have. GMG

Does this board seem dead? 10-15 usual posters remain, but even visits from Harry and the moderators are few. This time of year GMG should be jumping with enthusiasm for the upcoming football, basketball, and soccer seasons. Yet, now it's mostly crickets. NT Athletics does only the minimum to remind us they still remember us, but nothing to show they actually want and need us! Has realignment, the loss of natural rivals, NIL, the NCAA, and the athletes themselves killed off the fans? Asking for a friend....

At least we know the field is being mowed and kept in pristine condition.

12 starters on offense…seems unlikely lol! Jkjk

I can’t tell if this is serious or parody. So what do the people who actually get paid by the AD to perform this job do?

Did you say free pizza in the stadium with a concert at halftime?

Welcome! Look forward to learning more about your program.

Was hoping we would be going up against Coach Bohl. He was a coaching legend. As I recall....you guys promoted from within.....right? Anyway......with so much turnover (55 new players).......it's hard to guess how good/bad we might be. Hope that there's a good contingent of Wyoming fans at DATCU.

normal hat. no porn stache. gunna be a great season.

Having a very hard time convincing my friends to renew season tickets and tailgate this season. This NIL has killed my enthusiasm for football. I still think we can be good in basketball because it takes fewer players. It pains me to say this. It truly does.

UNT has been forever relegated to the basement due to NIL. The history of this institution has been a series of logical decisions that turned into disasters over and over, and the end result has put us in precisely the wrong spot at the worst time. There's no point in cheering high school signings, because if there is a breakout player they'll be yanked away by a P4 team. UNT cannot compete on a dollar-to-dollar basis. There's not enough intangibles (history, alumni network) to keep someone here when the payday is elsewhere. People love winners. Mediocre teams just have too much competition for things to do in the MetroMess. I see a long line of 5-7 seasons ahead. That will translate directly to an empty stadium, and indirectly to an apathetic alumni base. So, yay? Cheer for the Green and White? I have to say that the connection to a school that I attended in the last century is growing tenuous indeed.

I’m riding it out, but yes. Unprecedented numbers of Mean Greenies in our tailgating group that opted not to renew this year. Despite the reorg of seats in the 104-106 area, I was able to upgrade my seats thanks to the non-renewals.

At the risk of being downvoted to University Park, there are other options and this place has been getting more and more toxic over the years.

Puppeteers play with their Puppets. What do Privateers play with?

Yes

I’m a bigger BB supporter!

B - I - N - G - O B - I - N - G - O B - I - N - G - O And Bingo was his name-o.

Yes, but overall forum participation is down with other options such as Facebook groups, reddit, and Twitter. I've still always preferred forums.

LAUNCH EVENTS Date / Location / Start Time Aug. 6 / Revolver Beer Garden at Texas Live! / 5 pm Aug. 7 / East Side Denton / 6 pm Aug. 13 / Lucky Lou's / 8 pm For more information on where to purchase North Texas Blonde, visit www.revolverbrewing.com/where-to-buy. Full article: https://meangreensports.com/news/2024/7/25/general-north-texas-blonde-ale-is-official-craft-beer-of-unt-athletics

This seems to be the issue for most G5 schools. Managing the turnover/defections is the new challenge for the coaches. If you do well, the reward is that P4 schools will come in and pay your players to join them. For UNT, there seems to be high confidence that we will have a potent offense. Concern for me is that we have a complete turnover in the QB room, and our QB1 (transfer from TCU) has a history of injuries, and we have no experience behind him. The question after last season's disaster on the Defensive side of the ball is, what are we in for this year? Our defense was terrible last year, and there were a lot of players brought in, but outside the eternal preseason hope, I have no clue how they will play.

I have nothing important to add to this thread. Just mentioning that I went to Wyoming once and it was awesome. Carry on

Hi @Cowboy Up! Welcome! I'm really excited about this game. I think it will be a good one. I am expecting Wyoming to field a great team. North Texas has too many unknowns, but I do expect our defense to be improved to some degree (maybe not enough...). Something came up recently about the Texas Tech vs. North Texas game this year, and everyone was saying "We can't let this be another Wyoming." So props to y'all for beating Tech! Not sure we can pull something like that off... We've had issues over the years winning the games against equal or better talent and that was a main reason why we fired Seth Littrell. Coach Morris gets a pass in my mind given the weird situation he inherited, but this year, I think we are all needing to see us win games against teams that won bowl games last year. My biggest struggle with this game is that my 10 year high school reunion is that evening... Given the choice, I'll be at the game, but I need them to release the start time to know if I can somehow make both! Anyone know why there would be a hold up on announcing a start time for this one? Seems like it usually the conference game times that are TBA for us, so this feels kind of random!

We promoted our DC to head coach. Our linebackers coach, Aaron Bohl (Coach Bohl son) was promoted to DC. We hired Jay Johnson who was previously at Michigan State. We have a lot of questions going forward. Wyoming usually travels pretty well but no idea on how well travel deep into the heart of Texas for this game. I truly think this will be a good game. We have too many unknowns and haven’t performed well on the road the last couple of years.

Strengths-Wyoming Weaknesses-North Texas Best of luck to you guys this year @Cowboy Up

Anyone else planning on making this road trip? I will be there with one other, staying on Fort Lauderdale Beach and driving up to Boca Raton for the game. Decided the Beach+Mean Green football would make for a pretty good trip.

Yep 1. Low % of players commit all 4 years 2. We are a farm system to the bigger fish 3. We have no money or big donor to compete 4. Our athletic department does the bare minimum to get fans excited with "oh be sure to get your season tickets" ...."you'll see these players one season and BOOM out the door" 5. Alot of fans have little faith in Eric Morris right now

They will have dropped their program by then.

Well, uh, yah. 100%

Yes, combined with the lack of controls with the SMU trolls

Yes.

Yes

Case Keenum??? is that you?

I'm a 12 year starter. I'm not hitting the portal.

I know the product on the field is important, but the staff making the every interaction with the team a breeze is just as important.

As said in another thread...a win in Mobile Alabama would help alleviate some of this doubt.

Things are very quiet rn for UNT but I don't see that as a bad thing. Hoping it just means the team is working out smoothly, as you should in the offseason. Every other day we see a Georgia football player being arrested so maybe we're lucky to be so incognito lol

I was all excited to jump in with a snarky comment but unfortunately.... I can't. There's nothing to criticize. Legit brewery, nice can. Very disappointing.

I can give a little scout from a Fairfield fan. * he should become a fan favorite/leader on the team. he plays with intensity and joy. has a knack for making big plays. * he shares the ball. doesn't turn it over. is happy to get out and run. the Stags liked to push the pace a fair amount. * his rebounding stats are not "Westbrook" stat stuffing. he anticipates well and is quick to the ball. he'll win a couple of extra possessions each game. * he's durable. will play 40 minutes, if you want. * good defender. he'll gamble for steals with mixed results. but I think overall that's a net positive. * a confident player. not afraid to take shots when he's open, but not a selfish player. some of his best games were the games he only had a handful of shot attempts. * good FT shooter. will not hurt you at the line. * he gets to the basket - but he has to work on finishing. often just a little out of control. * his 3P shooting is not a strength. the plus is he doesn't take bad shots. the negative is he doesn't make them as often as you'd like. * as I alluded to above - even though scoring wasn't the best part of his game, he seemed to come through pretty often in the clutch.