Harry

I think the idea of having an official ring makes a lot of sense. Seems like they used Josten's back in the day but you could go a lot of different directions with the look. Anything that helps build tradition is welcomed.

Don't recall the exact date but it seems like the school doesn't get their allotment until closer to the game. I do know in years past you could reserve a ticket for the away games but they would not send them to you until closer to the season.

Hate losing them to SMU.

Man if we could land Chase it would be huge! 👍

Arkansas is one of the better shots we have had in awhile. Here’s a link to our lifetime series against them: http://www.winsipedia.com/north-texas/vs/arkansas i remember when we played Arkansas in 2003 back before many of you were born. I think it was under Dickey and they played us real dirty. Tried to injure Linebacker Cody S who was our best defender and ended up being drafted in the NFL. Lost game 31-7 but we were pretty much out of it early. Which is absolutely what they will try to do this year. They want to be partying in the tailgate area in the second half not worrying if they will pull it out in the 4th quarter. Anyway it became very clear early on that the refs were going to let them tackle our defenders and hold without penalty all day and that allowed their speed to take over. We actually had a pretty good team by our standards that year so I think there are some similarities to this year in that particular regard.

Interesting to look at Liberty's 2018 schedule. They open with ODU and also play Army so we should have a decent idea of how well they match up with us after those two games: 2018 Liberty Schedule Sept. 1 vs. Old DominionSept. 8 at ArmySept. 15 vs. Norfolk State Sept. 22 vs. North TexasSept. 29 at New MexicoOct 6 at New Mexico StateOct. 13 vs. Troy Oct. 20 vs. Idaho StateNov. 3 at UMassNov. 10 at VirginiaNov. 17 at AuburnNov. 24 vs. New Mexico State

I don't like playing Liberty period. I think they are a rising program, looking for a g5 upset win they can use to catapult themselves. I think our decision to play them was likely financial, in that they threw some dough for us to come to their place in the 1st game. This game makes me nervous. They are going to be extremely fired up. They beat Baylor just a year ago and cancelled classes they were so excited about it.

Upon closer inspection, it sure looks like our home game against SMU will determine whether or not this will be an "Elite" North Texas squad or just a "Good" one. I know some of you are saying "No duh Harry, SMU game is always huge!", but this season it may even be more so than in years past. Right now, the Caesars line in the SMU opener is UNT -3.5. So - at least right now - the odds makers think we should win this game. This certainly could change. However, IF we can pull off a win against the BMW boys, the schedule lays out to be very promising in terms of a BIG TIME season, and yes I am talking about possibly 10 wins. If you beat SMU, you should roll Incarnate Word the next week. Arkansas would be a major win even though their program is down and in transition. I would say every game on the schedule other than Arkansas and FAU are winnable games that UNT will likely be favored in with the possible exception of UAB. So a 10-2 season is not out of the questions. When is the last time that happened? You can't underestimate how much defeating SMU would benefit in our recruiting. We recruit many of the same players and it would be a phenomenal boost to show the prospects we mean business. Lose to SMU and you fall back down to earth. Not saying it could not still be a good season, but that home opener is so important in terms of retaining students and the casual fan. I also have the UAB game circled as a tough game mind you. I think UAB may be a real dog fight, especially being at their place where we have not performed well in the past. Still, I see the SMU game as critical to our program in so many ways. We really need to bring a big crowd and let it all hang out.

Very well stated.

The coaching staff wants winnable games. The AD wants games that will drive attendance, increase revenues AND wants to keep their coaches (especially winning ones) happy. It's a tough path to negotiate.

This is a positive development. Of course the more you win and the more eyes you have watching the more slots you will get. Great to hear they will be broadcasting so much of the postseason. Looks like ESPN is our main media partner at this particular time which is not necessarily a bad thing.

We all feel the excitement of the past two seasons in football and last season in basketball as wind behind our back heading into what appears to be a very promising year for both sports. The dark clouds of the DMac and Benford regimes are starting to clear and a bright future seems possible again. My question for all of you is what is the end game? Is there a program with a similar storyline to follow? If there was a G5 model or success story which one would it be? Boise State always seems to come into this conversation. Central Florida seems to be a program that shares some similarities to us. I would also include Houston in that mix as a big public college that has raised their profile to where they can consistently compete with the p5's. We all agree that consistent winning will bear fruit. But that alone is probably not enough. What are the things beyond winning that can help us get to the next level? I feel like the opportunity to be a part of the p5 is probably a longshot but we should certainly have a goal to be one of the top 5-10 g5 programs year in and year out. If we could do that, we would be best positioned for any future opportunities that may open up. When I think of both Houston and Central Florida it seems like despite whatever hurdles they have faced, their leadership has done a very good job of hiring coaches and AD staff. Let's be honest here, Wren, Littrell and McCasland will all get better opportunities as they continue to succeed in Denton. What is going to be key is that the UNT leadership (Smatresk, Roe, Brint Ryan, Ernie, Loveless etc) continue to put an emphasis on funding and supporting a successful athletic program. Houston's president Renu Khator has moved mountains in that's schools culture and understanding and support of athletics. They have not yet made it back to the p5 but they are in a small handful of programs who are ready for if and when that time comes again.

Good size but unremarkable stats at Bethel -- assuming they are updated and correct.