ADLER

Didn't Houston face a similar dilemma several years ago when they hosted Texas. Hastily constructed temporary student seating was not structuraly sound and the additional students sections were then moved to seating areas that had already been sold to Longhorns fans. The displaced Longhorn fans were given refunds but were unable to attend the game. Now Texas will not play Houston again in Houston unless the game is played off campus in Reliant Stadium. North Texas does not have a similar backup stadium available. Wouldn't it make sense to design one capable of accomodating the North Texas students, the North Texas fan base, and fans of the visiting team? North Texas has almost sold out the horrible Fouts Field stadium when hosting very small schools like TCU, Baylor, Tulsa, and SMU. Imagine what the situation will be if one of the larger Big Twelve schools comes to Denton. bringing in excess of 10,000 fans. We don't have to wait long because Kansas State is already on the home schedule for September 25, 2010.

First, let me say this is good news.........but......I don't think that's big enough. I think it should be 45,000 and expandable to 70,000. In the meantime, yes 35,000 is certainly large enough to seat everyone for most games, but the students are likely going to be substantially funding this stadium. The events that they will most want to attend are the premier games against BCS teams and regional foes. Those games should sell out. How can you expect students to contribute so generously but then potentially be locked out of the premier events. The stadium seating capacity should be based on enrollment plus however many tickets the Athletic Department figures that they are capable of selling. Am I wrong on this? Shouldn't the students be guaranteed a seat to the most desirable events if they are already paying for it?

Although I agree about the Notre Dame situation, that doesn't change the fact that they are still in command of their own destiny and every school in the nation will bend over backwards to get them on the schedule. Their national fan base insures that they can always make more by having their own television package. I think you brought up an interesting scenario with the Texas Longhorns. What if Texas went independent, kept the neutral site game with OU, played a home-and-home series with A&M, played another national top competitor (USC, Ohio St., or Florida) each year, and then scheduled 9 additional home games against well compensated pushovers. They could have their own television contract, maximize their ticket income, and be in position to play for the BCS championship every couple of years. Of course it would blatantly be poor sportsmanship, but since when has that ever determined decisions in Austin. It's all about the money and the trophys.

I really hope that you are right. I really do. There is so much riding on this referendum. It could be a permanent solution to the most visible deficiency that has haunted North Texas for over 60 years. A defeat, or insufficient increase, may still get a minimal stadium built, but the results from a low budget will not only prevent North Texas from moving into higher profile leagues, but could eventually lead to North Texas departing the Bowl Championship level along with other under-performing schools.

I believe that you're right. I know that the Big Ten has tried twice within the last 10 years to entice Notre Dame to join but the NBC deal was just too lucrative for them to leave. Big Ten commish Jim Delaney stated this past summer that the conference was again reviewing expansion and mentioned usual target Notre Dame but possibly Syracuse or Rutgers as an alternative. All three fit the conference geographic / academic profile and would be excellent additions to the Big Ten Network. The quote may have been a warning to Notre Dame not to extend their NBC contract past it's expiration in 2010. Notre Dame has since extended their NBC contract through 2015. If the Big Ten goes to twelve by adding Syracuse or Rutgers, then the Big East will probably react by splitting (football/non football) selecting the 5 best expansion candidates. CUSA would almost certainly be a source for several of those Big East expansion candidates. The remaining western CUSA schools will be putting on their finest lipstick for the remaining 3 Mountain West positions. (which could even become 5 if there is subsequent Pac 10 expansion) Hawaii, Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada will already be chasing these openings out of desparation but expect NMSU, UTEP, SMU, Tulsa and Houston to also make attempts. SJSU, Idaho and Utah State return to familiar territory with their traditional opponents in the Big Sky Conference. The WAC dies, and the remaining Sun Belt and CUSA schools eventually split into southeastern and south central region conferences as South Alabama, Texas State, Missouri State, and UTSA move up and NMSU is absorbed from the defunct WAC. La Tech will probably fill the void left in the Southland by the departure of Texas State. Just kidding Techies. That is how the dominos fall. Then again, maybe Notre Dame joins the Big Ten and nothing else changes.

The students certainly do have an important role, but there needs to be some decisive leadership from Dr. Bataille. Just 'watching with interest' can be done by a lawn statue. The university needs leadership.

South Bend Tribune Is North Texas prepared to navigate this coming 'Sea of Changes' ? Opportunity may soon be knocking, but it may be a very long time before that opportunity again rises.

I don't think they'll have any problem as long as it is structured correctly. The current contributions are an incredibly low $63 per student per semester. This has enabled North Texas to barely afford to be competitive in the lowest ranked conference in all of Division 1 (Bowl Division). A $30 per semester raise in the fee each year for the next 6 years would not only allow North Texas to build excellent facilities, but would also allow the school's athletic programs to become a juggernaut amongst the non-BCS programs. 2008-2009 school year - $60 per semester 2009-2010 school year - $90 per semester 2010-2011 school year - $120 per semester 2011-2012 school year - $150 per semester 2012-2013 school year - $180 per semester 2013-2014 school year - $210 per semester 2015-2016 school year - $240 per semester The $30 per semester increment is equal to the cost of 7 gallons of gasoline. Hardly anything that would deter a student from attending North Texas. The benefit to the university's image and to the student's eventual degree will be priceless. Trust me on this one, at 34,000 in enrollment, and probably pushing 45,000 by 2016, North Texas should be a magnet for corporate sponsors as long as it fields competitive teams. Winning teams will get alumni and the community supporting the university in a way that North Texas has never enjoyed in it's history. Suddenly, for the first time since it's inception in 1890, North Texas is a destination school. NORTH TEXAS; A GREAT UNIVERSITY! * One other point. I believe that the new stadium should be planned for 45,000 with the ability to eventually expand to the 70,000 seat range. It's not right to charge students for athletics and then not have enough seating for them once marketable teams are brought to Denton.

Kyle Padron should be fine at SMU. Jones obviously believes has the ideal size, speed, and strength to run his offense even if Padron hasn't yet accumulated much of a track record. Padron still has a year of high school and will then probably redshirt in 2009. 2010 and 2011 will probably be spent as a backup since I don't think anyone on their roster should be able to unseat Bo Levi Mitchell.

Position: OF & SS Profile: Lyndi signed with the University of North Texas Height: 5'5" Weight: 120 School: Aledo High - Class '08 ACADEMICS: Aledo H.S. (4A) GPA 96.6 / 100 Pre AP Classes TRAVEL TEAM: 2007 - Gold Nationals - 13th Fall 2006 – Present: Texas Glory - 18U Gold Fort Worth Batbusters, High Voltage Gold, Aledo CruiZers ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2007 - 4A Region I Finalist - District Champs - Ranked #8 in State (4A) - FW Star-Telegram Super Softball Team - 1st Team - Among Star Telegram 4A Statistical Leaders - District 8-4A Offensive MVP - Academic All-District 2006 - 1st Team All District Infield - Academic All District - 48 Stolen bases, 41 Hits, 38 Runs scored - All County - Parker County Infield - Who’s Who Among American High School Students Spanish - U.S. Achievement Academy All-American Scholar - National Society of High School Scholars - AFA Nationals 18U - Placed - ASA Gold Nationals 18U - Placed 25 2005 - 1st Team All District Infield - Academic All District - Led District 6-4A in stolen bases - All Tournament Team - Who’s Who Among American High School Students - ASA 16U Metro Fort Worth Champions - ASA 16U Nationals - Sioux Falls, SD 2004 - Colorado Fireworks - Denver 16U - Placed 9 2003 - USSSA World Series - Orlando 14U - Placed 21 2002 - USSSA World Series - Ft Collins 14U - Placed 12 Home to 1st: 2.7 Hobbies: Sports, Music, Crafts, Shopping, Hanging out with friends College Major/Interests: Education / Mathematics click here for link to Texas Glory web page

The whole plan is so Krameresque that it's hard to believe that it actually got implemented. It was doomed it to failure the second it was first posted on the board. Members of the gomeangreen.com community, granted with the best of intentions, decided to exploit the least fortunate of society in an effort to boost football attendance figures. The plans was to buy ticket from the athletic department and offer them for free alonng with a hot dog to orphans if they came to North Texas football games. It was the big project of the gomeangreen.com board for the whole off-season. Many posters contributed several hundred dollars each. Of course nobody came, and the athletic department just kept the money.

It's beacause the university hasn't done anything in a very long time that would endear it to the community. The things that the university pretends it prides itself on make very little (or none at all) impression on the public.

Choose your recipients carefully. It's only a good decision if there is a likelihood of someday receiving a return on the investment. Otherwise it's just pissing away money and effort that could make a significant impact if applied in other ventures. I will remind everyone again about the noble but misguided Kidz Korner Katastrophe.

Although I think it'd s novel idea I believe it would be doomed for failure. Remember the Kidz Korner Kampaign several years ago when the athletic department simply pocketed the money because nobody could be enticed to attend? The residents of Denton are potential customers. They are more aware of the historic shortcomings of North Texas athletics than just about anybody. Like any product that has been deemed undesirable, North Texas needs to make improvements before it starts giving out free samples. These 'monied alumni' would be purchasing thousands of tickets and getting maybe 5% turnout on their give-away tickets. That's something like $200 spent for every person that actually bothers to attend. I do see a way that the program can be made to work. Obviously there is some (though minimal) interest from the Denton business community. What if the entire north end zone seating was segregated as a 'private suite area' for the many Denton County Chambers of Commerce and there was a large tent behind their section to cater food and drinks for their function. These Chamber members would attend more for the social aspects than for the actual game. The athletic department could sell these people severly discounted tickets and start building a relationships that should flourish as the program improves in coming years. This could be the foundation for many of the future corporate sponsorships.

What I think many of the naysayers fail to take into account that there already is a token fee of around $63 per semester per student which is applied toward athletics. It is far too small and look how it has affected the university's image. If raised to the state maximum, the TOTAL increase per semester for each student (around $177) isn't even enough money to fill a gas tank twice but it would do wonders for the value of their degree. Then factor in that the increase could be implemented in increments over several years (maybe $30 per year over 6 years) and the transition would be virtually painless. Incoming students paying the larger fee would be making their college selection fully aware of the costs and the benefits.

First, I'm not asking about just athletics. And even if that is the case, do you think that a substantial populace from Denton is regularly attending the professional sports events? There are pro sports fans in every college city but they still love their college. Overall, athletics attendance aside, why don't the people and businesses of Denton love the University of North Texas? What has caused this problem with the university's perception?

The $100,000.00 donation this past momth was purely because Texas State has made a commitment to athletics. The benefactors stated that the gift is to help get young alumni involved as the university aspires to make the move to succeed at the Bowl Championship level. The $8 million donation represents the benefit that academic departments (in this case Performing Arts) receive when alumni make an emotional attachment to their school. Patti Strickel Harrison is donating the money and the facility will be named The Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre in her honor. The larger $20 million donation by Emmett and Miriam McCoy benefits the Business school and it will now be renamed The McCoy College of Business Administration. North Texas is much older, has more alumni, and generally an academic reputation at least equal to Texas State.....but why are no buildings on campus named after donors? They're all named after old university presidents, with the exception of the Lupe Murchinson Hall where the donor defaulted on much of the original financial commitment. Why is that? Why are the North Texas alumni not making an emotional attachment to the university?

What do you think is the reason that people of Denton don't support North Texas? College towns everywhere else support their college. Doesn't North Texas being a 'best buy college' endear it to the community? Are they disappointed in it's academic programs? I just can't figure it out. What gives North Texas such a bad image?

And I find it amazing that both the tourism and corporations have instantly sprung up since the university recently made a commitment to athletics. I bet nobody had ever visited the Alamo before this past year, and all those companies just rushed in. Let's face facts, they've always been there and they only made a commitment to UTSA once UTSA made a commitment to succeed. It's funny how that works.

Meanwhile at Texas State where they also have recently raised the student athletics fee. The University shows a commitment, and alumni have responded, in this case it benefits performing arts. But athletics also benefitted.

And related information of the impact of UTSA sports on the San Antonio economy and why the city and county support the university. I wonder if Denton County and the City of Denton would be willing to do something similar. If not, why? Denton County has half the population of Bexar but the per capita income is much higher.

Like I stated, I don't know how much that they will actually be receiving.

Well, doing #3 first sure seems to be paying some dividends for UTSA. $50 Million from Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce (I'm not sure if they are getting the full $50 Million) This is in addition to the $18 Million that Bexar County is already contributing to UTSA athletics. Funny, none of this ever happened until UTSA showed a commitment by setting the new fee. What do you think are the chances that alumni may now be slightly more interested in supporting their university?

That dining service system was horrible. I stood in line for over an hour and then eventually gave up, I am convinced that we have people smart enough to learn from their mistakes and that it won't happen again.

Funny, yesterday I'm getting calls because people think I'm too defensive of of the athletic director on this board and today I am being told that I am too opposed and accusing you of being in his back pocket. As a moderate and a realist I am aware that extremists from both ends of the spectrum will likely be opposed to my views. That is something that I have learned to accept. There are very many people from North Texas that refuse to associate with it becaue of it's failures but there are also many who are quite comfortable with the failure. My point is, and always has been, what can be done to avoid that failure? My point has always been positive, to state that there is a method to improve the situation, some may even refer to it as fixing a problem. There is cost, but the cost of not doing it is far worse. And when I ask how else it can be done, the only response I get is awkward silence.