ADLER

That's almost verbatim what the Pac12 presidents have been saying lately concerning their own conference.

Like many on this board, SJSU thinks that athletics offices and facilities belong where seating should be in the stadium. They have ninnies saying "what's the need to build more desirable sideline seating when the less desirable seating areas are not selling out". And on a sad note, they have already started building. Unfortunately, like at North Texas, people at SJSU think fans will still attend but will happily sit in less desirable seating. Does anybody really think that plan works, or will those fans just stay home? Always follow this Rule #1: NEVER BUILD OTHER ATHLETICS FACILITIES WHERE FAN SEATING BELONGS Rule #2: IN CASE OF DOUBT, REFER BACK TO RULE #1 Rule #2: IN CASE OF FURTHER DOUBT, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS AT SJSU

***Caution: Long Post, But You Will Be Enlightened*** Figure out what plans will entice people to come, and what will make them want to keep coming back. Never trick or trap your customers into attending. They will quickly detest your existence. No more "Captive Orphans Corner" or "Detained Immigrants Section" suggestions. Attendance will certainly benefit from winning, but it's not the only thing that bolsters attendance. Are we charging too much for tickets? Would reducing the price of admission significantly raise attendance? I really don't know. Are we providing the proper amenities that make customers want to return? If not, what are we missing? Here's an easy one. Are we scheduling to adjust for predictable weather? Are we making sure that students attending late August games aren't staring into the sun for two hours in 100+ degree heat? We already know to the exact minute what time the sun sets for the next 10,000 years. How on Earth could we possibly f*** that up? Are there pregame activities? Should there be more? Our parking situation pretty much dictates that fans and guests get to the stadium early. Should there be more for them to do once they get there? Is there even a place to sit while waiting? Is there entertainment? Why aren't the students offered free food through Dining Services? Thousand of students are skipping their dorm meals while at the game. Why doesn't Dining Services offer free Hot Dog and Soda meals at the games to ALL students? Many will still choose concessions over a hot dog, but that will be their option. Why not have self-serve drink machines for free refills on their concourse like those at a 7/11? Provide tailgate tents for Denton businesses inside the stadium grounds along with a purchased ticket package. Those people are as interested in visiting with each other as they are with watching the game. Scrappy's Kids Club needs to be organized and expanded. Parents want to bring their children to events that they enjoy. We need for there to be little kid cheerleaders, and we need for the little guys to be able to run on the turf before or after the field whether it's an organized activity for free range. Have we reached out to peer institutions? Could our football games at UTSA be included free for students and likewise for them at ours as part of their student ticket package? It wouldn't cost anything, it would raise attendance, it would help build the rivalry, and it would bring in additional parking and concessions revenue. Have we advertised "football weekends" for season ticket holders of visiting AAC teams? Something that has specials at local hotels, their team hotel, and Denton restaurants. The City of Denton will really LOVE the Mean Green if they are seeing a significant increase in tourism revenue. Do we provide hospitality tents to these guests? Have we straightened out our parking issues? Will lot requirements be posted prior to cars getting in line, and will there be more than one line to get cars into each lot? Have we figured a way to enclose the Alumni Pavilion so that it can be outside the stadium for pregame but included inside the stadium as a "beer garden atmosphere"? Have we planned post-game activities/radio shows/ podcasts here, or is this building just a dark locked up empty facility being wasted during it's most important hours? Have we appealed to the campus police to Protect and to Serve? They view the games as a findfall for issuing MIP's which is clearly in violation of the intent of that law. In 1986 the drinking age was raised to keep alcohol out of high schools and that purpose is not required on a college campus. Please Protect and Serve by guarding all the valuable tailgating items left in the dark parking lots and on the Highland Park Hill. Elements of the Denia residents descend like Jawas every game night to pilfer for valuables and beer. Whatever happened to the pregame and postgame concerts idea? There should be concerts aimed directly at the demographic that buys the overwhelming majority of our tickets. Send season ticket holders a matching set of tickets for these games. These events will be able to entice them to bring friends and our loyal customers are our best salespeople. And there are hundreds of other things that could be listed. Like I said earlier, figure out what plans will entice people to come, what things will enhance their experience, try to eliminate things that will cause a bad experience, and try to find what will make them want to come back. It's not a fix as things are constantly changing. It's a Continuous Improvement process.

A few pics....

OK, all "blah-blah-blah" aside, would it not have been better to have worn our school colors every day? You cannot see a single thing that indicates that's North Texas on the field with those single angle cameras.

All Eyes On North Texas The D1 Softball Ranking Page Has Been Updated It's sure nice seeing #16 Texas, #22 North Texas, and #25 Texas A&M being the only ranked schools in our state.

CUSA may not accept them now and they'll be relegated to playing in the new pac3 with SDSU and that other school.

As a side note, even the "Keg Party" atmosphere in the truckbed seating outside the outfield wall is a blast. You're not as close to the action, but you get to watch from your tailgate parties. .

Not really game related, but I did run into Dallas Cowboys great Chad Hennings in the concourse area of the Super Pit during the game.

A financially successful softball team is going to be the ticket to us getting baseball back. It will show that the demand is there.

North Texas could easily assemble as many as 12 tennis courts inside our our much larger indoor practice facility for hosting events.

Tweet North Texas Softball @MeanGreenSB 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴𝓮𝓷𝓭 UNT finishes the trip to Atlanta with four wins to open the season! #LightTheTower

The next tournament starts Friday, February 17 in Celina, Texas. This program needs your support and has done everything possible to earn it. Season Tickets are only $75 Please come out to the tournament if you can Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (We play Kentucky Saturday night) SCHEDULE And please check the GoMeanGreen.com Athletics page for discussions and updates

Wow, what an impressive win over a Top 25 caliber team, remain undefeated (4-0), and to have outscored all opponents by 25-1.

Grant's only season to not get 20 wins was 2020 at 18 wins, but we had won the conference outright, were top seed, and were not able to play the CUSA tournament due to covid lockdown. He probably would have won at least 3 and advanced to the final, or further, and we would have at least been guaranteed a NIT bid if we didn't make the big dance. I hate to imply this wasn't a 20 win season when we stopped at 18 and the next (4 or 5?) games could not be played. In his previous stop, Grant won 20 games in his only season at Arkansas St in 2017. So yes, he's good, he's that good.

I love those kind of shots

Notre Dame has no intentions of joining a conference because of their incredibly lucrative media deal. The BIG10 wants to lure Notre Dame into a scheduling alliance by possibly hoarding all of Notre Dame's traditional rivals outside of Boston College and the service academies. The BIG10 doesn't have an urgent need to invite Stanford, Cal, Oregon, and Washington, but they certainly don't want to see them go to the ACC and keep Notre Dame more comfortable there. .

Who will Replace SMU in the AAC? My neighbor has a nasty yippie little poodle with painted nails that is always trying to dig out from under his fence. We could replace SMU with that and nobody would ever know the difference.

MeanGreenSports.com ATLANTA – Cierra Simon and Mikayla Smith combine to drive in seven runs as No. 24 UNT tally 10-2 win in six innings over UConn on Saturday at the Buzz Classic.Simon matched her career highs in hits and RBI with a 3-3 performance with three RBI and a run scored. Smith finished 2-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, including a three-run home run.Skylar Savage collected the win in 4.0 innings pitched, allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out five. HOW IT HAPPENED VS. UCONN After a pair of leadoff walks in the top of the second inning, Smith took advantage of the first pitch she saw, driving it over the left field wall to establish a 3-0 lead for the Mean Green. Savage retired eight of the first nine batters she faced with Lexi Cobb collecting an outfield assist for the final out in the bottom of the second to hold the Huskies scoreless. In the fourth inning, Smith struck again, lacing a single to center field to drive in Molly Rainey and advance Jodie Epperson to third, giving UNT a 4-0 advantage. The next at bat, Simon followed with a two-RBI double down the left field line to widen the gap to 6-0. North Texas would go on to bat through the entire lineup with Tatum Sparks and Molly Rainey collecting an RBI on a ground out and walk, respectively, for an 8-0 lead after four innings. The Mean Green gave up its first run of the year in the fourth innings but still held the 8-1 edge. Kailey Gamble led off the sixth inning with the first home run of her campaign to open a 9-1 North Texas lead. The long ball marks the 20th career home run for the first baseman. Later in the inning, Simon came to the plate with two runners on and collected an RBI single to plate pinch hitter Rylee Nicholson for a 10-1 UNT lead. McKenzie Wagoner came to the circle in relief, striking out three over 2.0 innings, including the last batter of the game. The Huskies pulled a run back in the home half of the sixth but could not hold off the run rule, ending the game 10-2 for the third North Texas win of the season. NOTES The Mean Green have only allowed two runs on the young season, the fewest through three games in UNT softball history. Gamble hit a home run on the same date two years in a row, dropping a two-run shot against Tulsa on February 11, 2022, at The Evangeline Bank and Trust and Invitational I in Lake Charles, La. Saturday's second game against Georgia Tech was canceled due to inclement weather in the area. UP NEXTUNT will finish the weekend versus hosts Georgia Tech at 11:30 a.m. CT on Sunday. The game can be seen live on ACC Network Extra.

You're correct. The Big12 sacrificed that momey from UT and OU to get them out by 2024. This wouldn't have happened if the Big12 didn't already have replacements ready to board. Nobody has signed the GOR and the Pac12 will have no media deal in 2024. The "4 Corners" schools are certain to join the Big12, and maybe a couple others may either join them or go to the Big10. Florida State is supposedly pushing this:

North Texas (3-0 in tournament) is at minimum Co-Champions, outright champions if the weather clears and allows the Mean Green to beat Georgia Tech tomorrow. It's nice to have a tournament championship this early in the season.

UConn has always taken women's sports very seriously. This Huskies softball team is the defending Big East Conference Champions, made the 2022 NCAA Regionals, and has a 1993 National Championship "College World Series" Trophy in their display case. Today, against North Texas, those mighty Huskies were down 8-0 before they achieved their first runner standing on base. Rodney DeLong's Mean Green have outscored their opponents 23-2 while going 3-0 so far this season. Absolutely amazing. Congratulations North Texas Softball. Next up, Georgia Tech! . .

What in the wild, wild, world of sports is going on out there. The university strongly emphasizes that these hazing charges are totally separate from the child predation, the gang fights, and the Albuquerque murder all involving NMSU basketball players in recent months. Stay Classy NMSU

The Big Games of opening week start Saturday morning. vs UConn, at 9:30AM, and vs Georgia Tech, 5:00PM Second game against Georgia Tech is Sunday at 1:00PM. The Yellow Jackets have 22 players returning from their 2022 Regional qualifying team and are receiving Top 25 votes. North Texas split its lone two battles with Georgia Tech at a neutral site in 2016. It would be very impressive to to win the Buzz Classic on their home field this year. https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/b83b897e-65af-4296-a6cf-cea83946bb12

I'm not sure what value a renamed Big West has to offer either of these schools. In a related 'add insult to injury' just to pour a little salt in the wound, the Big12 will not only be inviting the 4 Corners schools, but they will be inviting Gonzaga as well. It's just that every strategy to save what was the Pac12 is vanishing.