Zeleny' Orel

Marketing for the university or for athletics?

Is there something signed by the athlete and the group offerring the NIL that is binding or is it just a handshake agreement?

It seems that the number of podcasts covering UNT sports is growing (or I am becoming more aware of them). Which is your favorite one and why? GoMeanGreen.com The Green Room Mean Green Show Mean Green Nation (MGN)

Prize for winning the CUSA tournament is a Softball thread of your own?

Like the fact she is 6'1"

A North Texas legend...RIP Don January

IMO two of our most personable and likable athletes in recent years have been Mason Fine and Tylor Perry

So athletes going into the transfer portal while eligible still hurt the APR?

Check the basketball thread...front and center in front of the truck

For those able to attend, what was the composition of the crowd...mostly students, alums, community members?

Thanks for the correction...got FIU confused with FAU

Hoping the 5:00 time is designed to get the local Denton community to participate after they finish work...sort of like Happy Hour...since it is being sponsored by the City of Denton

After beating UNT, #3 seeded Rice went on to beat #2 seeded Charlotte 4-2 today to advance to the finals of the CUSA Tournament tomorrow. Rice will meet #1 seed FIU who beat #4 seed La Tech 4-0. Looks as if the cream of the crop this year in CUSA women's tennis is FIU, Rice, and Charlotte, who will all be moving to the AAC with UNT. As @untbowler mentioned add in SMU and Memphis and the AAC will be even tougher. As a comparison Rice is in its 10th finals in CUSA and UNT has not made it to a finals since its Sun Belt days. Whatever has kept us from being competitive in CUSA will have to be corrected for us to have a chance of being competitive in the AAC.

#6 UNT beats #11 UTEP 4-1 to move on to meet Rice at 10:00 Friday. After losing the doubles point 2-1, UNT won the first four singles matches to win 4-1. However, matches were more competitive than the score indicates. Match was moved up to 10:00 this morning, probably due to the weather forecast. Was windy which probably helped our players who are more accustomed to wind than UTEP, I would think. Rice will be a huge challenge...GMG!

Seeded #6 the UNT Tennis team just missed receiving a bye to the quarterfinals of the CUSA Tourney and plays #11 UTEP at noon Thursday at the Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton. UNT goes into the tourney with a 10-11 season record and a 2-match losing streak (vs. UTA and UH). The winner of the UNT-UTEP match moves on to play #3 seed Rice at 10:00 Friday. UNT has never won a CUSA title, having last won a title in the Sun Belt in 2013. GMG...let's finish CUSA by winning the title!

Subscriber #58...need to speed things up to get to 1,000...GMG Nation!

There is also a new federal lawsuit that was filed in early April 2023 in the Northern District of California's Oakland Divison against the NCAA and the P5 conferences seeking back pay for thousands of current and former student-athletes who believe they are entitled to damages from schools who offered payment since the 2021 ruling of the Supreme Court. The class action suit states that these payments have been allowed since the summer of 2021, and the athletes who participated on teams on or after April 1, 2019, at schools that now provide such benefits believe they qualify for back pay since there is a 4-year statute of limitations. Stories are available on usatoday.com (April 4, 2023) and theathletic.com (April 4, 2023).

This caught my eye in the strategic plan: Provide Alston awards to all Mean Green student-athletes starting in fall of 2023. Hadn't heard of Alston awards so did a quick search. Based on the 2021 Supreme Court ruling in Alston v. NCAA, Alston Awards allow schools to provide up to $5,980 a year for academic-related benefits, if so inclined, with the individual schools setting up the requirments that must be met by an individual athlete to qualify for payment. I determined that "Alston Awards" is the nickname for the educational benefit payment previously litegated. My question is about the strategic plan statement: Have all Mean Green student-athletes not already been getting this stipend since the term "provide to all Mean Green student-athletes" is used? If not, which team's student-athletes, if any, have been getting this money? Is this expense a budgeted item in the regular athletic budget? Just asking for someone with knowledge on this matter to help sort this out for me since I do not know the current situation for UNT student-athletes and what this goal changes.

That won't help in the upcoming conference tournament.

Just to add a little context after listening to Mac's introductory event at Tech. Although I am sure that money and the possibility of advancing his career was part of his decision, there are plenty of family ties to Tech. His wife played soccer for Tech, his older sister went to Tech, and his grandfather played football for Tech. To me this seems as if Tech had a special appeal that other colleges may not have had and factored into this decision. I don't fault Mac for his decison and I think Tylor would be remiss if he did not consider how this all affects his future. He gave his all to UNT for 2 years, is getting a degree, and only has a one-time chance at setting himself and his family in a position for the future. I am not sure how you can fault them for that. And this comes from a 50+ year diehard UNT fan! I think they are considering family.

I attended the Irving Schools Foundation "Breakfast with the Stars" this morning at the Irving Convention Center, which was emceed by Cynthia. This event awarded 253 seniors with scholarships in front of aproximately 1,000 people. Corporate sponsors, business and civic leaders were all present in the audience. Cynthia, in her opening remarks, of course mentioned she was a proud UNT graduate, but this year also made it a point to mention that the Mean Green were the NIT Baskeball Champions. When announcing winners and where they were going to school, she put special empahsis on UNT and always followed it with a "Go Mean Green." She always touts UNT but I was glad to hear the NIT Championship mentioned. It never hurts for students, heads of corporations, civic leaders, and the public at large to hear the accomplishments of UNT from such a visible alum. By the way, she does an excellent job as a emcee for an event that lasts about 4 hours. Live snipits on the news at 5, 6, and 10 on Channel 8 although I don't think the UNT statements are included! Just wanted to share how the NIT Championship is worth a lot in publicity in different types of settings as well as hopefully recruiting. Thank you, Cynthia, and GMG!

Love the look on the kids' faces as well as Tylor's! Some future Mean Green fans in the making!

I had my Mean Green shirt on today walking into a medical building for an appointment and, upon entering the lobby, an older couple was coming out and the gentleman said "Mean Green, ya'll sure had a good basketball team this year." Second time this week someone has commented on Mean Green basketball...people have noticed!

Totally agree...at some point you have to look at the future and make tough decisions accordingly. I don't think anyone could say he didn't "pour his heart and soul into UNT" but now he has to evaluate his situation with a look to the future which offers opportunities that won't be available to him later

And therein lies the problem we have had in UNT athletics the 50+ years I have been a fan...now is the time for this to change! The Mean Green nation needs/has to band together and really support all our athletic teams, starting with basketball, to become a major player nationally. GMG!