oldguystudent

Can't promise that for basketball, but I'm fairly certain that if I ever get a job, live in the area, and UNT gets a baseball team, I'll be at every game, even Tuesdays. Baseball plays four games a week for 14 weeks, not counting the post season, so that's 28 home games a year for your run of the mill warm state program (the glaring exception being the SEC schools who play 187 out of a possible 56 games at home). How's THAT for running up the gas bill in support of the ole' college?

So let me get this straight. Old UNT football: Rancid, falling down stadium Tailgating in a scorching parking lot @ $10 High school coaching staff @ $275,000 for the head coach GA Tickets $10 New UNT football: Shiny state-of-the-art $78 million stadium @50% paid for by students, ~25% by Apogee (NPV of $20 million annuity not taken into consideration) and ~25% by donors/general public with outstanding interest on the bonds and ongoing maintenance also not taken into consideration. Tailgating on a grassy hill that used to be a golf course @ $10 and a walk or $250 GMG membership for parking College coaching staff @ $600,000 for the head coach I'M NOT GONNA' PAY FOR THIS! TICKETS SHOULD BE EIGHT DOLLARS GOSH DARN IT ALL TO HECK! As an accounting student, I'm afraid it would take some very creative valuations and shady statements of cash flows to make the above equation work, but since Andersen's went under, that would be a tough statement to come by. I believe the cheapest season tickets are $110 for 6 games, coming to $18.33 per seat, per game. That would be an approximate 25% discount from single (premium) game pricing, which would be a fair deal.

I spent my entire undergraduate career watching a basketball team that won but a single home game in four years. I've spent my entire graduate career watching a football team that has won but a single home game against a pretend FBS opponent. I won't make a prediction, but it's about time that this trend of my sports fandom changed course.

Wait. There's a game this weekend? How does it affect the expansion of the SEC?

Cal St. Bakersfield and Dallas Baptist have accepted bids as members of the WAC in baseball only. Bakersfield has been a D1 independent since 2007 and is still looking for a conference as the Big West has repeatedly rebuffed inquiries. They are still without a conference for basketball. Dallas Baptist is also a D1 independent who has had amazing success in baseball. The WAC, losing Fresno St, Hawaii, and Nevada would otherwise be down to 4 teams in baseball. What I've been wondering about the WAC is if they're going to end up as the new Big West. They're taking in piece meal members in individual sports, and that (as we at UNT know all to well) hasn't worked out very well historically. My prediction is that they stop sponsoring football altogether withing 5 years.

So four super conferences (SEC, Pac-12, Big-10 and ACC) One or two also rans who get to sit at the big boys table, but with a sippy cup. (CUSA/MWC, Big East) One dissolved (Big-12) Three left in the cold vying for crumbs tossed out into the snow (WAC, MAC, SBC) So 64 super teams, 20ish sippy cups, making 84ish New D1A, leaving 40ish teams above FCS, but below the new semi-pros. 40 teams isn't really enough to merit its own division, so those teams either need to play up or step down. That is a frightening proposition. UNT is in such a rough position. We loathe the idea of playing Sam Houston on a regular basis just as much as Texas loathes the idea of playing with us. Bottom line, the invisible hand of the collegiate athletic free market is female dog-slapping 2/3rds of its members (including FCS schools). Yay profit!

Tulsa's average attendance in 2010 was 20,379 per NCAA report. North Texas was 17,718. I'd say that gap closes this year.

I used to wear my class ring every day, but I used to wear suits and ties every day too. Now I'm a perennial t-shirt and jeans guy, it doesn't quite work. I've been thinking about getting one from UNT, but I don't know too many people who get rings for their master's, and the price of gold these days is making it a bit cost prohibitive.

A mere 4 1/2 hour drive is tempting for an OOC road game, but now that we have Apogee, I prefer to watch my games in actual college stadiums.

I think you're absolutely right.

They had big signs up for it about a year ago. I never patronize the place, just walk past it on my way out of class. They've always got something going on there. $1.50 Schlitz was a standard for a while.

If you're a beer snob, you'll hate it. If you embraced the $1.50 Fatty Nattys at Lou's, you'll love it.

Being the filthy degenerate that I am, I love Reno.

Anyhoo, it's me and the kid time this afternoon, so we're more likely to be involved with the Denton Blues Fest than the UNT game. No drinking. But next week, we've got camping tents in lieu of vehicles, so...yeah.

Oh man did you leave yourself open to a response. But I just can't do it. I'm thinking it. But I can't say it.

That's a fair enough answer. I was shocked at how inexpensive they were, and was fortunate enough to see them on display in the athletic department over the summer. I'm sure I would love to stand if I still had knees, but alas, I likes my sitting these days.

That blackout wouldn't apply to us since we're the away team, right? I know this is probably a stupid question, but just to make sure.

If you're gonna be a season ticket holder at Apogee, why would you not pay the nominal price for the seatback? Those things do pretty nice.

Oh no. I was there for kickoff. You indeed misinterpret, but no apologies necessary.

Saturday was a watershed moment for me at UNT. Through all the trials and tribulations, I've resisted calling UNT my own. As it turns out, I've spent almost as much time here as I did at my unnamed alma mater. Pending discussions with the faculty, I may spend another four years here. On Saturday, we ran what was in my estimation, one of the best tailgates I've ever seen. Manning the grill for hours on end, I maintained fine until the third quarter. At that point, it hit me like a brick wall. I started hugging some of you. If that offended, I apologize. It was, however, somewhat of a prearranged situation with the kid staying with her mom, and my having a room in Denton. When the game was over, my fraternity took me in for the night and we had a grand old time. It's time for me to acknowledge that UNT is as much my own as any other school I may have attended, and my drunken affections toward you were merely an expression of that. I've turned the corner. UNT is my school. To those of you with whom I've...disagreed with over the past few years, my apologies. To those who saw me slurring in the latter portions of the game on Saturday, I apologize. But I take great memories from Saturday. I hope to make more. We'll be out tailgating again for the Indiana game. Nay, we'll be camping overnight on Friday and making a weekend out of it. My thanks to all of you for making this experience so memorable. Tony

Dogfishhead 120 minute IPA -- 6 Sprite -- 0

So everybody leaves the Big XII but Texas. Will the Longhorns then be stuck playing with themselves on television?

My answer to the OP question is in the privacy of my own home with ESPN3 on the laptop and an ice chest next to me at all times.

That Apogee jumbo smoker was amazing. We had a great tailgate that I would estimate about 100ish people showed up to. I was running that grill for four hours solid! It was a great time, and we're all for more people coming on by. We're throwing around the idea of camping on Friday night for the Indiana game. Also, the stadium was amazing. Just stunning. One complaint? THREE portapotties on the Victory Hall side? THREE? I don't want to go into to much detail, but I had the misfortune of wandering into one of those things this morning. I can attest that THREE portapotties is not anywhere near enough.