untjim1995

Not only did this idiot fire Solich and hire Bill Callahan at Nebraska, he then moved the needle even further closer to full retard by signing Bill Callahan to an extension after winning the first game of the year in 2007. When Nebraska sank in conference play in 2007, both the AD and Callahan got fired, which cost the Huskers millions more because they had just signed him to a big extension a few months earlier!!

I think the 22-7 record is going to be fairly accurate, assuming there are no injuries the rest of the way. Our depth will hurt us in conference, since your opponents know you better.

Tell you what, you enjoy Louisiana-Monroe versus Nicholls State in November next year. I think that most of the rest of the country will enjoy seeing 4 top teams play each other on a neutral court.

If anyone reads this entire post, I just want you to know that I really feel sorry for you and will keep you in my prayers...

I agree on a lot of your post, especially about the changes here at UNT over the last decade or so. But, again, the MWC is going to look at expansion in this way. Will it improve our TV contract, and can the current TV contract be dropped without taking a huge hit financially? Let's say the answer is yes and the MWC wants back in Texas only and not in Utah. That leaves Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and El Paso as markets to go after. Well, ok, then UH is easily the crown jewel of the 4 schools that could fit here. I don't think anyone can argue this. So let's say they jump and go to the MWC. That leaves one spot left for grab in the MWC. You have three schools to go after. UTEP, SMU, and UNT. UTEP has a big market all to itself since its the only game in town. Plus, they have great basketball support and tradition that dwarfs UNT or SMU by a long shot. And, I wouldn't doubt that the City of El Paso could get the new MWC connected in some form or fashion to the Sun Bowl. But, for argument's sake, let's say UTEP says no, we like CUSA and we want to stay here because it is better for our alumni bases in Texas. It would be at this point that UNT would be in a win/win situation because if UTEP declined, it would either be us or SMU. Either way, we either go to the MWC or we go to CUSA West. Of course, if Utah really is a growing state and the MWC feels it is important to stay there, then it could do one of two things: Ask Utah State to join as the 12th member just to get the Utah TVs or it could ask BYU to come back, which those schools would take back in a heartbeat. Of course, I doubt BYU will go back there again, in part, because I believe they will either soar as an independent or the Big XII will ask them to join them in a few years. But, in all of this, it will be a tough road to get into the MWC even if we are winning again in football in five years. You're right about not knowing the landscape, but it really is hard to see us in anything but the SBC unless the MWC or CUSA leadership see a true sleeping giant that would have more value than a UTEP or SMU. A new football coach won't do that alone, but a winning one with McCarney's charisma very well could. I will say this about UNT Football and the next four years. We have to get this program on the right track or else I think our playing at what is known as the FBS level right now could very well be in jeopardy. I do believe that a seismic shift will occur on the college athletic landscape in the next decade and it will be a new separation of the Top 80 programs away from the rest, just like in the early 80s. There may not be anything we can do about since we are not currently AQ, but I do believe that there will be more non-AQs that will get "accepted" and I think we can get in that club. Its just gonna take major success, in both major revenue sports, with great support from attendance and the administration's funding to get us there. If not, then I think we will have some of the nicest FCS facilities in the country when those changes occur.

Yeah, good catch, CMJ. I meant 10th worst. Anyway, I think that we could get a better seed if certain things play out, but I am bracing myself for the reality that the SBC champ will be a 15 seed. FAU has certainly stepped up and WKU has the pedigree, so we will see. I just think that the rest of this league won't do any of the big three any favors at all come NCAA seeding time.

No we won't, unless we lose only 2 more games the rest of the way. The SBC was way better in the years we won the auto berth and we got a 15 seed. That will be about right again, should we win the conference tournament again. If we win the tournament with a record of something like 23-7 or worse, we could get a 16 seed with the new additions in the field of 68. Our best win in OOC will be Tech and I don't see them making the NCAAs as an at-large from the Big12 this year. I just can't see the SBC champ being anything higher than the 10th best conference, so that probably equals a 15 seed.

As I said in another post, it will take the leadership of the MWC or CUSA to ignore all of the Texas politics that gets played with regard to conference affiliation and our own lack of support and lack of success over the last 30 years. It would take those conferences need for the view of the sleeping giant to be so great that they look past the other stuff. We have no meaningful connection with any of the MWC teams, even though we once shared a conference with Nevada and Boise State. UTEP has been in a conference with almost all of the current MWC schools at one time or another over the last 50 years. UH gives the MWC a bigger market with more tradition, support, and success in both money sports. Same goes for the SWC-lite version of CUSA West, but even harder because of SMU. I think we have to realize that the SBC is just going to be our home for at least the next 5 years and probably longer. Its not a lot of fun to realize because we all want to play other teams that people in the DFW Metroplex know and can talk about, but the reality is that we don't have that support from any other programs in those two conferences. If we did, we would already be in one of them now.

Wardly is dead-on about this. CUSA will add SBC teams or a MAC team if needed over the next few years. Our path at UNT is to follow TCUs plan. Have success and move up the food chain. We have had no success that merits any move now, since football solely drives the bus in this conference realignment stuff. We will be in the SBC for a while guys. And it very well could be a raided SBC that we are apart of in five years, with no more MUTS or F_U. As far as being on the same plane as Texas Tech in the future, that has almost no chance of happening in the next 20 years. Tech has UT's backing in everything. They probably have A&Ms backing, to some degree. If UT moves anywhere, Tech will be the tick on the hound. Unless Texas goes independent, Tech will always be taken care of by the folks in Austin, both at the university level and in politics. I can see the Aggies leaving to go to the SEC eventually, but Tech will be Texas new dance partner in the Pac 16, just like OU and OSU. Tech has the backing of the the major colleges in the state and within the BCS. I hate those sand fleas and I think their fanbase is the worst I have ever dealt with, but that hatred is biased by my true envy of Tech, in that their school has ALWAYS been taken care of by the other Texas schools, while we have never been given even a smidgen of a chance to move up to a decent conference that incluse Texas schools. We can't get even get into CUSA because of the Texas private schools, much less getting ANY help from other non-AQ public schools like UH or UTEP. I just don't see the Big Three Texas schools ever giving us a helping hand either. Its pretty simple to me. It will take a conference like the MWC--or even CUSA--to look past so much of the Texas politics and lack of successful history and support at UNT over the last 30 years and just say that the promise of tomorrow and the support that the university would give to a better conference would be significant. But, as simple as that seems, its seems even harder and less plausible that ignoring those factors listed above will happen. I hate it, but the SBC will be our home for a long time.

TodgeRodge (CheckFacts) brings me back to the days of LOYALFAN on gmg.com. These posters have become the best rolls of all time on gmg.com. You all would do yourself a favor and realize that this poster just happens to post ALWAYS about topics that will get lots of looks and replies. BTW, nice troll on the SMU/UNT/SWC case. I always love reading the "SMU didn't have anything to do with us not getting into the SWC or CUSA argument" because Hayden Fry said so in his book. I mean there is just no way that Hayden Fry would protect any of his friends from SMU by saying this, right? He did coach there for a long time before North Texas called him to Denton. Seriously, just ignore almost every SMU fan who knowingly brings up the fact that they blackballed us twice and will continue to do so in the future. Man, you are a good fisherman--even I got hooked knowing that your bait was just sitting there waiting to be bitten. For everyone else reading this, don't get hooked. IGNORE THIS TROLL!!

UNT getting into either the MWC or CUSA within the next 5 years would be almost miraculous. The MWC could very well be content with 10. If they add, they will have several schools interested that I believe would fit their needs very well, like UTEP, UH, us, SMU, Utah State, and San Jose State. It would just depend on who wanted to go that direction and if those MWC schools want new members to split their TV deal with over the next 5 years. To me, the MWC will do like the Big XII - II and stay at 10 to keep more TV money. CUSA, with the private schools voting together and the fact that the Eastern publics don't seem too interested in getting another Texas school in the mix, UNT just doesnt seem like a logical match under these circumstances. I would bet that MUTS or FAU would fit in well with CUSA expansion needs if ECU or UCF got picked off, although I doubt that will happen in the next five years, since the Big Ten just announced that they are holding strong at the moment with 12 teams, meaning that no Big East teams are being targeted in the near future for a new conference. I know it bums people out here (me too) but I really do believe that UNT will be in the SBC for a long time in the future. I think that the bad news is that one of the eastern SBC teams will leave, but I do believe that the good news is that NMSU and La Tech will join the SBC over the next 5 years.

This post is the winner. Those years were defined by our domination of the Belt and going to the NO Bowl. All of those were great, especially considering how pitiful we were before and after this stretch. But most people looked at that time as this was the best we could do with our facilities and our salary restraints for coaches. We played in a toilet of a stadium and really never showed much in OOC games, with the exception of a few. If we had beaten TCU or Arizona or Air Force, it would have gotten some more attention here. But we lost to South Florida twice and Florida Atlantic OOC during our bowl run, so that always clouded things for most fans and media.

I have been to the last three games and I think the attendance figures have all been low in the box score. First off, I felt like we had more than 7100 at the Tech game. I assumed that we had around 8000 while I was looking around. I think the Rice game was probably closer to 4000 and the UTA game looked a little less crowded than the Rice game, but by about 200 fans or so. Really frustrating to see these numbers being announced. We are like the opposite of SMU Football Attendance counters!!

1.) The MWC will continue to be MUCH BETTER in football and men's hoops than CUSA for a looooonnnnngggg time. 2.) We will never be in a conference with SMU. They wield too much power because of their allinace with the other private schools and they aren't going to give us a hand to move up when it would really hurt them. 3.) If the MWC adds Hawaii (as expected) that gives them 10. They may be content with 10. If they want in the Texas market, which I believe they still would like to be, the question will be which two of these markets do they want to add--Houston, Dallas, and El Paso. 4.) The Big XII - II will never have another Texas team in it as long as Texas or A&M are in it. TCU's AD said as much yesterday on the Ticket during an interview with The Hardline. His exact words were, "We bring a new TV market to the Big East. We are never going to be able to do that with the Big XII. That is why the Pac-10 wanted the Texas market so badly, because it is now all about the TV markets and what they bring to the conference."

Speaking of this, last night as we were leaving the parking lot by Fouts, on the pressbox side, I started driving on the access road toward Bonnie Brae. I looked as I was driving toward the intersection and see this guy walking by himself in what looked like a suit in front of the stadium by the intramural fields. I'll be damned if it wasn't Chico. I thought to myself, that doesn't seem like a smart thing to do at all, walking along side the access road by yourself in that area at that time of the night. Very strange...

Guys, I will guarantee you that Rice would beat almost every SBC team right now. They have some good dribble and drive guards and they can shoot from the outside. Braun is a very good coach and he would coach circles around many of the SBC coaches. This win may not look that great at the end of the year because of Rice's record in their conference, which isn't great either, but is apparently LIGHT YEARS ahead of the SBC this year, but it would continue to help us gain momentum to that big 20 win streak. I will say this, especially now that the team is getting some attention, this will help out big for an NIT bid if we don't win the SBC Tournament. Our record and the attendance will at least get us some recognition there. I want us to go to the NCAAs and think we ahve a great chance, but a win against teams like Tech and Rice will at least help us to hedge our best if we don't get back to the NCAA Tournament. And, at this point, the only way the SBC could even conceive of getting two bids is if UNT and WKU basically only lose 3-4 games each. Even that may not do it because this league is so bad right now. It really amazes me at how fast and far the decline has been for the SBC over the last 2 years.

Actually, I think a lot of players tend to remain stagnant or even regress as sophomores because they think they have it all down from playing one year of college hoops. Usually, the sophomore to junior jump is the biggest because of a lot of factors: maturity, understanding roles better, continuing to refine your game, and having to fight for PT if the incoming freshman have something. Holmen, though, is a huge disappointment. He has size and athleticism, but his thought process during offensive sets is clearly lacking. My guess is that he will either get it in the off-season and the lights will coem on or he will get buried on the depth chart next year and beyond. There is no doubt, though, that if he continues to play like this that it will hurt this team, just because of the depth issues.

McCarney would be just fine here. He has built a program up from nothing, got fired at Iowa State for having a losing year after all those bowl games, and he will be a huge benefit for our lines, both in coaching and recruiting. He would be a great hire.

Yes, and it was MUCH WORSE. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Kansas State actually gave up their home games in Manhattan to play Oklhoma in Norman. I believe that KSU played OU like 6 or 8 straight years in Norman. That isn't just shameful, its pathetic.

Spelling Smack is the best you can do to bring negativity over to the one sport at UNT that has done anything positive in the last 5 years? I have asked you before, but I will ask again--why do you love the Mean Green? I have never seen a post from LoveMG that is positive ever. Not sayin', just sayin'.

Wow this thread has a lot of topics to comment on. 1.) If Steve Kragthorpe was chosen as our HFC, it would be a GREAT HIRE. If any of you are still having hurt feelings about some comments made by Steve Kragthorpe in 1998 regarding his lack of interest in becoming HFC at UNT, please understand a few things. First off, Craig Helwig was the AD and had just fired the guy who orignally brought Kragthorpe to UNT. Secondly, the Chancellor of the university was Al Hurley. SK had seen for two years how this university viewed athletics from the administrative level and how the AD was run from a guy who just whored us out to anyone who would pay us a huge payout in non-conference, both in football and in hoops. Third, we played at Fouts Field. There was no thought of building a new stadium at any point then, either. Fourth, he made more money at Texas A&M and got more name recognition for being an OC there than he would get as HFC at UNT. Today, all fo the reasons that Kragthorpe showed zero interest in UNT are GONE!!! Yes, the Louisville thing went bad, but the Tulsa thing went beyond good. What he did a Tulsa is twice as impressive as anything June Jones has done at SMU. As a matter of fact, it is on par with the job Franchione did at TCU. This job, now, is way more on par with Tulsa than Louisville. HE has proven he can build up a winner from a place that was historically a loser. 2.)I don't doubt for a second that Leach would cause a huge stir here or anywhere he gets hired. His ego isn't going to allow him to go a non-AQ league right now, though. Maybe in a few years, especially if he can't another HFC job, but not now. Although he built them up to unparalled successs, Tech has so many more built-in advantages over UNT, that it really is just apples to oranges. First off, we love it here when we get a known Texas team to play us, especially here in Denton. Imagine, just for a second, how awesome it would be to get annual visits from ALL of the known Texas/Oklahoma schools EVERY YEAR. That is what the SWC and Big XII gifted Tech with--and it was all because the Aggies and Longhorns have taken very good care of them. They have an entire region to themselves, while we share our area with about 900 different competing interests. What I am saying is that Leach did great out there, but he knew what advantages were there to work with when he went there. He cares about himself first and that will never change. There are only a few jobs out there that can feed an ego and a wallet that Leach has.

This has no chance of happening. SMU folks want nothing to do with us, plus the MWC will look at multiple markets--say Dallas and Houston or El Paso. Our chances to move to CUSA hinge deeply on SMU leaving. If that happens, we will get an invite very quickly. Some folks may not want ot join CUSA if it doesn't have SMU, UH, or UTEP, but it would be a step-up on the conference front still in a big way.

This is what I think about Troy going forward. They have followed our path in SBC play. First dominating, then it starts to decline when the other programs get rolling. Watch out for FIU. That team is going to be your next Belt heavyweight going forward. Cristobal is a great young coach and he has credibility with Miami recruiting. But, I do believe that Troy will drop significantly over the next few years. It won't be as far as we dropped, but it will be a drop. And, I still think MUTS will be a big player at the top of the SBC, too. I think that Stockstill is a good coach and this year just had too many hurdles for them. I can't see them regressing from this year. It just illustrates how important it will be to get a great coach here in the next few weeks.

I didnt get a chance to see if any of the DFW TV Stations had anything on the game last night against KU. I assume that since they were ranked that it might have registered on someone's radar, but then again, it involved UNT, so maybe not.

I will tell you that nothing compares to watching a game at Allen Fieldhouse. It literally is a walk back in time. And that old barn is so loud that it can just be deafening on an opponent that isnt used to playing there. Two things do stand out to me. One is that UNT usually makes its threes. Assuming that they even make just three 3s, that probably helps to keep the game closer for sure. The other thing is that KU will beat many other teams by this margin at AFH, too, especially when Josh Selby gets into their rotation. They have a chance to be what they usually are--one of the best teams in the country. All that will come from this game for UNT is experience at a hostile environment that will help in SBC play--and a nice paycheck, too!!