Coach Andy Mac

Post Game Press Conference (UNT opponent discussion starts at 11:08)

LINK: https://ucirvinesports.com/news/2025/3/26/mens-basketball-no-1-seed-uc-irvine-wins-nit-quarterfinal-in-thrilling-overtime-fashion.aspx IRVINE, Calif. – Forward Devin Tillis scored five of his game-high 22 points in the final 1:23 and grabbed a big rebound with three seconds left in No. 1 seed UC Irvine's 81-77 victory over UAB in the quarterfinal of the National Invitation Tournament Wednesday at the Bren Events Center. A 6-0 run by UAB gave the Blazers a 77-74 lead with 1:33 to play before Tillis drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 77 all with 1:23 left. The Blazers were a perfect 13-13 from the line until a miss with 51 seconds left opened the door for UCI. Center Bent Leuchten hit a jumper in the paint with 31 seconds on the clock then on the other end UAB missed two layups, the second rebound was pulled down by Tillis who was fouled with two seconds left solidifying the win with a pair of free throws, 81-77. Tillis recorded his sixth double-double of the year, with 22 points and team-high 11 rebounds. The redshirt senior went 7-15 from the floor, including three three-pointers, and 5-6 from the line. He added three assists and a steal in his 34 minutes on the floor. UC Irvine advances to the semifinals April 1 against North Texas at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Anteaters improve to 31-7, tying the school record for most wins with the 2018-19 squad who went 31-6. UCI, who made 15 of their free throws in tonight's win, broke the school record of free throws made in a season with their 617 over 37 contests. The previous standard was held by the 1971-72 team who made 616 of their 873 attempts in 28 games. INSIDE THE NUMBERS > Center Bent Leuchten recorded his 19th double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds, seven coming on the defensive glass > Leuchten went 6-10 from the field and 5-6 from the line > Guard Jurian Dixon scored 10 of his 16 points in the first half, totaling five rebounds and two assists > Guard Myles Che knocked down three three-pointers and finished 13 points > Che dished five assists and grabbed five rebounds. > Sophomore Kyle Evans was important off the bench, going 3-4 from the floor and 2-2 from the line with three blocks > Guard Justin Hohn was quiet offensively with four points but had eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal > The Anteaters shot 41.4 percent (29-70) from the floor and 71.4 percent from the line (15-21) while the Blazers shot 40.5 percent (30-74) from the field and 92.9 percent (13-14) from the line > UCI hit eight three-pointers (8-24, 0.333) and the Blazers went 4-20 (0.200) > UAB (24-13) was Christian Coleman had a team-best 21 points with 14 rebounds, while Yaxel Lendeborg recorded 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds FIRST HALF > Myles Che drew the defense to the middle of the court, finding a way to pass out to Jurian Dixon (18:45) who knocked down the three-pointer to put UC Irvine up slight, 3-2, but UAB scored nine unanswered to go ahead 11-3 at 15:21 > The Anteaters brought it within two, 13-11, on a 8-2 run that saw a layup from Devin Tillis (15:09), a basket and two free throws from Kyle Evans (14:32, 13:58), and a Justin Hohn (13:29) run and score > Dixon grabbed the defensive board and took it all the way down the court, got fouled while in the air, the ball fell through the hoop, and he made the extra shot to draw to 17-16 at 11:35 > The Blazers two triples were countered by four total makes from the line, two from Bent Leuchten and two from Che, 23-20 (10:01) > Both teams went scoreless for three-minute periods, but two straight scores from UAB put them up, 29-22 (5:22) > Leuchten had an answered for the Blazers shot, hitting a corner three-pointer then hooking it over the defense at 2:12, 33-29 > Ofure Ujadughele played furious defense and poke the ball away, driving down the court and drop the ball off. A missed layup would land in the hands of Dixon for the put-back with 13 seconds left. UCI went into the break trailing 31-36 at the half SECOND HALF > Tillis scored five of the Anteaters first eight points out of the break, three were free throws and the last a backdown hook shot at 14:53, 44-39 > UCI put up eight straight scores on a soft hook by Leuchten, a Dixon hanging layup from a long Tillis lead pass, another layup by Dixon and a final layup by Evans to give the Anteaters a 47-44 lead (12:12) > UAB scored the next four to knot the score at 50-all at 9:31 > Following four UAB free throws, Tillis knocked down a three-pointer as the shot clock expired, 57-56 (6:41) > The teams traded baskets until Che (2:33) stopped and popped from three, 62-60 > Consecutive layups by UAB was followed by a fallaway jumper by Che moving to 64-64 (1:11) > The teams exchanged three-pointers before UAB went ahead on a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left, 69-67 > Tillis worked his way under the basket for a layup with 17 seconds left to tie the game, 69-69 > A UAB travel gave the Anteaters possession with 3.7 on the clock. After pushing the ball up the court Hohn called timeout with 0.7 left, but the Anteaters couldn't score out of the break, sending the game to overtime OVERTIME > Leuchten put one in down low then was fouled and stepped to the line on the next possession and hit the first of two, 72-69 (3:59) > A UCI turnover led to a Blazer layup (3:20) before Leuchten battled for a rebound and was fouled, adding two more points from the stripe at 3:07, 74-71 > UAB had two from the line then had a rebound put-back and jumper to move in front, 77-74 (1:33) > Tillis poured in a three from up top then Leuchten went down the paint and floated one in from four feet with 31 seconds left, 79-77 > A UAB shot went out of bounds then the Anteaters threw the inbounds play away giving UAB the ball with eight seconds remaining > The Blazers missed two layups with Tillis pulling down the rebound and getting fouled on the last with two seconds to go. He stepped to the line and deposit them both for the 81-77 final score NOTES > UC Irvine improves to 3-1 in overtime contests > UCI is the first team to reach the NIT semifinals since the 1983 Fresno State squad that won it all > The Anteaters are tied third in the nation in win total (31) > UCI is a combined 23-4 record when either one or both of them dishes out four or more assists a game (Hohn 13-4, Che 10-0). > It is the fourth time Tillis and Leuchten have recorded double-doubles in the same game > Justin Hohn ranks fifth in all-time career steals (148) > Hohn moves to fifth all-time with 203 career made three-pointers, needing 19 more to match assistant coach Michael Widler (224, 2009-13) for fourth > Devin Tillis is now 13th in the all-time rebounding list with 684, just one away from meeting Tommy Rutherford (685, 2016-20) for 12th, while Bent Leuchten holds the 15th spot with 658 > Leuchten is now three rebounds away from matching Kevin Magee (337, 1980-91) for second all-time rebounds in a season > Leuchten ranks sixth nationally and first in the Big West with 19 double-doubles > At the free throw line, Leuchten has made 200 free throws this season, ranking sixth nationally, setting the new single season record in made shots at the line. It was previously held Jerry Green with 196 (235 attempts) in 2000-01 > Hohn (11th--1,351), Leuchten (26th--1,151), and Tillis (34th--1,044) keep moving in the 1,000-career point scoring list UP NEXT No. 1 seed UC Irvine will make the trip out to Indianapolis for the NIT semifinals where they are pitted against North Texas on Tuesday Apr. 1 at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). Print Friendly Version

The North Texas basketball team booked a spot in the NIT after winning 24 games and finishing second in the AAC standings. After three straight postseason victories, their season continues. The Mean Green’s most recent contest came with a minor hiccup. Luckily, it wouldn’t cause the campaign to come to an end. North Texas entered the NIT bracket as a two-seed. That gave them an opportunity to host their first two games. Unlike the NCAA Tournament, games are held on campus sites of the more highly ranked seeds up through the semifinals. Then, teams move onto Indianapolis. The Mean Green played, and beat, both Furman and Arkansas State in their home arena in Denton, TX. When No. 1 seed SMU went down in regional play, it gave them an opportunity to again host Oklahoma State in Game 3 as opposed to having to travel to Dallas to face the Mustangs. A scheduling conflict interfered. Despite being the better seed, they had to hit the road to Stillwater. read more: https://brobible.com/sports/article/north-texas-basketball-scheduling-conflict-nit/

Two opponents have bested the North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team this season. One was an in-state rival -- the other was a staff appreciation lunch. A university-scheduled luncheon forced the Mean Green to hit the road for their NIT quarterfinal game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Tuesday, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. Despite NIT appearances in three previous years, including a 2023 championship win, the university didn't feel the need to block off the UNT Coliseum, better known as the Super Pit, in case it was needed for postseason play. North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley told the Record-Chronicle that the school worked to explore alternative venues but weren't able to find any. "There is no guarantee even if the staff appreciation luncheon could have been moved that we would have been selected to host due to other planning the NIT does and not knowing if television would have slotted our game for Tuesday or Wednesday," Mosley said. read more: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44418072/north-texas-mean-green-nit-tournament-unable-host-appreciation-lunch

"The UNT Community is proud of our Mean Green's men's basketball team and their success advancing in the NIT," the university said in a statement. "While we would have loved to host the quarterfinal round in the Super Pit, pre-existing commitments – including a campus-wide event and a long-term external contract – are taking the men's team on the road to face Oklahoma State [Tuesday] at 8 p.m." "While it is not uncommon for higher seeds to travel during the first three rounds in the NIT to accommodate facility availability, we hope our passionate Mean Green fans cheer on the team as they fight to advance to the semifinal round in Indiana," the university added. read more: https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/unt-unable-to-host-nit-quarterfinal-due-to-pre-existing-commitments/287-842990ba-9107-447d-8da2-a0981083f40b

Some of the presumed top candidates for the job have either taken positions elsewhere or ended up not being a good fit for WVU, which is the reason the search is still ongoing. Now entering its second week, a new "leader" has emerged, North Texas' Ross Hodge. If Hodge ends up being the guy, there will almost certainly be a mixed reaction from the fan base. While he does have an impressive start to his young head coaching career record-wise, there are a lot of reasons to be concerned. Let's start with the lack of experience. Hodge has seven total years of head coaching experience, only two of which came at the Division I level. He was a junior college head coach from 2006-11, spending three years at Paris JC where he went 83-17, and two years at Midland College where he logged a record of 63-7. Impressive? Certainly, but that was well over a decade ago, in the old era of college basketball, and at a much lower level. read more: https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/basketball/identifying-the-major-red-flags-with-potential-wvu-candidate-ross-hodge

The West Virginia Mountaineers are on the search for their fourth head basketball coach in as many seasons. Now, according to a report by Jon Rothstein, North Texas Mean Green head coach Ross Hodge has emerged as a serious candidate for the job. At this point, nothing is final in the coaching search. However, West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker does have a familiarity with Ross Hodge. The pair worked together at North Texas, where Baker worked before getting to Morgantown. This season, in particular, has been a good one for North Texas. The Mean Green are currently in the NIT semifinals, having already won three games in that tournament. This season, Hodge has led North Texas to a 27-8 record and a 14-4 record in AAC play, which was second place in the regular season standings. That includes a win over Big 12 school Oklahoma State. read more: https://www.on3.com/college/west-virginia-mountaineers/news/report-ross-hodge-emerges-as-serious-candidate-for-west-virginia-job/

For the fourth consecutive year, the North Texas men’s basketball team (24-8, 14-4 American Athletic Conference) accepted a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. As the No. 2 seed in the Dallas region, the Mean Green will host a home game against Furman (25-9, 13-3 Southern Conference) on March 19. The team received its invitation after its 66-56 March 15 AAC semifinals loss to UAB. Three days removed from the UAB loss, head coach Ross Hodge said the team took time in its meeting to talk on fully refocusing on the NIT. “These guys were all in on wanting to play again,” Hodge said. “They love playing basketball. They love each other. They’re human beings so obviously there’s a disappointment level associated with not being able to reach a goal you set.” Senior guard Jasper Floyd said the team needed to turn the page quickly after failing to reach its season-long goal of winning the conference championship. “Because of the work that we put in starting last summer, we were confident in our abilities to go and as a group win the American Conference Championships,” Floyd said. “But we weren’t able to do that and that was kind of shocking to us. [...] We’ve been blessed with another opportunity.” In its previous three NIT appearances, North Texas has gone a combined 7-2 in the tournament and won the championship in the 2022-2023 season. read more: https://www.ntdaily.com/sports/north-texas-accepts-nit-bid-to-make-4th-consecutive-appearance-blessed-with-another-opportunity/article_943b2ea4-036d-11f0-bd0a-f3c54ceef5f5.html

How Furman basketball made the NIT The Paladins won six of their last seven games. They reached the Southern Conference tournament championship game, but lost to Wofford and missed a chance to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament Senior guard PJay Smith leads the Paladins in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. Alongside him is graduate student Nick Anderson, a guard who averaged 14.7 points per game and was a third-team All-SoCon selection. MORE: NIT 2025: Printable bracket, TV schedule, matchups for first round The most notable wins for the Paladins were against Belmont, Tulane, Princeton, three victories over Samford and a postseason victory over SoCon regular-season champion Chattanooga. This season’s 25 wins tied for second most in program history, behind only the school’s 28 wins in 2023. read more: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/2025/03/17/furman-basketball-north-texas-nit-how-to-watch-what-to-know/82488097007/

Come cheer on the Mean Green in Fort Worth at the 2025 AAC Basketball Championships at Dickies Arena! All-session ticket packages for both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments are now available. Women's Championship all-session tickets are $85, and Men's Championship all-session tickets start at just $125. These packages grant you access to every game in the tournament. When you purchase through UNT, you not only support North Texas student-athletes but also enjoy discounted prices compared to buying directly from Dickies Arena. Plus, you'll secure seats alongside fellow Mean Green fans! To buy tickets, click the buttons below or reach out to the UNT Athletics Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or ticketoffice@unt.edu. Tickets will be allocated based on MGSF priority points and will be delivered digitally via Ticketmaster in late February. Single-session tickets will also be available later this month. Men's Basketball All-Session Passes Women's Basketball All-Session Passes AAC Championship First Round Games @ the Super Pit The AAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship kicks off with First Round games at the Super Pit in Denton, TX, and admission is free!

DENTON, Texas — UNT women’s basketball (20-7, 12-3 AAC) will host Charlotte Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT in its annual Play4Kay game inside The Super Pit. As part of the Play4Kay game, North Texas will be in its pink uniforms to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund that is dedicated to supporting innovative ways of fighting ALL cancers affecting women and providing support through giving strength, courage, and hope. The Mean Green collected their 20th win of the season in dramatic fashion their last time out, defeating East Carolina, 75-73, in double overtime. Despite trailing for nearly all of regulation, UNT battled back into the game getting key buckets from several players throughout the second half and overtime periods. Jaaucklyn Moore had a big night scoring 18 points, which included a game-tying 3-pointer in the first overtime, while Kyla Deck and Jaelyn Talley came up with contested buckets through contact in the second overtime to secure the win. Tommisha Lampkin had another monster night as she recorded her 14th double double of the season. She collected 23 points and 15 rebounds, making her the only player in the nation to post three straight games with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds this season. Lampkin was named AAC Player of the Week for the second consecutive week on Monday. Lampkin is on the verge of breaking another school record after becoming the career games played record holder against East Carolina. Entering Wednesday’s contest, the senior forward needs just four rebounds to pass Madison Townley as the program’s all-time leading rebounder. Charlotte is 9-17 this season and 4-11 in AAC play under Tomekia Reed, who is in her first season at the helm. However, the 49ers have dominated the series with the Mean Green, winning seven of the last eight matchups, which included a season sweep last season. Wednesday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Owen Simpson and Hek’ma Harrison on the call. It can also be heard on the Varsity Network app with Zac Babb. WHAT 2 WATCH 4 • UNT will host Charlotte in its annual Play4Kay Game supporting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. • North Texas is the only team in the con­ference that ranks in the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense. • Clinching its 20th win of the season at ECU, the Mean Green have recorded consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history. • Tommisha Lampkin needs just four rebounds to pass Madison Townley as the program's all-time leading rebounder. • Lampkin was named AAC Player of the Week on Monday for the second consecutive week after her performance at ECU. DOWN TO THE WIRE IN CAROLINA • North Texas and East Carolina have developed a knack for close contests, combining to play six overtime periods over the last two meetings. • Almost a year to the day from UNT's 93-91 win in 4OT at The Super Pit last season, the Mean Green topped the Pirates, 75-73, in 2OT on Saturday in Greenville. • ECU led for 41:02 total, which included nearly all of regulation, but UNT was able to overcome a halftime deficit to send it in to OT. • Lampkin's 23 points led North Texas, while Jaaucklyn Moore added 18 points and hit a huge game-tying 3-pointer in the first overtime period. A WIN WOULD… • Make UNT 21-7 on the year, 13-3 in AAC play • Improve UNT’s record to 14-1 in The Super Pit this season • Tie the program record for conference wins in a single season • Match the second-most wins in a season in program history • End a two-game losing streak to Charlotte

TAMPA, Florida – Playing in front of his family and friends in his hometown, the UNT men’s basketball team’s Jasper Floyd made a career high four 3-pointers including the one that iced the game away to lead the Mean Green to a 64-57 win over South Florida at the Yuengling Center Sunday afternoon. The win gives North Texas 20 wins on the year, one more than they had last season in head coach Ross Hodge’s first year. It also gives them 11 league wins, which is also one more than they had last year. “Conference games in February are never easy,” Hodge said. “So much respect and credit to (USF) coach Fletcher. The job great job he’s done can’t be overstated. I’m super proud of the composure of our team to stick together.” Floyd led UNT (20-6, 11-3) with 18 points and his final three were the biggest. As the Bulls (13-15, 6-9) were mounting a 19-point comeback, the senior from Tampa sank a straight on 3-pointer with one minute to go to give the Mean Green a five-point lead. Floyd was the only UNT player in double figures Sunday. Grant Newell, Atin Wright and Brenen Lorient each finished with nine points. Rondel Walker scored eight points and knocked down two 3-pointers. Moulaye Sissoko who scored 27 points in North Texas’ previous game was held to four on Sunday but grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. This is the Mean Green’s sixth 20-win season in the last eight years and the 14th in program history. UNT has now won four in a row and won three in a row wire-to-wire. They haven’t trailed for 154 consecutive minutes of game action after Sunday’s win. Up next, North Texas travels to Florida Atlantic for a Thursday night showdown in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information on UNT Basketball tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can purchase tickets at www.meangreentickets.com or visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Would expect UNT and other AAC schools to follow suit as well. Dear Roadrunner Family, As we kick off 2025, I want to express my immense excitement about the future of UTSA Athletics. It’s no secret that college athletics is experiencing significant change at a rapid pace. While this transformation may bring challenges to programs across the nation, the opportunity to directly support our student-athletes on their academic journeys has never been greater. Specifically, NIL (Name, Image and Likeness), conference realignment, the transfer portal and the House v. NCAA proposed settlement have – and will – all dramatically modify the ways in which we operate. If the House settlement is fully approved this spring, which we anticipate, it will change the collegiate model. UTSA Athletics is well prepared for this moment and we will continue to be proactive in our efforts to adapt and thrive in this new landscape. Throughout my tenure as UTSA’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, we have been committed to providing the best environment possible for our nearly 400 student-athletes, as we fully fund each of our sport programs, provide first-class programming in student-athlete development, and focus on excellence in the classroom, in the community and in competition. That emphasis will not change, but the way in which we deliver it will evolve. New legislation will allow us to provide additional financial arrangements to our student-athletes, while offering increased roster opportunities and additional scholarship support. This approach, which we will take along with our American Athletic Conference peers, will be critical as we move into a new future of college athletics. Simply put, we will have to change the way we operate and will need your continued increasing support to generate additional revenue. Below, you will find two important updates: (1) A summary of the changes we anticipate from the House v. NCAA proposed settlement and (2) A roadmap of our BOLD approach to the future. These updates will provide the latest information about our commitment to the development of our student-athletes and their future success. As I have said before, for us to achieve our ambitious goals, it will take each and every one of us coming together to provide support. Please know that while we are committed to our approach, we are also prepared to make any necessary adjustments as the landscape continues to evolve. --- What Changes Are We Anticipating? House v. NCAA Settlement: House v. NCAA is the consolidation of class action lawsuits filed by former student-athletes against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences, regarding rules that prohibited student-athletes from earning compensation for the commercial use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). In the simplest terms, the House vs. NCAA proposed settlement will conclude three active lawsuits that challenge current NCAA rules regarding payments to student-athletes. The hearing on final approvement of the settlement is set for April 7. We expect, and are planning for, the settlement to be approved. Past Damages: As part of the House settlement, the NCAA will pay approximately $2.8 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current student-athletes, dating back to 2016, who were not able to participate in Name, Image and Likeness activities that are now permissible. While the lawsuit only focuses on student-athletes at Power Four institutions, the settlement calls for all NCAA Division I institutions to contribute to past damages. It is difficult to precisely estimate the full financial impact but we project that UTSA will pay close to $5 million over the 10-year period via reduced revenue distribution from the NCAA. Revenue Sharing: Under the terms of the House settlement, institutions would be allowed to share revenue directly with student-athletes. I know there have been many questions about revenue sharing models, financial figures and the support we will be able to provide to our student-athletes. We have been diligently planning for revenue sharing with student-athletes and I look forward to detailing this plan in the near term. We are closely coordinating with the American Athletic Conference and our colleagues across the conference on establishing revenue sharing thresholds. All of the conference members will observe and coordinate their plans around these developments. As a state agency, UTSA uses annual budget-setting processes and protocols that are approved by the UT System and are part of discussions held with the State and legislature during legislative sessions. Budgets set for Athletics follow this annual cycle during the September 1 to August 31 fiscal year. As we build the Athletics budget, all sources available for revenue sharing are being evaluated. Title IX Implications for Revenue Sharing: We are committed to Title IX and gender equity at UTSA and in our Athletics program. Earlier this month, the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights offered guidance that NIL money paid to college athletes should be held to the same gender-equity standards as athletic scholarships. We will be closely monitoring these developments. Roster Limits: The NCAA currently places limits on the number of scholarships that may be awarded in each sport - but does not limit a sport’s roster size. As part of the House settlement, there would be limits on each sport’s roster size, but institutions will now be permitted to award as many scholarships as there are roster spots. While we are still evaluating the impact on our 17 sports programs, we are committed to creating more opportunities for student-athletes by increasing scholarships and roster sizes. Your support of the Roadrunner Athletic Fund is critical in creating these additional scholarship opportunities. Name, Image and Likeness: UTSA student-athletes will continue to benefit from additional Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. The House settlement sets new rules for NIL activities, which includes a national clearinghouse that will evaluate NIL opportunities greater than $600 and will also monitor the NIL process. I am a proponent of this greater transparency, as I believe it will provide standardization to a currently ambiguous process, and hopefully provide a more level playing field across institutions, conferences and states. Our student-athletes will benefit from your support of their Name, Image and Likeness activities through Runners United and the Runners Go Bold Exchange. --- Our Bold Approach To The Future When UTSA transitioned into the American Athletic Conference in the summer of 2023, we challenged each and every person associated with our program to BE BOLD about our aspirations and the ways in which we operate. We will need your continued increasing support to generate additional revenue. Here’s a look at our approach: Roadrunner Game Plan: Soon after my arrival at UTSA, we put our energy into the Roadrunner Game Plan, a comprehensive strategic plan that has helped us create a culture of excellence for our student-athletes in academics and athletics, and has unified the San Antonio community in support of our Roadrunners. The Roadrunner Game Plan focuses on three winning values – Excellence, Integrity and Unity – to enhance our student-athlete experience and a core set of pillars and priorities. Over the past year, our administrative leadership team has been revising and refining the pillars of the Roadrunner Game Plan to prepare for our new reality. We have been evaluating every aspect of our operating procedures and structure with the terms of the House settlement in mind, streamlining our approach for a successful future. Institutional Support: President Eighmy has been an incredible supporter and advocate of UTSA Athletics. Along with Veronica Salazar, Executive Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Enterprise Development Officer, he has been committed to maximizing institutional support of our athletics program. Since I arrived in the fall of 2017, our athletics budget has increased from $24.5 million in FY18 to $48.3 million in FY25, a nearly $24 million increase, with the majority of that funding coming from institutional support. During that time, we have also invested approximately $50 million into the creation of the Roadrunner Athletics Center for Excellence and the Park West Field House with the tremendous partnership of Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, and with the support of our loyal donors. This past February, in collaboration with the University, I announced the commitment of an additional $57 million into athletics facilities with much of that funding coming from the institution. This includes a Basketball and Volleyball Training Facility and player development centers for baseball and softball. Dr. Eighmy and EVP Salazar’s innovative approach to providing institutional support, including the sale of university land at Park West, has been invaluable to UTSA and UTSA Athletics. I am also grateful for the support of the Roadrunner Foundation and President Gene Dawson for their leadership in this area. Collectives: In October 2024, we announced the formation of Runners United, which brought together our three key collectives – City Fans 210, 210 Inspired and Runners Rising – to create a community-focused, sustainable approach to NIL. By uniting these collectives, Runners United is able to provide UTSA student-athletes with greater opportunities for NIL compensation, engage the San Antonio community and foster philanthropic support. I am grateful to the three collectives for working collaboratively to support our student-athletes in this unified approach. We will all benefit from the formation of Runners United. To learn more about Runners United and our NIL efforts, visit this comprehensive website. NIL Management: Changes in legislation over the past year allows universities and athletics departments to be more directly involved in NIL efforts. I am grateful that we have been able to be more hands-on in working with our collectives, creating Runners United and being able to promote and support our student-athletes’ NIL efforts. Over the next few months, we are hiring an NIL General Manager dedicated to managing NIL engagement with our student-athletes in all sports. Expanded Donor Opportunities: The Roadrunner Athletic Fund provides critical scholarship support to our student-athletes in all 17 sports. With the launch of Runners United, contributors to the three collectives now earn RAF Loyalty Points, allowing donor NIL contributions to be even more rewarding. Supporters now receive two RAF Loyalty Points for every $100 donated to Runners United collectives. Additionally, this past summer, UTSA Athletics launched the McCombs Society, our official leadership giving society. Supporters can join the McCombs Society with a minimum pledge of $25,000 over a five-year period or an annual cash gift of $25,000 or more. I am especially grateful to Marsha Shields and the McCombs Family for their initial gift of $100,000 to the Bold Champions Campaign as part of the McCombs Society. Corporate Partnerships: Our partnership with our official multimedia rights holder, Playfly Sports, which became effective in the summer of 2023, has brought expanded sponsorship and corporate partnership opportunities to UTSA Athletics. It has greatly enhanced UTSA’s brand identity and sponsorship opportunities on the local, regional and national level. The partnerships will only continue to grow and I am grateful to Playfly and General Manager Robert Stockhausen for their support and work on behalf of UTSA student-athletes. If your business is interested in partnering with UTSA Athletics, click here to learn more. Ticket Models: Through our partnership with Playfly, we are working with Aspire to examine ticket pricing and new ticketing opportunities for football, including ways that will support revenue sharing with our student-athletes. We are evaluating pricing models, including potential increases for the upcoming season, that would generate additional revenue. In addition, over the past year, we have installed chairback reserved seats at our baseball and softball facilities that include seat contributions to the Roadrunner Athletic Fund. We have also implemented seat contributions to reserved season tickets at men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as courtside seating at volleyball. These contributions directly enhance the resources we are able to provide to our student-athletes. Premium opportunities at the Alamodome will be expanded starting with the 2025 season. New suites, along with club and premium areas, will open in the South End Zone in addition to renovations to existing suites throughout the Alamodome. Fiscal Review: Sound fiscal management has always been a priority and all of our staff has been deeply committed to the most efficient use of our operating budgets to provide resources that support our student-athletes. We continue to regularly evaluate our budgets and our spending to ensure our dollars are being used effectively. Game Day Experience Enhancements: This past football season we created fun game day experience enhancements for our fans that allowed you the opportunity to be part of the action. This included early-bird access and sideline access to the Alamodome, as well as the opportunity to put your special message on the video boards at the Alamodome and Convocation Center. The revenue from these experiences goes to directly support our student-athletes. The offering of these types of experiences will only increase in future years. Concessions Roundup: This football season, we partnered with our food and beverage provider, Savor, and the Alamodome to directly support our student-athletes through a concessions round-up program. At participating Alamodome concession stands, fans were able to round up their total to the nearest dollar to support our student-athletes. This was a great and convenient way for all fans to provide support. We’ll continue to seek these types of opportunities moving forward. It may sound cliché, but every cent really does make a difference. Special Events: We will continue to work with our Runners United collectives to create events within the next year that support NIL efforts, such as luncheons, golf tournaments, concerts and more. We’ve proven many times before that, together as a Roadrunner Family, we are unstoppable. I have no doubt the future is bright as we collectively create the very best experience for our student-athletes. Thank you for your continued support! Birds Up! Lisa Campos, Ed.D. UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics

WICHITA, Kansas – The UNT men’s basketball team takes its five-game winning streak to Wichita State Wednesday night. The Mean Green (15-4, 6-1) and Shockers (11-9, 1-6) are scheduled to tip-off at 6:30 p.m. CT from the Charles Koch Arena. The game will be broadcast on the Mean Green Sports Network, presented by Learfield and on ESPN+. During North Texas’ five-game winning streak, they have won four by double digits and are averaging 75 points per game. Two of the five wins have come on the road. The Mean Green most recently defeated Florida Atlantic, 77-64, at home on Sunday. North Texas trailed by seven at the half to the Owls but outscored them by 20 in the final 20 minutes. Sunday’s win over FAU was their fourth second-half comeback win of the year and third in league play. In conference, UNT has been dominate in the second half of games. The Mean Green have a nearly +9 scoring margin in the second half of league games and have outscored three teams by 15 points or more in the second half. Wednesday they’ll face a Wichita State team that had a solid non-conference slate that saw them earn victories over Kansas State, Minnesota, Saint Louis, Northern Iowa and Western Kentucky. Last Thursday Wichita State on the road led nationally ranked Memphis for over 23 minutes but the Tigers went on a late run to pull out the 61-53 win. Wichita State features one of the most veteran rosters in all of college basketball. Eight of the Shockers nine primary players are seniors who have each played in over 100 collegiate games. Wednesday will be the 40th all-time meeting between UNT and Wichita State. The Shockers lead the all-time series history 26-13 but the Mean Green have won the last two matchups. Last year UNT beat WSU 74-62 at the Roundhouse. After Wednesday’s game at Wichita State, the Mean Green return home to host UTSA on Saturday. North Texas beat the Roadrunners 72-57 in San Antonio on Jan. 18. For more information on UNT Basketball tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can purchase tickets at www.meangreentickets.com or visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

DENTON – The UNT men’s basketball team hosts American Athletic Conference undefeated Rice Owls Wednesday night at the Super Pit. The Mean Green (10-4, 1-1) and Owls (11-4, 2-0) are scheduled to tip-off at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the Mean Green Sports Network, presented by Learfield and on ESPNU. UNT has won the last two meetings against Rice and eight of the last 10. Wednesday will be the first time the two teams have played in Denton since 2023. The Owls are under the leadership of veteran head coach Rob Lanier who is in his first season as Rice’s head coach after serving as SMU’s head coach from 2022-24 where last year he led the Mustangs to a 20-win season and split their series against North Texas. Lanier also served as the head coach at Georgia State (2019-22) and Siena (2001-05). Rice enters Wednesday’s game having won its first two league games of the year. They opened with a 70-64 road win over Tulsa on New Year’s Day and a 68-55 home win over Charlotte on Saturday. After Wednesday night’s game the Mean Green have a six-day break before facing East Carolina on the road on Jan. 14. For more information on UNT Basketball tickets, contact the Mean Green Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can purchase tickets at www.meangreentickets.com or visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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DENTON, Texas – Mean Green student-athletes recorded their ninth consecutive year with a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) above 82 or better with an 84 for the 2016-17 cohort, the NCAA announced Wednesday. Out of UNT’s 12 sport programs, 10 recorded impressive rates above 82. Seven programs improved or maintained their scores from the previous year including football, women’s basketball, soccer, softball, women’s tennis, women’s track and field/cross country along with swim and dive. Women’s basketball tied the program record with a 95. Additionally, football set a new program milestone with an 87. Women’s tennis maintained a perfect 100 for a record ninth year in a row. From the time GSR data collection began with the 1995-98 cohort, UNT has improved from a score of 59 to 84 (25-point increase). The GSR was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately measure the academic success of Division I student-athletes by better accounting for the many different academic paths followed by today's college students. The NCAA also released the most recent federal graduation rate data in conjunction with the GSR information. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, whereas the federal graduation rate does not. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees. The NCAA calculates the federal graduation rate for student-athletes because it is the only rate by which to compare student-athletes to the general student body.