Comet7745

Not really, the following have higher standards: Rice (21%) UT (47%) Baylor (47%) UTD (49%) TCU (52%) SMU (59%) UNT (65%) Though UNT does seem to be noticeably ahead of Texas Tech, UTA, UTSA, Texas State, UTEP, Houston, etc.

The broadcasts always seem to show the visitor's side's angle, so yeah I get where you're coming from then

Round-robin schedule? Top 64 records go to a playoff?

As someone who was actually at the game this year, no. It was at best 75/25 SMU/UTEP. Still very impressive showing for UTEP fans - they bring the most amount of fans outside of TCU. I'm from El Paso and root for UTEP too, but let's be truthful here.

Hard to say CUSA is beating the Big East to the punch with Temple when Temple was in discussion for the latest expansion spot but was once more veto'd by 'Nova.

SMU2006, good post. I've been posting and lurking here for a while now. Mostly because my younger brother got a full ride to UNT (and had shown interest to UNT for a year now, and my family doesn't live anywhere near Dallas). So I've kind of been rooting for UNT in football and basketball. I took my brother to UNT on a campus tour, hell I enjoyed the hell out of it. It's got the type of student population that him and I can relate to (at SMU I'm usually chuckling at a lot of the students there). So even with me being pro-UNT, I still find it somewhat funny/vexing that everyone here seems to be gunning at SMUt any time they have the chance. Maybe with these schools scheduling each other soon, there will be a better rivalry. THe SMU/TCU games are some of the most fun games to attend, it would be cool if we can get that going with UNT.

That is always a possibility

There's some noted animosity between June and Padron. It's been going on behind the scenes for a while now. And this move might have more to do with the prospect of Conner Preston (QB with potential who red shirted this past year) than it does with Gilbert. Who knows, but SMU got stacked (by mid-major standards) at QB recently. I don't blame Padron for wanting to get a chance elsewhere. And for those not in the know (quite a few here judging by posts, but I don't expect you guys to be in on SMU football), Padron has been injured for the majority of the year. There's no doubt in my mind that he would have replaced JJ McDermott had he had the opportunity. Say what you want about SMU and our program, but Padron is talented and you guys should make a push for him.

Then whatever pony you talked to is an idiot. Head over to our boards and you'll see most of us talking about what we can to do market ourselves not just in the country, but in the freakin' DFW area too. We were a recognized brand in the 80s and before then, but most people in their teens to their mid-30s dont know anything about SMU unless they're from Dallas. Anyway, I know I always enter these threads to read up on what UNTers are saying, and I end up replying to something that has little to do with the OP, sorry for further derailment of the conversation! For what it's worth, I hope UNT manages to benefit from the latest conference reshuffling.

I'm not sure about some of that stuff. AK is a great guy. The players love him, and we all know he can recruit his ass off (even out recruit USC and UCLA at times). But I doubt his actual coaching abilities at the moment (as in a major coordinating position). That OL littered with seniors looked far from impressive. We also have very little knowledge as to how he can manage with x's and o's. He may turn out to be a genius, or another dud. I am saddened to see him go as a recruiter, but I wouldn't be so fast to name him a head coach (let alone an OC). Time will tell though.

That's the thing, it's very complicated. At this point though, if I was given the responsibility to sort this out I would welcome June back for one last year (last year in CUSA). I'll get him to bring in the amazing 2012 recruiting class he has under his belt. Meanwhile I'll be hunting for a big name coach, someone like Major Applewhite or even Jim Tressel (go big or go home/become a bottom dweller in the Big East right off the bat). I'll also be talking with Klemm and let him now that I'm committed to him and would promote him to OC next year (since June doesn't really have an OC). That way Klemm can actually get some good coaching experience in him and could perhaps later be promoted to HC in some years in case he turns out to be a great coordinator.

This is awkward

Agreed, that "visitor's side" should still be 75% SMU fans. Instead it's an empty, lonely, and cold valley. When we bring in better competition, the lackadaisical SMU fan will start showing up. Either way though, the SMU athletics brand is damaged goods in DFW. 20 years of irrelevancy will not be remedied by 3 no-name bowl appearances. If we pull a Houston type of season and still are bringing in less than 20K, then by all means persecute us.

I hate having to say this because I don't want it to seem like I'm ignoring the HUGE attendance issues we have, but that image is like many others. It's being taken from the side of the stadium where most fans are. The opposite side is usually a mix of the student section and the opponents' fans. The media always has the cameras on our fans' sides so it looks like a dreadfully empty stadium. While it is a pathetic turn out, there are probably about ten thousand on the western side of the stadium alone. This was the same issue we had at the UCF game. Either way, whether we have 8,000 fans or 15,000 fans, that sucks and the team deserves better. While it was a crap showing by our fans, it was still much more than 1,000

You really can't argue against NIU's Chicago market and at the same time assume the DFW market with UNT.

The plan is to have another West partner for Boise and BYU. That way Louisville and Cincinnati stay together in the East (where they belong). San Diego State is now all over the rumor mill. I'm glad that the Big East's western expansion allows SMU to go AQ, but now the conference might have a team on the Pacific Coast. So much for the word East

Totally right, she's a UTA alum

I didn't, but my fiance two feet away felt it and freaked out. How the hell does that happen?

If it was't for the fact that I'm an SMU person, I don't think I would find ponyfans a very fun place to go to if I were a UNT guy. A lot of the time they joke around over there, but many times they're very serious in their derisive nature towards UNT. I find that to be completely unjustified and comes from a sense of natural entitlement but also fear of losing to UNT. SMU people just seem to be a cockier bunch (justified or unjustified) than the normal college football fan. Don't blame you guys one bit for being resentful of our fans.

That was a dumb post by SMT. Nothing to see here really.

We both post on ponyfans, and no, we're not all like that.

I lived in El Paso too for many years. That place has a ton of charm and personality in my opinion, especially compared to other places I've been. That city will embrace UTEP sports whenever they're doing well. It's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be in my opinion.

Big East will only lose from this scenario.

Well current reports are now showing that Louisville is lobbying hard for that Big XII spot and might be able to kick out WVU. WVU fans are now on suicide watch. This is ridiculous.

Amen, that's all that should really matter.