Matt from A700

I would take a SHSU or SFA home-and-home just for another nearby road game for fans. At least they're still D-I. My mindset is typically conference champion or bust for the Big Dance, I don't care to pay much attention to how much they affect the NET or whatever.

As great of an opportunity as that would be for G5 schools, it would never happen. And I'm an optimist.

Not a power conference but it will still be, as many SMU fans have reminded us, better than The American.

If I could turn back time, I'd ask Ross what his feelings were about scheduling former CUSA teams. We left behind several schools that I'd love to keep playing, even if not every year. LA Tech, UTEP, WKU, MTSU, and now Sam Houston State.

The only thing that makes me nervous is how early in the season it is. I hope we have our $hit together. Even before last season, we tend to get off to slow OOC starts and let P6 games get away from us.

Minnesota on the road the second week of the season. I will take $85K for a winnable P6 game. The Gophers went 19-15 last year.

Yeah I don't see any school in the conference agreeing to this except Rice or Tulsa.

Yes we've been a good program overall the past seven years, but we still only have one NCAA Tournament appearance to show for it. We have three straight NIT appearances and a championship but in my opinion less and less eyes are focused on the NIT, especially with the championship not at MSG anymore. We need to take advantage of our conference tournament being in our backyard and win the whole damn thing, make it to a Sweet 16, and keep increasing attendance to keep boosting our image as an attractive option to play home-and-homes with.

I'm buying our first group of 20 tickets for $27.50 each today. Let me know if you're ready to buy today. We'll be buying in Sections 121 and 122.

At least Houston Christian is still D-I... Let's see how many other Southland/SWAC teams we can buy before relying on D-II and NAIA.

Sigh... if we're scheduling MVSU with another half-dozen or so games left to pencil in, be prepared for at least two D-II/NAIA games again...

Update, we are now on four social media platforms, please follow us/join if you have accounts on any: Facebook group Twitter Instagram LinkedIn I have been working on coordinating group outings for the games on Labor Day Weekend at South Alabama, 9/14 at Texas Tech, and Friday 11/15 at UTSA. I am not meaning to compete with the UNT Ticket Office, but there is no real effort from the AD to get a lot of people to the road games. Plus, the opposing schools pass along their standard ticket price which makes it a harder sell for UNT. For example, tickets in the worst sections through UNT go for $37 at UTSA, and $45 at FAU or Memphis. So for those interested, I'm trying to buy our initial block of tickets ASAP for Tech and UTSA. South Alabama group tickets start selling on August 1. Saturday, 8/31 at South Alabama (Labor Day Weekend on the Coast) Infantry tickets: $13 ($20 standard price, $23 through UNT) Interest form: https://forms.gle/UzitbcpzoetygGfg8 FB event page: https://fb.me/e/20vtYbKkf Saturday, 9/14 at Texas Tech Infantry tickets: $27.50 or $37.50 ($30 or $45 standard price, $35 through UNT for corner sections) Interest form: https://forms.gle/973D8Ywq3RLEmETb9 FB event page: https://fb.me/e/1sJ6oKSeu Friday, 11/15 at UTSA Infantry tickets: $17-$31 ($18-$32 standard price, $37 through UNT for corner sections) Interest form: https://forms.gle/NxbVGJBST5ds2x5i6 FB event page: https://fb.me/e/2cYLmHJ08 I'm coordinating with the alumni chapter in San Antonio to make it a big event in November. There are also talks with the Houston alumni chapter to promote not only UTSA but the South Alabama game, now since Charles Barkley has made Galveston's dirty beaches known nationwide lmao. And reminder this is not only for football. Our group outings started with basketball season last year. I also want to encourage folks going to the Tech game to support the soccer ladies on Sunday the 15th at Abilene Christian on their way home. I have not pitched this to the Houston alumni chapter yet, but October 11th-13th provides a great opportunity to get folks engaged with volleyball at Rice Friday, a chance for an FAU watch party Saturday, and women's soccer at Rice Sunday.

Oh wow, I'd seen his face on my Twitter timeline all day today but thought he was a commit graduating from HS in 2025. Didn't realize he was coming on for this season! There's still hope for developing local talent into four/five-year players at UNT... But come on Burt Vito! There was this debate last offseason. It's not a rebuild! We're reloading!

Somehow this information was missed. The schedule was released three weeks ago: https://meangreensports.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule We open with a Labor Day Weekend invitational in Denton against big-name schools in Colorado, Rutgers, and Miami. Three power conference teams but went just a combined 44-47 last year, though we got swept to Colorado in a preseason tourney in 2023. The following week we've got three games in the DC area against Georgetown, Hampton, and Maryland. It looks like the conference has done away the weekend series against the same team. Instead, games will still be played on Fridays/Sundays but for the most part, they will either be both at home or both on the road against different teams. Our first weekend in conference play will feature a Friday game vs. UTSA and Sunday game at Tulane. The second weekend will be a Friday game at Charlotte and Sunday at ECU. There were six transfers and six freshmen added to the 2024 roster, which included 10 returners in Porter's third season: https://meangreensports.com/news/2024/7/3/womens-volleyball-volleyball-announces-roster-additions Reminder you can purchase an Olympic sports pass for $82, this gives you a GA ticket to all home soccer, volleyball, and softball games. In 2023-24, there were 47 such games. https://meangreensports.evenue.net/event/MIS24/OSP

Only 10 homers in three seasons at Tulsa (six of those in 2024), but her batting average has only improved. Like us, Tulsa suffered from a constipated offense and blown games despite many great pitching performances. I think when we swept them in Denton, the combined score over the weekend was 5-2 or 6-3 us.

I've probably said it enough by this point but a revamped Pac-12 is my top choice as long as the media deal includes normal linear TV coverage and preferrably ESPN+ or Netflix for streaming as anything else would require me to invest in another service. Your second paragraph creates an interesting situation I haven't thought of much yet. I would assume the first three that OSU/WSU would want would be Boise, San Diego State, and UNLV. Then maybe CSU, Fresno, and Nevada? If it's those 6, then I think that still gives the AAC a good mix of markets and quaity programs to go after: New Mexico, Air Force, Utah State, Wyoming, San Jose State and possibly UTEP as a connector to the more western schools. However, I don't think those teams will move the needle much for The American when it comes to national interest. And even if those schools were to accept invites to The American, I think it would be a temporary move while they position themselves to move up to the new Pac-12. If the P2 take the best six MWC schools, the MWC could also backfill with the FCS powerhouses from the Dakotas, Idaho, and Montana which due to travel could convince the leftovers to stay. Like we both said, I think a new Pac-12 is the best option for us. OSU, Wazzou, SDSU, Boise, UNLV, and Fresno in the West, UNT, UTSA, Colorado State, New Mexico, Rice, UTEP in the East. (Nevada and/or Utah State, Air Force and/or Wyoming if there was interest in a 14-16 team conference).

If we go far again I'd love to see a regional in Denton next year if they can work around orientations. Even better, schedule with orientations to allow new students to see Bleed Green. I may not watch every game but love these opportunities to keep growing our brand awareness during a time that is usually dead.

I wonder how picky we are being in teams we think below us, at least closeby that would still allow plenty of UNT fans to attend. Would Tarleton, SFA, SHSU, or A&M Commerce play us on their courts? I really hope the UTA series isn't put on hold.

They cancelled out Navy. Now without SMU but with Army, we have 14 football schools and 13 basketball (and most other Olympic sport schools). In my opinion, we should be selective with any new programs that bring football. We're already a conference with a random allotment of schools with few big rivalries. Market size should be lower on the priority list for future expansion, with more focus on competiveness of programs and potential to create more rivalries or reignite old ones. If we focus on expanding the Olympic sport-only programs, I think we should go east and target some of the A-10 schools. If we are looking for schools that will bring all sports, look west, and try to grab up some quality MWC programs before they give any life to a rebirthed Pac-12 (if we aren't invited to it).

I'm sure it will lol, and I'd love to play it but unfortunately I'd have to upgrade to the next-generation console.

Yeah the new video game won't feature FCS teams.

From the latest info I can find, the A-10's renewed media deal gives a 40% increased payout, but it looks like the old number was only like $350-400K per school so the American would be a good step up there. Plus adding schools like that would bring more regional rivals for schools like Temple, who probably wish they were in the Big East after all the AAC departures. Other than that, the AAC admittedly doesn't offer much else, with its lack of history/prestige and rivalries. I'm still hoping UNT makes the cut for a new 12-16-team Pac-12 with OSU/WSU and best of the rest of the MWC/AAC, hopefully with UTSA and Rice.

If we're sticking with the American I'd still like to see some aggressive expansion plans to stay relevant. I'd like to see some non-football options like Dayton, VCU, Richmond get some consideration.

Another tidbit from Morris that I forgot to add in my second paragraph - after telling the crowd how the defense had gotten bigger in the offseason, he joked saying "People come up to me all the time saying, you still in that three-man front? That three-man front isn't ever gonna work..." (crowd laughs) "So we spent a lot of time this offseason getting bigger on the defensive side."

No, no one was asking why we were playing Wyoming again. I just brought this thread up instead of creating a new one to share notes from the caravan. That the AD will be pushing to sell the stadium out for the first time against the Cowboys.