Mike Jackson

First of all that is not going to ever happen again. And 9-3 doesn't matter if your program is going broke: Though coach Hayden Fry left the school in 1978 with a 9–3 season, he also left it with a mounting athletics debt,[4] and the team was subsequently demoted to Division I-AA status by the NCAA. -Rogers, James (2002). The story of North Texas Also North Texas was not in a conference at that time. That is ancient history when it comes to FBS now. You might as well be making decision about modern computers exclusively based on the influence typewriters have on them. So yes if you want caution UNT from going independent any being left out of bowl games with winning seasons it is a valid argument. However it is not a reason to chastise any Mean Green Alumni or Fan for not being excited about this game. Cause at the end of the day it is not bowl in the classic sense of the word. It is an exhibition rematch game between 2 mediocre teams. And granted mediocre is a vast improvement for this team that I value but it nothing to be thrilled about to the tune of $75 per ticket. I have a much better time at Apogee for half the cost.

Making observations is not complaining. I am proud of what this team has done. However just because we have been bad doesn't change me expectations when it comes to spending over $100 out of my tight entertainment budget. I don't have other sports or school's gear in my house just loads of UNT stuff. So don't question my financial commitment to the university when I am alumni association member, and Mean Green Club member. If I have a spare $100 around Christmas I would rather donated it directly to the MGC, the College of Engineering or the Alumni Association. No I would not have turned a 5-7 season in midst of that garbage last year however I wouldn't pay take a vacation and spend over $100 to "celebrate" it. Those casual fans aren't going take a day off work, sit in the cold in a bad stadium to see them play the same team they watched them play 2 months ago on TV either. That being said if and I mean "IF" a good turnout will help us get a trip to the actual New Year's Day Cotton Bowl Game I hope people show up. But you know what trumps all this BS talk about the quality of the bowl game you get? Finish the season as the top rank G5 conference champion or finish the regular season with 2 losses or less. That is he standard you should be aspiring too not hoping that a bowl committee sees your mediocre program as a cash cow.

I would like the NFL to adopt the 15 yard maximum penalty for pass interference and maybe change it a spot foul it the last 2 minutes of the game. Clock stopping on first down should only happen in the last 3 minutes of each half. Collin Cowherd had a very interesting kickoff idea that might be safer and increase the number of onside kicks they I would like NFL to experiment with or the Sun Belt Conference to experiment with. Move it up to the 40 or 45 yard line. All kicks that travel in the air inside the 25 yard line would be dead balls like punts (unless muffed or fumbled during the return). But kicking it out of bounds awards the ball 15 or 20 yards from the spot of the kickoff. Basically the receiving team should receive the ball at their own 40 if the ball is kicked out of bounds or at the spot it went out bounds plus 5 yards for the receiving team. For instance if the kicking team attempts an onside kick that goes out of bounds at the receiving team's 42 yard line the , the receiving team get the ball the 47 yard line. I would like the begging for a call rule to be enforced like a delay of game. Five yard dead ball foul for the offense or defense. Second offense by the same player is either 10 yard penalty and automatic first down for a call against the defense or a 10 yard dead ball foul against the offense. Lastly let these guy celebrate touchdowns, sacks and change of possession. These player work and dream their whole lives to make those plays and most of them will be luck to make more than a handful of them at the FBS level for their entire career in Football. And when excessive celebration is called it should only be a 5 yard penalty the first call on a team. That ramps up to 10 and finally 15 yards in successive calls agains the same team. Taunting should be 10 to 15 yards always and possible ejection if the refs deem it worthy of ejection.

The lost today was horrible and it is the only reason I would consider turning down a bowl game. I don't know if any of the players quit but it sure did look like some of them did. If Seth makes that observation and that most of the players he suspect of quitting are under classmen then the bowl invite needs to be declined. A close loss up to 11 points is acceptable. But losing like the way we did to a bad team is just really painful when there was so much on the line. Practice time be dammed if it undermines teaching mental toughness to the players returning next year. And I believe going to a bowl game when you believe many of them quit during the season finale does just that. I hope we don't get invited just to save the AD and head coach the dilemma.

But who are you getting rid of to make room for these additions? What are the chances we get any assistants stolen from us this offseason?

Love this idea but you have to at least nominally sign him for $500,000 per year to look "respectable" for future head coaches. And the money you save should be spent on top notch assistant coaches. Maybe even get them under 3 year contracts with favorable buyouts for UNT. I would just love to have the problem of "better" G5 programs with more money trying to lure our head coach away. But not now or even after next year. First it isn't fair to the recruits signing on with a brand new head coach and you at least need 4 years to clear our all the garbage from the last regime. If the NCAA was really for student athletes then head coaches would not be able to voluntarily leave a program for another NCAA position without serving 4 years on the job. And for JUCO programs it should be 2 years. And the contracts should reflect that 4 years or be longer. Ben you going all UNT 90 on us? Let's give this staff a complete offseason with roster big enough to run a complete Green & White Scrimmage before we send them packing.

Upped cache but you never win your division? And if you don't win your division then it doesn't matter what pollsters think of you. You aren't going to the playoffs unless the other conference champion have more losses than you do. If the conferences are close and I am guaranteed a P5 team in the bowl tie in as champion I would take the slightly weaker conference. But if you are talking about the gap between the Sun Belt and MWC of course you would go to the MWC.

I am not arguing for a return to the Sun Belt. SEC a move is a move up financially but if you never win your division in the SEC what is the point? Texas A&M games are still just accessible on TV as they were when the Big 12 was actually 12 teams. And the Big 12 with Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas A&M was a very good and compelling conference. The game today is not on TV and it wasn't the first one. It was a minor step up when you consider everything. It you win big and schedule non-conference games better the revenue difference could be offset. Not saying the move to CUSA was bad and you guys never answered my question. If the choice is between a slightly better conference with no conference championships for 20 years or staying but it the weaker conference and winning 3 to 4 which would you pick?

It was a minor step up better travel destinations don't mean much if your program is mediocre and people don't want travel to games. More bowls doesn't mean better in my opinion. If you aren't playing a P5 opponent in the bowl game it really doesn't do much for your program. Often schools lose money on the trip to the bowl games especially if their fan base doesn't make the trip.

With all this talk about coaching moves at the end of the season, it made me draw a parallel between that and conference realignment decisions. My question is how often does a "lateral" conference move for money works out for the team's on the field success? Looking at teams like Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M to the SEC. Then looking at Nebraska, Rutgers, and Maryland to the Big 10. You can could call our move to CUSA basically a lateral move. Cause at the end of the day it only looks like a better financial situation than the Sun Belt. Arkansas has yet to win the SEC and they have been in that league over 20 years and it doesn't look like they will even win their division in the next 4 as long as Saban is around. Nebraska doesn't look like they will be winning the Big 10 anytime soon either. And Nebraska has the advantage of most of the traditional power houses of that conference in the opposite division. With that in mind what would you want for North Texas? Would you want make a minor conference upgrade to the AAC or Mountain West and not win a conference title for 20 years (with respectable records and a couple of bowl appearances) or would you rather stay in CUSA and win about 3 or 4 during that period of time?

Thankful for Fuzzy's but I prefer the food at Rudy's. Have you ever considered asking to plug in an ethernet port at Rudy's to stream?

While intriguing this is the worst part about college football. Money, corruption and lack of loyalty that is a total disservice to the student-athletes. And it suck for most assistant coaches too. I don't have any children I think will be nationally recruited athletes but I would only be comfortable sending them to UNT (were I can keep an eye on them), Stanford or Notre Dame. I don't trust any FBS power to look after the best educational interest of my children. College athletics are in desperate need of major reform but greed won't let that happen. Herman should stay put at Houston, I would not be interested in LSU's unrealistic expectations while going against Saban in the SEC east every year. Strong would best served going to stable G5 program in the South. Build a relative G5 power house and wait till the perfect P5 opportunity opens up. (With Arkansas roots I would suggest that would be Arkansas once Saban retires from Alabama.) UT should find a lower profile Head Coach, get great assistants under contracts that offer great stability and high buyouts SMU should hang on to Morris Seth would be a little short sighted to go to SMU. UNT Athletic administration was inept but at least not corrupt and delusional like SMU. Key question: where is Chip Kelly's stock in all this? If UT is going for high profile splash Chip might be the way to go. Kelly likes to run in his version of the spread and they have stud in the backfield right now.

I kind of hope Herman stays put. It leaves UT in a bad situation and it bolsters G5 programs the longer sustained run in the national spotlight a G5 can have. Similar to what Boise State and TCU had going for a while. I am rooting for almost any G5 program to break the glass ceiling, except for UTSA, Texas State, UTEP, Rice and SMU.

So what is the recruiting pecking order in Florida now? Does this make FIU and better destination than UCF and South Florida? Could they be the 4th best destination in Florida behind the big 3 (Florida, Florida State, Miami)? I don't know about instant credibility. But it makes it look like FIU is actually trying, swinging big. His successful HC run at Miami occurred when 2016-2017 recruits were in diapers. Might hold weight with the parents but with good parent concerned about their child's education it won't.

I think the boosters around that program make a very difficult place to coach. What they need is a complete new identity offensively and defensively. Also their recruiters need to be better character versus talent evaluators. Too many "soft" five/four star recruits in the program. Getting good athletes to UT is no problem getting focused, mentally tough hard workers is the challenge.

Without looking at conference bowl affiliations that sounds more plausible than UT vs UNT. Best attendance for HoD with that match up but the hotels would be a little disappointed.

I think UT has to get bowl eligible before they start dreaming of playing us in a bowl game. lol But seriously a 5-7 or 6-6 UT probably passes on a HoD Bowl against. Scared of the PR blow from losing.

The black helmets where cool but I would like to limit our use of black to "small doses". Don't like the black pants without a black helmets. I would like more use of silver in place of black.

I don't care where the bowl is, I just know the practice time and the recruiting exposure will be great. This next game is arguably more important than the Heart of Dallas Bowl win. That was a senior stacked team with an established old coach and staff. This is a young team with a new staff that need all the practice and film study time they can get. I am 10 more anxious about the outcome of this game than the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Great win tonight and I hope they throughly enjoy it. Glad Seth is being consistent with discipline and got the win any way. Great for the program.

I would like to amend my uniform preference to this helmet.

New home uniform preference: New helmets green jersey and pants. White Swooping Eagles on shoulders and hip of pants. MEAN written down the right side pants (where strip would be) and Green written down the left side of the pants (in silver/white embossed)

This is not a "some center from College Station" story it's a look at our poor recruiting so far story. Josh is just the headline. North Texas should be in the top 5 recruiting in CUSA most years. And no lower than second every year in the CUSA West.

Any step toward emphasizing education over "paying" players is a good move for the NCAA. There is plenty money available and the saying goes "pigs get slaughtered".

Cable in general is just too expensive. And with insulting practices like ramming the Longhorn Network down every sport's fan throat doesn't help. Eventually, I believe the cable providers will have to go to more al a carte model. I am not paying for the Longhorn Network, PAC 12 Network, Big 10 Network just because I want NFL Redzone channel. I don't know the packaging conventions outside my market but if I were in Big 10 country and TWC was forcing the SEC Network down my throat I would be quite upset and be thinking about cutting the cord. If I had an easy to use Smart TV, I would be cutting the chord too.

No, I can understand the confusion those are just some the old downtown residents that were displaced when they knocked down their apartments to build the Alamodome. SA foolishly built a stadium the only pro team in the area didn't want and that NFL used as a straw man threat to get stadiums built in cities they were actually interested in. The NFL owner in Houston will never let a competing franchise step up shop in San Antonio. They should have tried to snatch the Oilers when they were upset with Houston. Now they have a stadium that is just half-ass in too many ways; half basketball arena, half pro-stadium, half college football stadium.