Mike Jackson

I would assume that the music program has had great leadership throughout the years. The last great leader in the athletic department we had, was Hayden Frye. UNT made a decision not to make the necessary investment in resources to keep him. Great leaders need to have a great culture around them. Either the powers that be of the organization allow the leader to change the culture for the better or the leader leaves. It's a symbiotic relationship. The message and implications of RV's continued employment means that the athletic department's mission is to try to be mediocre. Why they think that they can maintain a presence at the FBS level indefinitely with this level ineptitude is really confusing to me.

Well over $1,500 and I don't like to even think about it now. But until RV is gone it is going to be $125.00. About $30 to $40 on 3 games ---maybe. Maybe less if RV states past his current contract. I am not going to burn money like Danny DeVito. lol

This made me truly sad when I read it. For all these people making excuses for RV and the Atheltic Department, this is what it is all about. If you are not committed to being competitive and bringing a desirable product to the field then why play at this level? If you not winning at the FBS level or even getting home games with "name brand" opponents you might as well be FCS. I wish I could do something to fulfill his desire to see a Colorado, Utah, Missouri, Arizona, Arizona St, Kentucky or even Oklahoma St in Denton. No other AD has had Apogee. No other AD has had the benefit of the unprecedented growth of the university. If you haven't been on campus is as little as 6 years you could easily get lost due all the new construction. Maybe you can't get P5 teams to come to Denton very easily but that is why you make $250,000+ a year. But if you can't get P5 teams what about good G5 programs? BYU is independent and would put but in seats at Apogee. Houston should have played in Apogee more than once. What about Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Cincinnati, Memphis, and Hawaii? All these programs would move the needle a little bit and it is much better than playing a FCS team.

Why the hell hate on UH? They are doing the dam thing as @UNT90 pointed out. Yes they have SWC history but other than that they have all the same resources and challenges that UNT does. They stepped up and they are not shrinking from the challenge. They are stepping up like David boldly stepped up and challenged Goliath. I think we are less like David and more like a mythical cousin of Goliath. A fat lazy behemoth that has NEVER trained and made the sacrifice to be a decent fighter. Always taking the path of least resistance and excessive patting ourselves on the back for any minimal success we achieve. Any minor success is grounds for a contract extension at UNT and that is freaking pathetic. Name the biggest historical program to ever play UNT in Denton or Dallas/Irving since 1980? KSU, Oregon State, or Kansas give me a break. And it isn't like we play any those opponents regularly. Not one them have played us in Denton or Dallas/Irving more than once? Can we even take advantage of the scheduling exemption benefit for playing Hawaii? Maybe that way we could guarantee at least 6 or 7 home games every year. We have the advantage of having a major international hub airport 30 miles away. Our athletic department does nothing and we want to point the finger at UH?

So you say the LHN contract goes all the way 2031? Well that just means UT is staying put with a 10 team Big 12 unless a very unexpected move is made by one big school in our bordering states. I don't see that happen cause the schools in question are all locked up. Arkansas, Oklahoma, LSU, and Colorado aren't going anywhere. The LHN network deal seems custom made for UT to go independent. Playoff contention is not a concern when you have the cache to schedule a strong schedule every year. OU would never back out of the Red River Rivalry, it means too much for recruiting high school players in Texas alone. And like it was written before in this comment thread UT could line up a game with Notre Dame every year. Texas playing a more national schedule would be very attractive to ESPN. They could almost guarantee a schedule with the high visibility traditional team from every time zone every year and maybe multiple every year from West Coast and East Coast time zones. Here an example of maybe the typical schedule they could make every year as an independent. In no particular order 1. OU 2 Texas Tech 3. TCU or SMU (DFW market presence) [A&M* only because of state tradition and statewide interest] 4. Rice or UH (Houston Market presence) 5. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, or BYU (Mountain Time Zone) 6. Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Florida State (Southern Gulf Coast Market) maybe Miami* 7. UCLA, USC, UC, Stanford, or Oregon (West Coast Market) 8. Notre Dame or upper level traditional Big 10 opponent. (Mid West Market) 9. Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburg, West Virginia, Rutgers, Maryland (Northeast Market) 10. NC, NC State, Virginia, Clemson 11. Gimme cash home game 12 Gimmie cash home game With scheduling options like those it should be fairly easy to build a persuading argument to be included in a playoff. Maybe even more convincing than winning a 2nd game against a mediocre opponent that just happen to win the other division in the Big 12. I think next big shoe to drop in realignment is what the powers at UT decide to do. If I am AD I am making the phone calls and back channel contact to see how feasible my propose 'scheduling matrix' is. If could get 6-10 game 'home and home' with this list that set the "competitive" schedule to get my program to 2031 as an independent. If ESPN decides to drop the LHN then any conference would be happy to take you. But alternatively you could be in a position to negotiate a Notre Dame-NBC like deal with Fox or maybe even NBC. If I am an NBC executive you could have competitive game featuring Texas or Notre Dame every Saturday to compete with the CBS SEC game of the week or whatever ABC-ESPN has. I hate the Longhorns but their brand has national clout so it is foolish to underestimate them. If BYU can go independent UT have the clout to do the same should be self evident to everyone.

Does anyone else see an issue with all this re-alignment for football? The more they re-align conference the less I am interested in games without a connection to UNT. It seems like they are so busy trying to carve up the pie into slices they are ignoring that pulverizing the crust and everything else that makes it desirable. The Big 12 pre-realignment was great only slight negative was Baylor getting shoe horned in. I am even less interested in SEC games now and certainly far less interested in SEC East division games. Florida vs Georgia was annual can't miss football game for me. These regional rivalries and border rivalries are what makes the college game so much more intriguing on an emotional level than professional games. The more they try to emulate the professional game when comes to TV revenue the more credibility they are giving to the notion that these players are employees as much as they are students.

And it's more than RV leaving, it is how he leaves. If he leaves at the end of contract with the word 'retirement' thrown around, I sure as hell am not coming back without some unprecedented winning. RV leaving at the end of the contract mean nothing has change when it comes to the structure/culture of the athletic department. And I take offense to calling him the Hattiesburg Hustler. I am sure real hustlers would take offense at RV being given that title. RV is like the Wizard Oz operating his illusion machine behind a transparent curtain. If an alum for another school on UNT's level with a decent program ask you why is this guy still employed, what rational reason could you offer? While it is embarrassing for you school to get killed on the field regular it far more embarrassing to answer the question: Why?

They don't care which is why they don't do it. Speaking as first generation college graduate (like many from UNT) we know from life experience that talk about transforming is very cheap. Which is why most graduates that fit my profile don't give crap about athletics cause it very evident they don't care. Transforming yourself or an organization is hard work and the most important thing to that process is commitment. They lack commitment and that is why RV is still employed and none of the other things you mentioned happen the way they should have. I can forgive any organization I am associated with (personal or professional) for a lot of things but lack of commitment is not one of those things. Young graduates don't have the time or money for half-ass commitment and there are way too many other sports entertainment options in DFW area to waste time or money on anything half-ass. As idiotic as some of the decisions the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks and Stars have made over the years you rarely doubt that they are trying to win championships. (Hell they may even take a year or 3 to rebuild but it all in pursuit of a championship). UNT is not going to win a NCAA championship in a revenue sport but they sure as hell should be aspiring to win a conference title every year at the G5 level in one of the revenue sports.

Received my well over $1000 invoice for my vacated season tickets just the other day. I wrote Fire RV on it left all the payment information blank. It is an outrage that this guy is still employed here. Show me any organization that will let a floundering leader like this continue in their role and I will show you an organization that will most likely fail. As long as he employed here as AD the UNT is broadcasting loud and clear that it does not care to have a good athletic program. They just want decent looking facilities that don't reflect poorly on the university. As of right now, I only plan to attend 2 games. Good luck Seth. I hope desperately that you beat the odds and prove me wrong.

This should not be surprising to anyone who closely watched games this year. The only player that was on NFL teams' radars last year wasn't eligible for the that draft, our starting running back. I think there was a lot of unfulfilled potential on last year's team but the raw talent level was still pretty low. When looking at players from a program that performed as bad as UNT scouts are looking at players that "jump off the game film" compared to the lackluster talent around them.

Now I get hate for just asking a legitimate question with no? Wow, if only the people were just as passionate about going after people with ACTUAL power to hurt the program. SMH

Very passively watching the NFL draft tonight and thought occurred: If UNT is ever going to turn the corner permanently they need to get some players drafted in the first 3 rounds of the draft. The question is when was the last time we had player drafted in the first 3 rounds of the NFL draft? Have we ever had multiple players drafted in the first 4 rounds?

So this comment basically say they same thing I said but in a "nice way". I guess that just means there are at least 5 fools out there who think UNT's spot in a football "division or subdivision" on par with Texas, OU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech is guaranteed. SMH

Your entitled to your opinion. But when I go to any of these stadiums I am not sitting in the "Club Level" (if they even have one most don't) or one of the boxes. That to me isn't what the college game day experience is about. Architecturally Apogee is great and if I were an architect and not a football fan maybe I would agree with you. How about a compromise? Let say that Apogee is the greatest near empty stadium on any given college football Saturday. I have lot's of time to admire the scoreboard framing, the masonry and the common areas cause more than half the time at Apogee my team is getting steam rolled or suffering from the worst QB play in FBS. So as I am walking out in the third quarter to avoid the "traffic jam" it's a very scenic walk to my car. Maybe Apogee needs even more diversions in the common areas to get people to come to a "Jerryworld Junior". Maybe we can get Mrs Jones to select some artwork for Apogee too. I could turn the third quarter walkout to a nice sarcastic Visa commercial; Green Laser Etched Crown Molding $300,000, Imported Hybrid Bermuda Grass $80,000, rock quarried from abandoned Colorado gold mines $70,000, walking out of Apogee stadium as your team gets pummeled 45-7 in the third quarter priceless. So yes the cosmetic finishes at Apogee are very nice but those top 5 are functional spaces that add enjoyment to a decent product on the field. And the natural beauty around some those stadiums puts Apogee's setting to shame.

These two quote had to be put together. There are far too many fans here in denial. I don't think it is likely in the short term but if you would bet something substantial that Seth's successor won't be the last coach to lead a UNT team playing in the FBS level (or the same level on with Big 12 big boys after some division reorganization) you are a fool.

I stand by my statement "nice as" but not better as UNT90 commented. http://www.stadiumjourney.com/news/12-29-2015/1303/2015-fcs-college-football-stadium-experience-rankings/ I think is a very subjective thing anyway. Any of these top 5 to me and comparable to Apogee. If you are talking about luxury suites, sure Apogee has an advantage. But for the rank and file Alum/Fan who will never see those space even if we start averaging 27,000+ per home game than means nothing. Furthermore the "premium luxury" in the upper levels is a money loser if you don't have a premium product on the field.

9. UNT has to recruit the DFW area UNT’s best hope to land top players from DFW likely isn’t by signing them out of high school. History shows that. --Nothing screams low aspirations like this. Please P5 can we have your cast-offs, outcast, academically challenged, and other underachieving misfits? Not saying that Alec Morris fits one of those descriptions but DFW P5 retreads being a major component of how you build a Mean Green team inspires me to burn my money rather than attend a game. We aren't trying to win recruiting battles with TCU, Texas, TAMU, Baylor and Oklahoma in 2017 but we sure as hell should be getting the best of DFW recruits that end up signing with G5 level programs. The staff better be out recruiting UTSA, La Tech, Texas State, Rice and UTEP when it comes to DFW area recruits. And maybe by 2022 UNT should win an occasional recruiting battle with our regional P5 competition.

Not really, it is the tempo and running the ball effectively with tempo that is the key. If can recall Oregon in the playing FSU the year FSU won the national title with Winston. Whenever Oregon got 2 first downs the defense got overwhelmed and Oregon march all the way down the field using tempo to keep them off balance. The tempo makes frustration a weapon of the offense faster than just the old school Darrel Dickey ground and pound. So instead of your running back looking unstoppable in late third quarter they start breaking big runs in the second quarter. The defensive players are so focused on just getting lined up right they can even begin to think about what kind of blocking scheme you are using in the run game and what technique they use to counteract what the offensive lineman across from them is using on them. It's a basketball fast break on turf.

I think you would be shocked about how many people who even passively follow college football outside the state of Texas don't know that UNT plays Div 1 FBS Football. Many of the better FCS level programs have stadiums just as nice as Apogee. Many of the better FCS level programs have stadiums just as nice as Apogee.

that goes without saying you hsve to string some plays together which requires you get some first downs.

Both floundering programs in G5 conference with horrible attendance figures. Is that enough for you?

As much as I like most of your comments, my question to you is; why do you care when it seems that the powers that be an North Texas don't? I have a friend that use to play football here and is a football fanatic. I could get him to come to an UNT game for free. I reads the headlines and box scores (way more than 90% of local alumni do) but he is a very passive fan of the program. He did not even know that Mac was gone (he was recruited under Mac's tenure). All that is to say there are lot of people with reason to be vested in the program that aren't. But you stay committed. I am staying around strictly to see if Seth is successful beyond my wildest dreams. That would be the only reason that would excuse RV's continued employment here past Feb 2017. (Which I believe is the end of his current contract). As to Seth's speaking style, it doesn't mean a dang thing without head coaching skins on the wall to back it up. I think his pedigree as an OC means a lot for recruiting. I think the leadership cares about Athletics at North Texas I just think they have low aspirations. They may say they want a 50K configuration of Apogee in the future but they don't want that "headache". Any head hunting firm worth a dam would have told UNT they needed a coach with star power distance the program from the historical stink it has. And will all due respect to Seth that just isn't him. If he is able to get this team to .500 he is great coach.

Very interesting, I wish he was coming at the start of summer to get into some classes in and get familiar with campus life at UNT. Maybe this means that we will have an up tempo run heavy version of the spread in 2016. When you can run from the spread effectively at a high tempo it is really devastating to a defense. Hell ever Nick Saban can't really handle it because it doesn't give him time to make adjustments to his defense.

I don't remember.

17 of 35 in a scrimmage is not very good in which you know you are even going to get wrapped up let alone taken to the ground. We don't have a vaunted defense returning from last year. I would love for someone to explain what is wrong with Conner Means. I left when it became apparent that Shanbor was the only other QB that was going to get meaningful snaps. I hope the running game is good shape and contrary to Vito's expert analysis it consists of way more than just Alec turning around and handing the ball off. Other than the defense looking better I didn't see much substantially different. The QB looked better in this scrimmage but they are supposed to.