C Rod

In this new era of NIL and college athletics, we need to be strategic - not stuck in outdated traditions that don’t serve us. Let’s be real: UNT is a commuter school. The idea that we have to keep basketball in Denton just doesn’t hold up. The city has never truly rallied behind the university, and game attendance numbers reflect that. So why not take our talents elsewhere - somewhere that wants to invest in the future of Mean Green basketball? That place is Frisco. Frisco is booming. It’s a city that understands the business of sports, from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility at The Star to FC Dallas and the PGA headquarters. Frisco values UNT so much so that they donated the land for our new Frisco campus. Taking the partnership further, UNT should strike a deal with the City of Frisco to build a brand-new basketball arena, replacing the aging 23-year-old Comerica Center. Imagine a state-of-the-art facility in a prime metroplex location, surrounded by corporate sponsors, premium ticket buyers, and a sports-centric community that would actually show up for games. But here’s the bigger play: it makes way more sense to allocate our limited donor dollars to NIL deals rather than expensive facilities. Why sink $100M+ on a new basketball arena that we have to build, operate, staff, and maintain when we could be using that money to attract top-tier talent and win championships? Facilities don’t win championships—players do. The best investment UNT can make is in the athletes themselves. If we want to be competitive on a national level, we need significant NIL funds to bring (and keep) elite players to Denton (or, in this case, Frisco). We’ve seen schools pour money into venues without turning their programs into powerhouses. College Park Center in Arlington is a great example - it’s a beautiful arena, but it hasn’t translated to UTA dominance on the court. UNT needs to focus on what actually drives success: recruiting, NIL, and a location that fosters long-term growth. It’s time to embrace bold moves.

Exactly. And the city continues to make investments into the Alamodome. https://marmonmok.com/projects/alamodome-2025-final-four-renovations/

Well you’re certainly entitled to your opinion. Thanks for sharing.

And with the Pit still standing, both our basketball teams could still play a few mid-week home games in Denton each season for the local students and fans. Planting our basketball flag in Frisco is a no-brainer. Let's do it.

Darkness can add drama when done right. I think we should lean into it and spotlight the court and let the rest of the stadium seating fall into darkness. It will also help hide empty seats. The Lakers do this and it looks great on TV.

I understand coach speak and it goes both ways. I did not expect Coach Morris to speak so glowingly of Drew. I expected something more measured like: "Drew had a great game all things considered. He showed poise, awareness, and threw the ball well. Are there some throws he'd like to have back? You bet. But this is a learning process and being his first start since high school, I think he handled himself well and the team rallied around him. And we fell just short of the win. As a 6-7 program, we all have work to do to get better and it begins tomorrow."

I agree. Cam is Cam and his body of work speaks for itself. I'm reading between the lines when Coach Morris says Drew could still be playing football in 15 years. I guess technically he could be a 10 - 12 year career backup NFL QB but that's not the vibe I'm getting from Coach. Coach is clearly excited about what he saw yesterday out of Drew. If he keeps talking like this, Drew won't be here to start the season.

Umm, tell that to Coach Morris. He's already talking about Drew being a franchise QB in the NFL.

This feels like a double-edged sword. Happy to see UNT on the ESPN front page with this headline stealing the thunder from TX State. However I'd also like to keep our breakout QB a secret until after the Spring portal window closes. I rewatched the game on TV and saw SMU HC Rhett Lashlee was in attendance. He had prime seats for the Drew Mestemaker show.

Makes sense why Rice said screw it and adopted the triple option.

K-12 school curriculum is primarily determined by state governments, with local school districts tailoring and implementing it according to state standards. The federal government has minimal influence over the curriculum. If you don't like what you currently have, take it up with your state and local school board.

Maybe he's planning on playing for dad at TX State next season? TX State's current QB Jordan McCloud is a senior.

This is why I don't mind our Wing helmet because it's still our logo, just enlarged with the eagle's head and talons being replaced by a player's face. It's balanced, streamlined, and aggressive.

The conference championship games generate too much TV revenue to abandon. They won't vote in favor of it because it takes money off the table. I think it's more realistic to expect another expansion of the CFP in the coming years.

I make no apologies when I say these helmets look like trash. The offset placement of our logo is a terrible design choice because it leaves way too much negative space at the front of the helmet.

Are you sure it was the Ozempic?

That means players unionizing and collective bargaining agreements. It also means employment status for athletes and all the requirements and benefits the comes with that which is exactly what the universities don't want.

Ahh yes, the good ole' Garland Classic.

I don't know which is more sad, the fact that you're right or the fact that you've spent so much time on this board to know exactly how we'll react.

Beautiful Amon G. Carter stadium, Friday afternoon game time, two days after Christmas. My only reservation with The Armed Forces bowl is they typically invite Navy, Army, or Air Force with each running the dreaded Triple Option. Because of that I'd rather see us invited to The First Responders Bowl in Dallas. And besides we'll see the Triple Option three times next season... Army, Navy, & Rice. Our new DC Skyler Cassity has his work cutout for him.

Lmao AI doesn’t yet realize the NCAA is a paper tiger. They may have a rule in place but they’re not regulating or policing NIL deals. NCAA is too worried about lawsuits and the potential total collapse of their amateur-athlete business model.

Coach Wilson publicly said he didn’t use NIL for recruiting which is technically correct. He did not use NIL dollars to recruit HS players, however he absolutely promised NIL money to incoming transfers and also to keep current players from transferring out. I know this because my friend's son plays for Tulsa and he was told by his son multiple times throughout the seasons that coach says the NIL dollars are coming but they're delayed. Not a good look for Coach Wilson. The players and parents have every right to be pissed. It's false promising.

First Tulsa fires Coach Wilson and now this. Time for UNT to swoop in…

Just signed with TCU. https://amp.star-telegram.com/sports/dfwvarsity/article296549484.html

Rumor has it he was JD's first Patreon subscriber.