Side Show Joe

Real Ale is great. I like Kroninberg 1664, High Life, Lone Star, and free beer.

Glad to hear others making good arguments for moving to the WAC. We can't be scared of a Big West conference from 15 years ago. Things change, and if we don't, we will be left behind.

I think it is time to go to the WAC. Those arguing that North Texas should stay in the Belt and work to improve it, are missing one very important point. One school can't improve the Sun Belt. It will take alot of hard work from all the universities to build the Belt, and that's not going to happen. The idea of building the Belt is more then just working hard to improve, its about working harder then other conferences to move ahead of them, and we just are not going to see that kind of commitment from top to bottom in the Sun Belt.

Bennie Jones. If they play him. If they don't, Frank Gaines.

It would have been nice if they would have said who they were hiring. Any one got any ideas? I do like this move better then the sit back and wait approach.

They have not been ranked while playing in the Sun Belt at the FBS or D1 level. All of those WAC schools have.

I've seen Fresno State, Boise State, and Hawaii all ranked at one time or another. I've never seen a Sun Belt team ranked. That makes the WAC a step up to me.

I've heard many arguements for and against the WAC, but in the end, I still say if we can't get in C-USA, lets go to the WAC. Yes, the teams are far away. Yes, it will cost more to travel. Yes, most of our fans will not go to away games. Yes, half of the teams in the WAC are really bad. Yes, we will play half our games late at night. And I have desided I'm OK with that, because... ..., at the end of the season, the WAC champion has almost always finishes ranked in the polls. I have never seen a Sun Belt champion ranked. Ever. Not us, not Troy, not anybody. So, I don't care how bad anything is in the WAC. The fact that the WAC offers an oportunity to be ranked, negates any other arguement for me. I didn't think we have that oportunity in the Sun Belt. It's time to go.

I can. The WAC would love to gain a presence in the DFW market, just like the MWC and C-USA has. North Texas would represent the largest media market in the WAC. Adding North Texas would also offer WAC teams a chance to play a few games earlier in the day every season. Also, with the financial issues in Califonia, the WAC would likely welcome a large university with stable funding, especially one that is opening a new football palace.

Of the conferences listed our goal should be the MWC. We want in C-USA. All those teams in C-USA West want in the MWC. Lets think like those we wish to compete with.

I think this is a bad poll. The issue of whether North Texas should move to the WAC is more complicated then a yes or no poll. I think there are factors on both sides of the issue that are not yet resolved. When or if C-USA expands then we can revisite this poll. I voted yes. After seeing what has happened with the Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, and MWC, I don't think C-USA will have a spot open up, or expand this offseason. Under those circumstances I think it is time to move on. Personally, I'd rather watch us play Fresno St., Hawaii, Nevada, L.A. Tech, and NMSU. I could enjoy watching us play an improving Idaho team too. I'm willing to hold my nose and suffer though games against Utah St., and San Jose St.

I'm very excited to see we could be scheduling Houston. It would be great if we could sign them to a long tern series like we did with SMU. Having those two as OOC games every year would be great. But I don't like the idea of opening the new stadium with Houston. As things stand right now, Houston is a considerably stronger team then we are. We will probably close out Fouts with a lose to K St. Why would we want to open our new stadium with a lose? Before I can rationalize beating Houston, I have to see us win more then 2 games in a season. I think we can and will do that this season (8-4), but a game against Wassington State, Indiana, Army, Navy, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado St., New Mexico, Memphis, or Tulane, would improve our odds of winning. Lets make the Houston game our second game in the stadium.

The WAC has good baseball too. Fresno State won the college world series a few years back. Last I heard, we still want to add baseball.

The only way we can insure our ability to advance in college athletics is buy building programs that consistently out preform those of TCU and SMU, and do it in front of crowds that are much larger then thoses of of our regional competitors.

I too was think that the remaining Big 12 schools could rebuild. With Colorado not joining the Pac 10 until 2012, the others defecting to the Pac would probably join then too. That would allow the remaing schools one year to find suitable replacements. After reading that TCU could be trying to block Baylor from joining the MWC, I could see where they might want to exclude them from a rebuilt Big 12. Although I doubt Baylor and BYU would want to be the only private schools in the conference. Baylor could be happy as the only North Texas private school. If that is the case, UNT could be the team to deliver the DFW market. Maybe adding Rice with Houston would be enough to appease Baylor and BYU should they demand a larger presence from private schools.

I agree. I read alot of comments on here by people who use the old Big West as an excuse for not going to the WAC. The Big West was over a decade ago. Most of those teams have matured into legitimate FBS programs. I need to hear a better argument then that for ignoring the WAC. Those Big West teams didn't draw attendance for us, but I'm willing to bet teams like Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, and NMSU would draw better crowds then the teams we currently play in the Sun Belt. I bet we could recruit better in that conference too.

Fresno State is still a quality team. Hawaii was good until Jones left. And I thought Idaho played a great bowl game last season.

Agreed. If we don't get into C-USA, move L.A. Tech and NMSU into an eastern division with North Texas and three others. It would make for a 12 conference with a championship.

A friend that I wouldn't classify as an "inside source", who follows OU, and works at a Florida newspaper, says OU and OSU won't make a move until Texas and Texas A&M do. The thinking is OU, OSU, Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., Missouri, and possibly Baylor will announce their commitment to the Big 12 after the Texas 3 are gone. They will approve a true revenue sharing deal, and invite 5 or 7 teams from major markets, in hopes of keeping up with the other BCS conferences. By doing this they would keep their BCS status, and not be subordinates of the PAC 10. Apparently, OU thinks it has enough stroke to pull it off. If this is true, good for them.

That would be a best case scenario for North Texas. We can only hope UNT would be part of a rebuilt Big 12, but we have never had that kind of luck. If Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., Baylor, and probably Missouri want to pick up the pieces and rebuild it with UNT, I'm all for it. Add Houston too.

Maybe, but I don't think so. If the Pac 10, Big 10, SEC, and ACC all go to 16, the MWC at 12, with Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., and Baylor probably still won't be strong enough to recieve AQ status, Even with the demise of the Big 12 and Big East. Even if they added Boise and Houston, I don't think they make it. I think it's time the Sun Belt, C-USA, and the MAC seriously consider merging into 2 mega conferences. It may be our only hope to remain viable FBS conferences.

Well said.

This can't be all about T.V. money. If it was, the SEC would be snatching up Houston and North Texas, adding two of the top 10 T.V. markets in America, and improving the conferences in-roads into Texas recruiting. No, this is not just about T.V. money, it's also about maintaining the status quo. Keeping the gap between the haves and have nots. Did Boise State, Utah, and TCU get too close to the big boys? Are we all going to pay a price for it now? Under the current expansion realities, none of those schools are moving up, but the gap between their conferences and the AQ BCS conferences will grow and they will still be left out. This hurts every non AQ conference, and it is looking more and more like all the important movement could be between the AQs.

It looks like the sky is falling right now, and many here seem to be worried that after this round of realignment we will be left out forever. Finger pointing and calling out our coach isn't going to improve the odds of advancing our program. I'm not happy with the record either, but he's already on the hot seat. Complaining about him isn't going to change the past. UNT hired a high school coach for $275 K. Looking back, if we would have spent $2 M, we could have hired June Jones, but we didn't and probably couldn't. As long as Dodge is our coach I'm going to support him. It is whats best for our team. I like the coaching additions he has made. I hope they pay off. If someone has a plan for improving our realignment position that we can collectively execute, I'd like to hear it. Realignment might happen fast or slow. Either way, we can only focus on what we can control. I'm going to make every home game, and buy an extra general admission ticket. An extra $10 and walking through the gates twice is not asking too much of me. I'm going to wear a kelly green North Texas shirt to every game and make noise for our team, so I won't here the endzone seats waving in the wind. I'm going to try to make the ULM game because it's not that far of a drive. And I'm going to try and talk some of the pseudo tailgaters into actually going in the stadium and supporting the team. Aside from that I don't know what else I can do.

Since we are talking about old games, does anyone have any of the New Orleans Bowls? I have about 12 different NT games on dvd.