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I know that playing Army 3 times in what seems like a year is overkill. That said, there is a real passion about playing this team both on and off the field. Heres what I know, every time we play them it is a dogfight. They have some of the best fans I have ever seen us have in Apogee both in number and quality. The atmosphere they brought to Apogee last night was special. I realize that playing them is a defensive coordinators nitemare. And I know that we have played them a lot in a short amount of time. I just think that there is something developing between these two programs that should not be ignored.

From Underdog Dynasty... "UTSA vs. UNT is the Texas Rivalry the Conference Needs Strange but true— UTSA vs. UNT is the most heated active college football rivalry in the state of Texas. The Roadrunners turned in an impressive defensive effort to gain a 3-1 series lead over UNT in what has turned into a really fun rivalry. While the Halloween weekend attendance was underwhelming (19,553), the atmosphere in the Alamodome was boisterous as Roadrunner and Mean Green fans jawed with one another as UTSA built their lead. Former UNT offensive lineman Mason Y’Barro infamously described UTSA as “soft and unphysical” after their loss to the Roadrunners in 2013 and UTSA sophomore running back Jalen Rhodes sniped back after last night’s win on the post-game radio show, claiming that “we were told they weren’t a physical team and that turned out to be right”. Additionally, varying accusations of Mean Green players urinating on the Alamodome turf have been floating around messages boards and social media this morning. Whether true or not, this rivalry is clearly ratcheting up in intensity with each passing year. Conference USA would be wise to work with the individual schools to brand and promote the rivalry as well as ensuring that it will be broadcast on national television or ESPN3 in coming seasons." http://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2016/10/30/13471682/cusa-week-nine-three-things-david-bailiff-rice-charlie-partridge-fau-unt-utsa

So while I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for the Superbowl to start, I was reading through the threads about increasing interest through regional opponents in a regional conference. I think another way of doing this are rivalries and the lack thereof at UNT. We have SMU for however long that will last, and UTSA is slowly emerging as a conference rival but I think another option could be Texas State. TS and UTSA are reviving their "I-35" rivalry in 2017 and I was thinking why not hop on board. With the amount of alumni the schools are pumping out I think it could work. The 3 teams could play each other each year and hell, let's go all out and throw in a trophy naming the King (or prince. UT, Baylor, and TCU would attest) of 35. I think that would spark more interest than our FCS games and the drives would make nice weekend trips for the alumni. I've done it once for UTSA and also for the UT game, which I was pleasantly surprised at the mean green turnout, and enjoyed it both times.

- UTEP The Miners have rich history in both football and men’s basketball. In 2011, UTSA basketball beat UTEP in an early season non-conference game. On September 21, 2013 UTSA football plays the Miners in the historic Sun Bowl. Located a short direct flight away, El Paso and San Antonio offer fans of both teams easy travel options. In the long-term, UTEP could emerge as a major rival as the two schools square off in annual competition season after season. - North Texas Denton is a quaint community located just north of Ft Worth. With many UTSA fans located in the DFW metropolis, a regional rivalry with the Mean Green makes sense. There has not been a recent history between the two schools so only time will tell. Read more: http://smu.scout.com/2/1305097.html

MOBILE, Alabama - There has always been a sort of mid-major, schoolyard fight existence between the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA. A my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad relationship, with every scrap between the leagues celebrated with winks and hallway backslaps by the victor, if not indeed blatant cheering. Now, those schoolyard scraps are only going to intensify. And that might be a good thing for both conferences, both of which could use a rivalry or two to keep things interesting. As of Monday, North Texas, Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee and Florida International are no longer members of the Sun Belt, leaving the league to join C-USA. The Sun Belt added Texas State, Georgia State and Texas-Arlington to its roster that day. A year from now, Western Kentucky will leave to join the four departing Sun Belt members in C-USA to add another element to the feud. Western Kentucky's year should be interesting, with the school having already announced its intentions to leave. The Hilltoppers, a long-time member of the Sun Belt, won't be the most welcomed opponent at opposing stadiums and arenas during its farewell tour. Some in the league, especially conference leaders, feel Western Kentucky did the league a disservice by announcing its plans only days after it appeared the Sun Belt had set its future roster allowing for divisional play and a football championship game. Now it must go out and find yet another member to make that formula work. So each time the Hilltoppers take it on the chin this season, there will be smiles - probably hidden, but employed nonetheless - around the league to mark the occasion. That will only intensify the rivalry. Read more: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/with_changing_membership_roste.html