MGB: UNT adds one to football sked

VideoEagle · December 2, 2014

Even ULM gets that you don't schedule an FCS as your only OOC home game.

So when ULM does it, a five game home schedule is preferable to having a FCS team at home?

untjim1995 · December 2, 2014

I just don't understand how you can take the time away from your family to go watch us play some FCS school in Denton. I really don't have that kind of time with three small children and all that they have going on. Now, if this was Kansas or Colorado, hell even Colorado State or Texas State, I'd figure out a way. But if the AD is so lazy to only have us play for big paychecks on the road at P5 powers and then gives us FCS schools that provide no value other than a bought win in front of 10k real butts-in-seats, I have no interest in going. I never went to games against Texas Southern, South Alabama, or Nicholls State, nor will I ever attend a game against Portland State or Incarnate Word. Now, if it was SFA, SHSU, or an FCS team who would travel and give you a good game, like NDSU or Montana, that would at least get my interest to go. But these others are absolutely terrible--they provide you with no real gauge on where you are as a team (see Texas Southern and Nicholls State), they bring nobody to Denton, and even worse, they don't give UNT students, alums, or fans any reason to give up your money and time to watch a glorified scrimmage.

If we don't like it when we play at P5 giant on the road for money, we shouldn't want a FCS nobody to buy and beat the crap out of, either. At a school like ours, we are better off having five home games with one OOC game being a G5 or P5 school at home and three on the road, if necessary. Sorry, six home games (or in this case, 5 home games, with an "alternative" home game) isn't ever going to draw back the folks we are always griping about. The general college football fan, which is 98% of the UNT fanbase, would rather stay home and watch their favorite T-shirt school on TV or at their stadium than watch us play a team that couldn't beat Allen HS.

untbowler · December 2, 2014

Glad the AD is so flush with money that we can throw away $300k just to play Portland State, because of poor/fraidy cat scheduling.

We pay PSU $425K and will be lucky to even recoup $100K, I guess that is why RV throws the team to the wolves in Iowa and TN to pay for this garbage.

UNTFan23 · December 2, 2014

I think people are missing something important -- North Texas has to fill holes for 2015. How many FBS schools have holes in their schedules that are willing to travel to TX are out there?

Army of Dad · December 2, 2014

I think people are missing something important -- North Texas has to fill holes for 2015. How many FBS schools have holes in their schedules that are willing to travel to TX are out there?

I'm in the camp that thinks buying a win (FCS or lowly FBS) for a home game is a good thing for the program. I do not think that game should be the only home OOC game. Waiting until this late in the game forces your hand into something like Portland State. The scheduling is poor at best and should have been fixed/improved years ago. Edited December 2, 2014 by Army of Dad

DeepGreen · December 2, 2014

And we're paying them $425,000? That sounds like a lot of moola to me. Wonder if we could have scheduled an SFA, Grambling, Sam Houston, or some similar nearby FCS team for less money? Maybe $300,000, then taking the $125,000 saved and paying your really good staff members more money.

GOMG2013 · December 2, 2014

Interesting that the date is on 10/10. That means the rest of the games are CUSA games.

9/5 first week of college football will be a cusa opponent. Most cusa teams have 9/5 scheduled.

The only cusa teams that dont have 9/5 scheduled are MT, LaTech, and Rice. If I had to pick, it would be Rice. They lose a lot from their defense. The whole secondary.

9/19 is the other date that will be a bye or cusa team. The only cusa options that week are FIU and Rice...

untbowler · December 2, 2014

Interesting that the date is on 10/10. That means the rest of the games are CUSA games.
9/5 first week of college football will be a cusa opponent. Most cusa teams have 9/5 scheduled.
The only cusa teams that dont have 9/5 scheduled are MT, LaTech, and Rice. If I had to pick, it would be Rice. They lose a lot from their defense. The whole secondary.
9/19 is the other date that will be a bye or cusa team. The only cusa options that week are FIU and Rice...

9/19 probably Rice, since we probably would not be lucky enough to play FU's 2x in a row

9/5 more than likely the MUTS

GOMG2013 · December 2, 2014

9/19 probably Rice, since we probably would not be lucky enough to play FU's 2x in a row
9/5 more than likely the MUTS

if we play muts, that leaves rice vs latech on 9/5 as the only other possible cusa matchup on opening week.

VideoEagle · December 2, 2014

After reading Deep Green's comments, I wondered what kind of deal $450,000 actually is. Couldn't find average buyouts for G5 schools. From 2007-2012, Ohio State averaged $7.5 million per buyout. Indiana averaged $3.5 million. The lowest reported was Illinois averaging $1.5. On the receiving end, got $1.85 million each (I believe) for trips to Alabama and Auburn. San Diego State has made 23 buyout trips since 2000 and is 0-23.

If anyone knows some real CUSA numbers, please post them.

UNT90 · December 2, 2014

I think people are missing something important -- North Texas has to fill holes for 2015. How many FBS schools have holes in their schedules that are willing to travel to TX are out there?

The better question would be: Why are we in a position to scramble for a home game for 2015 in late December of 2014? Who is responsible for that and will he be held accountable?

We all know the answers to the questions posed in the second sentence.

UNT Athletic Director - easiest job in America.

Edited December 2, 2014 by UNT90

UNTFan23 · December 2, 2014

The better question would be: Why are wwe in a position to scramble for a home game for 2015 in late December of 2014? Who is responsible for that and will he be held accountable?

We all know the answers to the questions posed in the second sentence.

UNT Athletic Director - easiest job in America.

Have you asked why we are scrambling to schedule a FCS this late in the year? Perhaps we had someone cancel the contract on us which we had little to no control over? I know there was fallout due to North Texas moving into the same conference as Tulsa that has lead to some schedule problems.

UNT90 · December 2, 2014

So when ULM does it, a five game home schedule is preferable to having a FCS team at home?

The point is we get both in the same season.

2 of the last 4 seasons.

And the AD gets extended. Just head shakingly bad decisions by everyone involved.

UNT90 · December 2, 2014

Have you asked why we are scrambling to schedule a FCS this late in the year? Perhaps we had someone cancel the contract on us which we had little to no control over? I know there was fallout due to North Texas moving into the same conference as Tulsa that has lead to some schedule problems.

UNT knew it was moving into CUSA 3 YEARS AGO! Plenty of time to address this issue.

That is an excuse. RV already tried to float it out there. It's absolutely preposterus and one of the reasons I have zero respect for this AD> He will make excuses and blame blame at others door for every mistake he makes.

It's really really tiresome.

Edited December 2, 2014 by UNT90

UNTFan23 · December 2, 2014

UNT knew it was moving into CUSA 3 YEARS AGO! Plenty of time to address this issue.

That is an excuse. RV already tried to float it out there. It's absolutely preposterus and one of the reasons I have zero respect for this AD> He will make excuses and blame blame at others door for every mistake he makes.

It's really really tiresome.

I don't have the time nor desire to go out and look for FBS schools that have openings for 2015 and beyond. My expectation is that the number, if it is greater than zero, would be in the low single digits. Then it comes down to whether those other schools have an open date that matches our open dates. Finally it comes down to which of those schools even want to come play us. Any other schools might be facing a similar dilemma where they have a home game shortage and would rather schedule an FCS then travel to Denton to play us.

It's all easy peasy to criticize the AD on the scheduling but I suspect it is more of an art than a science. I can't recall a multi-game agreement having been announced in several years. With P5 conference limiting the number of OOC games to three and the number of G5 schools a P5 program can schedule, schools like North Texas are limited to the remaining G5 schools and FCS. It's the cold, hard truth of being towards the bottom.

I would like to see us schedule more MAC and MWC schools rather than a P5 program going forward.

UNT90 · December 3, 2014

I don't have the time nor desire to go out and look for FBS schools that have openings for 2015 and beyond. My expectation is that the number, if it is greater than zero, would be in the low single digits. Then it comes down to whether those other schools have an open date that matches our open dates. Finally it comes down to which of those schools even want to come play us. Any other schools might be facing a similar dilemma where they have a home game shortage and would rather schedule an FCS then travel to Denton to play us.

It's all easy peasy to criticize the AD on the scheduling but I suspect it is more of an art than a science. I can't recall a multi-game agreement having been announced in several years. With P5 conference limiting the number of OOC games to three and the number of G5 schools a P5 program can schedule, schools like North Texas are limited to the remaining G5 schools and FCS. It's the cold, hard truth of being towards the bottom.

I would like to see us schedule more MAC and MWC schools rather than a P5 program going forward.

Yet, somehow, Arkansas St manages to schedule home games with both Mizzou and Iowa St.

Its about effort, or the lack thereof.

Please see the thread I started for a way out of the complete mess that was made of this schedule by RV. Remember, 2015 will be the 2nd year in the last 4 with only 5 home games, with the lone home OOC being an FCS team.

Only at UNT.