UNT's schedule is out... We will not rest

Army of Dad · February 6, 2015

Oh, it won't change--but it was way of illustrating just how little bang for our buck we get in Denton. Ever had trouble getting anyone to go watch a Big West/SBC/CUSA home game? Well, there went your best chance, usually. Sure, Navy, Army, and old SWC teams have brought decent crowds to Fouts/Apogee but its because other people might actually want to come and watch us play them. We overcrowded decrepit Fouts, just to watch the worst Baylor team in their history play in Denton against our best team of the 00's. Our fans want to get others to come out for a game in Denton, but its really hard to do that when you litter the schedule with FCS teams that no one has heard of.

I'm not even asking for a P5 OOC game anymore. Just give us something to compliment SMU or Army, a series with a MWC team or with a MAC team would be perfectly acceptable at this point. Or God forbid, we try and do something as insane as fellow conference mate and noted powerhouse, Middle Tennessee, did when they actually signed a home-and-home with BYU. BTW, noted powerhouse Middle Tennessee, has hosted BYU (2014), Memphis (twice), East Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Minnesota since 2010, and will host Vanderbilt this upcoming season. Just getting Houston, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State, Northern illinois, or others like them is all I'm asking for at this point. Please, no more FCS schools or SBC schools anymore. Start by droppping Incarnate Word and all 25 people they will bring with them. But who am I kidding--Abilene Christian is not far behind to get on the OOC again here in Denton. I can alreeady see the press release: "A Rivalry Renewed!!"

I don't have any problem with an occasional or even regular FCS opponent. This team needs wins and as many as they can get, FCS or better yet, a badly outmatched FBS opponent will help provide that. However, a FCS can't be the only OOC home game.

UNT90 · February 6, 2015

I don't have any problem with an occasional or even regular FCS opponent. This team needs wins and as many as they can get, FCS or better yet, a badly outmatched FBS opponent will help provide that. However, a FCS can't be the only OOC home game.

And the other home game needs to be better than an AAC school.

Edited February 6, 2015 by UNT90

FirefightnRick · February 6, 2015

BTW, noted powerhouse Middle Tennessee, has hosted BYU (2014), Memphis (twice), East Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Minnesota since 2010, and will host Vanderbilt this upcoming season. Just getting Houston, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State, Northern illinois, or others like them is all I'm asking for at this point. Please, no more FCS schools or SBC schools anymore. Start by droppping Incarnate Word and all 25 people they will bring with them. But who am I kidding--Abilene Christian is not far behind to get on the OOC again here in Denton. I can alreeady see the press release: "A Rivalry Renewed!!"

I'll one better ya....

Noted longtime powerhouse UTSA hosted San Jose State in '12 before they were even D1.

In '13, their D1 transitional season they brought in Oklahoma State and Houston.

In '14 they hosted New Mexico and Arizona, and they paid Arizona $50K less than we paid Idaho.

This coming season in '15 they bring in K State and Colorado State.

In '16 they are scheduled to bring in Arizona State.

And the LADY in charge of putting their schedule together didn't even want damn football team in the first place and told the committee when she first interviewed for the job that it was her judgment that UTSA didn't need a football program and that if it was up to her she wouldn't push for one.

Rick

UNTFan23 · February 6, 2015

I'll one better ya....

Noted longtime powerhouse UTSA hosted San Jose State in '12 before they were even D1.

In '13, their D1 transitional season they brought in Oklahoma State and Houston.

In '14 they hosted New Mexico and Arizona, and they paid Arizona $50K less than we paid Idaho.

This coming season in '15 they bring in K State and Colorado State.

In '16 they are scheduled to bring in Arizona State.

And the LADY in charge of putting their schedule together didn't even want damn football team in the first place and told the committee when she first interviewed for the job that it was her judgment that UTSA didn't need a football program and that if it was up to her she wouldn't push for one.

Rick

FYI: Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Arizona are all 2-for-1 deals. Arizona State, Houston, and New Mexico were all home-and-home games. Oddly enough UTSA, for whatever reason, agreed to play the Aggies twice ... both times in College Station.

Regarding the Arizona game, typically you pay for the other team's travel expenses. So paying Arizona $50,000 less than we paid Idaho is not that big a deal.

If we want to play the big boys you need to schedule 2-for-1 deals. RV has said he against those types of agreements and so getting home-and-home games with P5 schools is much more challenging.

UNT90 · February 6, 2015

Just not challenging at Arkansas St., or MTSU, or a host of other G5 schools.

Just at UNT.

Edited February 6, 2015 by UNT90

untjim1995 · February 6, 2015

I'll one better ya....

Noted longtime powerhouse UTSA hosted San Jose State in '12 before they were even D1.

In '13, their D1 transitional season they brought in Oklahoma State and Houston.

In '14 they hosted New Mexico and Arizona, and they paid Arizona $50K less than we paid Idaho.

This coming season in '15 they bring in K State and Colorado State.

In '16 they are scheduled to bring in Arizona State.

And the LADY in charge of putting their schedule together didn't even want damn football team in the first place and told the committee when she first interviewed for the job that it was her judgment that UTSA didn't need a football program and that if it was up to her she wouldn't push for one.

Rick

At least San Antonio is a destination city and gives you a foothold in recruiting Texas HS kids--plus its in a large domed stadium to fit an increased demand of having a decent traveling fanbase come in.

Murfeesboro, TN, while an hour or so away from Nashville, doesn't have that. Nor does Jonesboro, Arkansas or Monroe, Louisiana.

Who am I kidding...we got SMU for a home-and-home series!! Can you believe it? I mean they are in the SWC and have a top ten ranked team and have Heisman hopefuls on their squad and...oh wait, its not 1985 anymore is it. This is another classic example of how we are about 30 years behind where we should have been if it hadn't been for our own making by droppping to i-aa and never building a new stadium for over 15 years after moving up to 1-A in 1995. We celebrate this great scheduling coup of getting freaking doormat SMU to agree to a long series and that it is such a huge deal that the only possible other home OOC game you could even imagine scheduling couldn't be anyone else but a FCS team. Its just depressing.

Harry · February 6, 2015

At least San Antonio is a destination city and gives you a foothold in recruiting Texas HS kids--plus its in a large domed stadium to fit an increased demand of having a decent traveling fanbase come in.

Someon reported SA only had 17 d-I players this year which was surprising to me.

UNT90 · February 8, 2015

There are actually secured games for these years and there's a poster of them up in the football office.

Well, enlighten us. Who are we playing?

emmitt01 · February 8, 2015

CUSA had to pick us after SMU left if they wanted a presence in DFW still--they literally had no choice. Apogee being built wasn't getting us into CUSA any sooner if SMU was there. I'm sure Apogee was a nice cherry on top of the sundae for CUSA, but if Fouts was still there and we were still parroting around those old drawings and sketches of a new stadium that never had a prayer of getting off the ground without the SGA and Todd Dodge forcing it down the BORs throats, we would still be in CUSA. The damn league is SBC 2.0--it's better, but not by much, than the old SBC.

And Green P1s point about who we host at Apogee versus Fouts is spot on. Frankly, I cannot believe that the big money donors here aren't bitching to high heaven about laying down $78 million from various sources to build a stadium that literally has hosted the exact same caliber of teams that the Toilet Bowl Fouts hosted. To me, #itsallajoke, applies to this whole situation.

I don't think your buddy, RV, needs to get fired now. Nobody else will get to run the department any better than he has under the UNT BOR. And I know he wants to win, that he probably wishes he could hire and fire as he wants to in revenue sports, but he can't because of the restrictions that the BOR puts on the AD. But arguing about scheduling OOC opponents here at Apogee, after being told specifically that teams like Iowa could be targeted as a reasonable opponent to bring down here now, then signing a 2 for 0 deal with them, it all just screams small time. Look, if we need these games to pay the bills, just say it. Its ok--nobody at UNT is going to be surprised. Play 5 games schedules in Denton, with 2 bought beatings a year, and then 2 home-and-home series with actual opponents people might care about. I'll never step foot at Apogee for Texas Southern, Nicholls State, Portland State, or Incarnate Word--my time with my small children and wife are way more valuable than that. Obviously, a huge majority of people feel the same way. Its hard enough to make that sacrifice for the SBCUSA teams we play, but at least they are all G5 teams. If RV said tomorrow, that in 2020, we are playing BYU in a home-and-home series and that it would be our only home game that season in OOC, I'd be thrilled. As a matter of fact, I'd pay 50% more for that game, too, just because its a marquee opponent. SMU and Army are fine OOC opponents--love both as a series to be played, but neither should be your PRIMARY OOC home game. If they are equal to the other home OOC game, that's fine. But don't sell either of them as some great coup that we got them on the schedule, so if we are really lucky, we'll also get Nicholls State or Incarante Word to match up with that powerhouse SMU!! To put it in comparison, SMU is hosting us this year in Dallas. Their other OOC home game is against Baylor, while they travel to Ft. Worth for TCU. That's how you schedule OOC. Whether that's on RV or the UNT BOR, its a disgrace. Apogee may have saved the future of the program as a G5 school for decades to come, but other than that, our program still has a lot of "Fouts" in the way we run the major revenue sport at UNT. Scheduling, to me, is exhibit #1 to this fact...

You know why I step foot in Apogee as many times as the gates open and the lights come on?

Because one of the two teams has North Texas written across their chest (luckily not on the helmet anymore). I want marquee opponents as much as the next guy, but I refuse to miss the games that we do schedule.

UNT90 · February 8, 2015

You know why I step foot in Apogee as many times as the gates open and the lights come on?
Because one of the two teams has North Texas written across their chest (luckily not on the helmet anymore). I want marquee opponents as much as the next guy, but I refuse to miss the games that we do schedule.

You and 15k others.

Unfortunately, the stadium seats 31k. If you want more than a half full stadium, you have to schedule teams that will 1) turn the heads of disaffected alumni and 2) turn the heads of a disaffected student body.

We have NEVER scheduled such an opponent.

Edited February 8, 2015 by UNT90

untjim1995 · February 9, 2015

You know why I step foot in Apogee as many times as the gates open and the lights come on?
Because one of the two teams has North Texas written across their chest (luckily not on the helmet anymore). I want marquee opponents as much as the next guy, but I refuse to miss the games that we do schedule.

Me, too, emmitt...I just usually am going by myself for these games. Getting someone to go watch us play Western Kentucky is never easy--same with Middle Tennessee or the F_Us. It has gotten easier for UTEP, Rice, and UTSA, as well as La tech or Southern Miss, so it is better. But most of the time, its actual UNT alumni who tell me that they would rather watch Texas or A&M play than to come out and watch us play. The inevitable statement always come back to when we play someone at home that is from a big conference, then I'll go.

I remember watching Troy destroy Mizzou and Okie Lite on national tv at their place in very metroploitan Troy, Alabama. I just thought it would be so great to have the chance to do that here at some point. Just imaging what it would look like if we beat a hypothetically ranked Okie State team here or a ranked Iowa team in Denton, just how much of a boost that would give the program. I chose those two programs because they are the type of school that I thought we could have reasonably been able to schedule here before all the P5s started making road games at G5s for the future a no-no. If we get anyone to come here now from a P5 league by the time we can actually have an opening, it would be a Wake Forest or Vanderbilt type team that really won't help you anymore than scheduling SMU or Army at that point. I would really be shocked to see any decent sized P5 school ever come here now, since the P5s are taking a harder line against road games against G5s. Its just the reality we are in now.

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

http://www.fbschedules.com/2013/03/florida-state-boise-state-schedule-2019-20-home-and-home-football-series/

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/aac/usf-bulls.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/aac/ucf-knights.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/sun-belt/arkansas-state-red-wolves.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/conf-usa/middle-tennessee-blue-raiders.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/aac/tulane-green-wave.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/aac/tulsa-golden-hurricane.php

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNT90

MeanGreenTexan · February 9, 2015

http://www.fbschedules.com/2013/03/florida-state-boise-state-schedule-2019-20-home-and-home-football-series/

This announcement isn't surprising. Boise St. has proven a little bit more on the field in the past decade than UNT has. Tough to tie this together. We're not like Boise St. except that we're both G5. Now, if FSU announced a Home-Home with the Vandals, that would be different.

EDIT: Oh! I forgot which thread this was...

Edited February 9, 2015 by MeanGreenTexan

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

This announcement isn't surprising. Boise St. has proven a little bit more on the field in the past decade than UNT has. Tough to tie this together. We're not like Boise St. except that we're both G5. Now, if FSU announced a Home-Home with the Vandals, that would be different.

There is more coming, obewan.

Much, much more.

10Eagle10 · February 9, 2015

There are actually secured games for these years and there's a poster of them up in the football office.

Per the article, RV said : "we have secured six home games for the next four years already" So who are these secured home games in 2016, 2017, and 2019? if they're secured then announce them

It's been a week, and we still haven't heard a peep about these secured home games.

to the posters who are buddies with RV...can you snap a quick photo of this poster on one of your visits to his office?

to any current students: can you take a few minutes to go by the AC and take a quick photo?

Brett Vito, will you have a blog post with this valuable information?

Edited February 9, 2015 by 10Eagle10

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

Sure would like a look at this list, also.

I'd also like to see the CONFERENCE rule which RV cited as not allowing him to release the NON-CONFERENCE schedule.

What?

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

This announcement isn't surprising. Boise St. has proven a little bit more on the field in the past decade than UNT has. Tough to tie this together. We're not like Boise St. except that we're both G5. Now, if FSU announced a Home-Home with the Vandals, that would be different.
EDIT: Oh! I forgot which thread this was...

And that is just a quick list of teams that came to mind that we SHOULD be competitive with or kicking their ass in scheduling.

We aren't.

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNT90

greenit · February 9, 2015

Sure would like a look at this list, also.
I'd also like to see the CONFERENCE rule which RV cited as not allowing him to release the NON-CONFERENCE schedule.
What?

Conference rules prevent posting conference rules.

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

Conference rules prevent posting conference rules.

It must be a special rule that applies only to UNT, because it doesn't seem to have reflected MTSU:

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/conf-usa/middle-tennessee-blue-raiders.php

But wait, it also doesn't seem to have affect UNT either, since we have already announced a home game in 2019 with Incarnate Word or those SMU home games all the way to 2024:

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/conf-usa/north-texas-mean-green.php

It's flat out lies like this that shouldn't be tolerated from the AD. Just saying what sounds good at the time to get fans off his back.

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNT90

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

There are games scheduled. It's not a lie.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But what IS a lie is blaming a conference rule for not releasing the non-conference schedule when you released games against SMU through 2024.

That tells me that the contracts aren't finalized or else RV just lied about the reason they weren't released.

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNT90

UNTFan23 · February 9, 2015

Maybe. Maybe not.
But what IS a lie is blaming a conference rule for not releasing the non-conference schedule when you released games against SMU through 2024.
That tells me that the contracts aren't finalized.

So someone says something that they think were told by someone in the athletic department and suddenly it becomes internet truth. This is how rumors get started ... you know ... like the one about how the SMU game is our "6th home game" that started right here on GMG.com and really without the help from anyone in the AD.

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNTFan23

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

It's about trust , young Ryan.

The man refused to tell the fan base this was coming, even when asked directly on multiple occasions. Now you expect is to simply trust what he says about future schedules?

Sorry, gonna need some proof.

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

So someone says something that they think were told by someone in the athletic department and suddenly it becomes internet truth. This is how rumors get started ... you know ... like the one about how the SMU game is our "6th home game" that started right here on GMG.com and really without the help from anyone in the AD.

Except the rumor about SMU being a 6th home game WASN'T started here. Just simply concern that is the way it was going to be presented. And I bet it would have been if not for posts on here saying that would be unacceptable.

UNT90 · February 9, 2015

There's a poster up in the football office. I know who we're playing. It's in big letters in the football office waiting room. Not really hidden. Choose to believe me or not, I really don't care. If Rick says there's a reason he doesn't want to announce them and there has been no announcement, I choose to believe there is an actual reason as to why there's no official announcement.

Not in the habit of believing people I've never met, so...

Even if you saw the "poster," what evidence do you have that there are actually signed contracts with those teams?

The only logical reason there wouldn't be an announcement is because the contracts aren't finalized.

Edited February 9, 2015 by UNT90