MGB: UNT's future nonconference opponents

[Green P1]

Some people want to see name opponents, some people want to see wins. You're just not going to please everyone.

Some just want to see six home games on a regular basis...

[Travis Scott]

From the other thread, this is more or less exactly what we need right now:

*BUZZZZ* Wrong. Boise became Boise with hen they started to recruit better. How did they start to recruit better? They won games against lower competition.

Right now we are getting some 3* recruits. Boise was at that level also at the start. Then they beat up some lower competition, and they started getting MOSTLY 3* recruits, kept doing it, got a 4* every once in a while. etc, etc. Then they beat OU.

No I don't want to play them at all. Maybe once every few years. I think if we had better leadership in place we could develop better revenue streams and not have to play those paycheck games at all. Once our recruiting improves to where we could be competitive from a pure athlete stand point, then lets play the P5.

That's what Boise did, they beat up the small teams AND THEN recruited well AND THEN beat some of the big boys. Look at their wins at the start:

1998: CalState(nor), Portland St, Utah, Weber St, Utah St, NMSU (we beat this team)

1999: Southern Utah, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Utah St, Ark St, NMSU, Idaho (We beat this team also)

2000: New Mexico, Northern Iowa, Central Mich, Eastern Wash, North Texas, NSMU, Ark St, Utah St, Idaho, UTEP

2001: UTEP, Idaho, Tulsa, Fresno St, Nevada, Hawaii, SJSU, Central Mich

2002: Idaho, Wyo, Utah St, Hawaii, Tulsa, Fresno, SJSU, Utep, Rice, LaTech, Nevada (ranked 15th)

2003: Idaho St, Idaho, Wyo, LaTech, Tulsa, SMU, SJSU, BYU, UTEP, Nevada, Fresno, Hawaii (ranked 15th)

2004: Idaho, Oregon St, UTEP, BYU, SMU, Tulsa, Fresno, Hawaii, SJSU, LaTech, Nevada (ranked 12th)

2005: BGSU, Hawaii, Portland St, SJSU, Utah St,Nevada, NMSU, Fresno, Idaho, LaTech

2006: Sac St, Oregon St, Wyo, Hawaii, Utah, LaTech, NMSU, Idaho, Fresno, SJSU, Utah St, Nevada (They beat OU in the Fiest)

See that? 9 years, 88 wins, 7 FCS teams, 2 P5 teams (a terrible Oregon St program, and of course the great win against OU)

Thats how you build a program, bring in FCS teams, schedule other G5 teams, especially the one struggling. No reason a university this size shouldn't have a program that can bring in an Idaho or NMSU as a paycheck game every year.

I like this post

[UNTcrazy727]

I'm surprised how many people are satisfied that Army/SMU are our marquee OOC games over a 7 year period. I guess RV can raise the "Mission Accomplished" banner.

[THOR]

I'm just glad I've got 6 days to tailgate and drink a crapton of beer on days with fellow fans...

[Army of Dad]

I'm just glad I've got 6 days to tailgate and drink a crapton of beer on days with fellow fans...

6? Are we tailgating a basketball game this year?

[10Eagle10]

I'd like RV to surprise the heck out of me and actually schedule a *gasp* 7-game home schedule in 2019 or 2020. And if I'm greedy, I'm even asking for a lowly P5 like Indiana, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Oregon State, Colorado, Virginia. Make it a home game in '19 and an away game in '20...or an away game in '19 with a home game in '20 and a bought opponent in '20 like Lamar.

2019 season

Home – Abilene Christian, Army, Virginia
Away – SMU

2020 season

Home – SMU, Lamar
Away – Army, Virginia

-or-

2019 season

Home – Abilene Christian, Army
Away – SMU, Oregon State

2020 season

Home – SMU, Oregon State, Lamar
Away – Army

I'd also like my own private island too, though, and I don't think that's happening, either

[THOR]

6? Are we tailgating a basketball game this year?

I was future watching...gonna have 7 this year...smu and LA tech

[10Eagle10]

it's all just a pipe dream, however. cause a whore's gotta whore. We'll probably be announcing a body bag game at Ohio State in 2019 any day now...

[UNT90]

This. Poor unt90 and the few who think opponents will bring in fans. It wont. Only winning. Seen it a few times in Houston.

better opponents will increase the chances of a sellout though. It will bring temporary hype, IF YOU WIN the game. Once the team falls off, and have a 7-5 season, back to normal. Or some fair weather fans will only start going to the games against the big schools.

Either you are die hard or not. Die hards show up to see UNT, no matter what. No other way to say it.

If you stopped going to games cause of opponent, you were not close to being die hard. You are into hype and fads, and probably watch reality TV now.

Extremely myopic.

Hope you like crowds of 16k.

[UNT90]

For those that don't like SMU and Army as the long term home and home series opponents, UNT fans have themselves to blame. I happen to think both are OK, but would be fine with much shorter series with each.

Our fans obsess over SMU and always have. Now we've got a loooooonnngg series with em. Ask and you shall receive, I ssuppose. Sadly, after the last two times we've played them, you see who ends up coming out ahead in this deal...SMU. We bring paying fans by the droves and atmosphere to Dallas, in return we get 250 non interested player parents and friends. This is the AD's attempt to give fans a series they asked for & they did. I've just never personally gotten the fascination with SMU.

We also would constantly see posts in recent years suggesting playing service academies regularly. I think they're fine opponents and have enjoyed our games at home and away against them. Now we're locked in for a number of years. Again, ask and you shall receive.

Great post. Agree with everything in here.

Certain fans who set their sights on SMU are living in the 70s. We will easily be the best attendance draw for SMU outside of whichever P5 THEY are bringing to Ford Stadium. They bring nothing.

But we had delusional fans on here predicting sellouts at Apogee for last year's game because they thought the casual alumni and students cared about the 1970s grudge as much as they did

Wrong.

SMU was viewed no differently than UTEP by casual alums. And the casual alum has the proper perspective.

A nice 4 year series with SMU and Army would have sufficed, but instead we sign massively long series that really serve no purpose. Hopefully there are option clauses that are fair on those contracts, as I think SMU will end up being more a burden than a rivalry.

But, hey, less work for RV.

[UNT90]

Also, notice how there was no press release trumpeting these home games, just a little blurb in the Vito blog.

I wonder if that is the same way a home game with Texas Tech would have been announced?

No?

Why is that?

[GOMG2013]

Extremely myopic.

Hope you like crowds of 16k.

Reasonable p5 Teams like Iowa state, kansas, vandy, wake forest, won't get a sellout. See indiana game. K state couldn't sell out fouts.

Tcu, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma state, texas tech, Texas, texas A&m, will get sell outs. That's about it.

More reasonable opponents that should be scheduled, but are not p5 are Texas state and UH. Should get fan interest, can get a home and home, and may get us as close to a sellout as possible. Not sure about ULM or ULL...If SMU becomes good or even decent, it will become a sellout.

[UNT90]

I'll predict right here right now that we never sell out an SMU game.

No one outside of about 200 alums (ours and theirs) care about them. Even an emotional appeal from the highest rated morning show in DFW couldn't get a sellout.

Edited February 11, 2015 by UNT90

[Harry]

I think SMU is on the upswing. They have a new coach who is well liked. They sort of got stagnant under June. They were embarrassed by Baylor on national TV before our last game. I still hold out hope that this series could build and draw more interest.

[Brett Vito]

MGB: A few thoughts

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/02/thoughts-on-unts-future-nonconference-schedule.html/

[Rudy]

Library, Lamar, Incarnate Word? Man I'm hyped.

[10Eagle10]

Thanks, Brett.

really appreciate you getting the schedules for us

[UNT90]

MGB: A few thoughts

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/02/thoughts-on-unts-future-nonconference-schedule.html/

Sure would like you to ask RV about that one and one with a P5 that he told us he was working on.

Indiana ain't TTech. Beating Indiana didnt provide a source of pride for UNT alumni. Beating TTech at Apogee would. Just about all alums in the DFW area work with at least one Tech alum. Comparing Indiana to TTech is nuts.

Again, this program has never had a program defining win, and it sure as hell ain't gonna get it on the road.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

I don't mind the schedules. Just hard to trust the administration if something were to change and we would need to find another home game now. Hard for me to be super stoked about Army but the SMU series just makes sense for both parties. Honestly wish we could schedule a body-bag game with TCU one of these days too just so we can at least watch the beat-down closer to home. Would be cool if all 3 metroplex teams played each other.

Edited February 11, 2015 by ChristopherRyanWilkes

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

2017 could set-up very nicely. I'm guessing Iowa is our "body-bag" game since its a 0 for 2. That's a very winnable schedule depending on what happens with SMU under Chad Morris by then. Thats also around the time I see our last two recruiting classes breaking through.

[James329]

Soooo tired of this scheduling. 0 winnable p5 games. 0 p5 home games. Body bag games, spares at home, 1 spare that might beat us in Liberty and SMU & Army. Woohoo. I'm done with season tix for 6 years.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Abilene Christian, huh?
TheFakeLonnieFinch is going to be super excited about that one!

[oldguystudent]

Abilene Christian, huh?

TheFakeLonnieFinch is going to be super excited about that one!

Maybe the team hotel will be in Frisco.

[Eagle1855]

I guess my point is that I hope you all enjoy the heck out of the Saturdays when the FCS teams come to town. I haven't watched one of them play in Denton since 1997 in the home opener against Illinois State at Fouts. And I won't, either. Its just not worth my time. I'm sure it was awesome watching us plaster Nicholls State by 70+ and that when we beat Portland State this year, it will be awesome for all those in attendance. If that makes me a bad fan, I guess I am.

It doesn't make you a bad fan. Many of us feel the same way. I can count few wins that I've cared less about than that over Nicholls State. Glorified scrimmages do little to sate competitive interests.

But you know what everyone likes watching more than a good opponent? A good home team. Winning is still #1. Especially related to filling the stands. And so all of this debate is a side-show to the main act, issue at hand.

We need a good football team. It makes the rest of this feel a lot less significant.

[MeanGreenTexan]

It doesn't make you a bad fan. Many of us feel the same way. I can count few wins that I've cared less about than that over Nicholls State. Glorified scrimmages do little to sate competitive interests.

But you know what everyone likes watching more than a good opponent? A good home team. Winning is still #1. Especially related to filling the stands. And so all of this debate is a side-show to the main act, issue at hand.

We need a good football team. It makes the rest of this feel a lot less significant.

Nothing demonstrates this point better than this board after the win over Nicholls State. Dajon exploded and just about everyone's spirits were sky high. There were a few people who were saying to hold off on the optimism, but for the most part, everyone was on cloud 9 and talking rebound after the more-telling LATech loss.

Bring in the FCS opponents and whip them. Make the fans happy and pile up the wins. No problem here.