MGB: Today's DRC editorial on the state of UNT athletics

Brett Vito · October 13, 2015

MGB: A strong take from the management of the paper

http://www.dentonrc.com/opinion/editorials-headlines/20151013-unt-needs-plan-to-strengthen-sports.ece

Cerebus · October 13, 2015

Instead, the game at Apogee Stadium turned into an embarrassing 66-7 defeat followed by UNT Athletic Director Rick Villarreal’s firing of coach Dan McCarney after the game. The Mean Green are now 0-5 for the season.
...
No offense to UNT’s academic departments, but the front door to any large university is its athletic program.
...
Apogee Stadium helped, but the football team has had one winning season during the past 10.
...
The next shoe to drop will be basketball season. Coach Tony Benford will be entering his fourth season.
...

University President Neal Smatresk has some tough decisions to make. Villarreal has been UNT athletic director since 2001. If anyone can claim to be the architect of the current athletic program, it is he.
Barring some type of miraculous turnaround, the handwriting is on the wall.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Cerebus

MGNation92 · October 13, 2015

When you hand Brett Vito the AUX cord:

Eagle1855 · October 13, 2015

I mean, that kind of sums it all up, doesn't it?

James · October 13, 2015

Drop the hammer Vito.

I'm sure this will somehow make it to Smatresk's desk, right?

meanrob · October 13, 2015

For all the times I've bashed Brett and the DRC I applaud this. An editorial has been long overdue but they did it right.

Travis · October 13, 2015

BOOM!

Cerebus · October 13, 2015

Send this column along with your letter when you write.

Send a link to this column along with the email you write.

Tweet this article to the president.

Connect with President Smatresk

Mailing address
1155 Union Circle, #311425
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
Email address
president@unt.edu
Phone number
940-565-2026
Fax number
940-565-4322
Twitter
@UNTPrez

meangreendork · October 13, 2015

Drop the hammer Vito.
I'm sure this will somehow make it to Smatresk's desk, right?

Probably already on it right now. While the successful programs are safe to stay without changes, I know and I'm sure the president knows that the other sports need changes in their staffing to make them move.

strikes · October 13, 2015

Tweeted.

ColoradoEagle · October 13, 2015

Good God, Brett is doing some semblance of actual hard hitting journalism. Didn't know he had it in him. NTDaily causing him to step his game up?

HarringtonFishSmeller · October 13, 2015

I don't really like this kind of mindset: "No offense to UNT’s academic departments, but the front door to any large university is its athletic program." It's one of the two laughably untrue, but overused, sentiments spouted in the SportsNews genre.

I have a nephew who is at the University of Chicago. When applying for schools, football and basketball were the last thing on his mind. His choice came down to Brown, Georgetown, or Chicago. I've got another nephew who went to Stephen F. Austin. Football played no role in his decision either. He chose from Oklahoma State, SFA, and Texas State.

Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. - they all seem to be doing well without top football and basketball programs. Lehigh. I mean get serious.

I've got nephews on both ends of the academic spectrum in college, and neither of them figured in football basketball into their attendance decision. The first was an academic gunner aiming as high as he could. The other...he just went where a few of his good friends were going.

I understand people being upset that a football program is down. I'm pissed about it. But, not enough to lose perspective and somehow, in these stupid ways, want my alma mater to put athletics in front of academics.

I mean, let the tail wag the dog up at OU where they talk about diversity but let a kid who broke a girl's face stay enrolled, take redshirt season over it, and play this year. Where their coach takes on transfer players with drug and domestic abuse arrest histories. THAT is what OU wants to be the front porch of their university...fine.

I don't mean to pick on OU, but it's the closest example geographically. Texas has looked the other way at that type of stuff in the past as well. TCU has. Baylor is beginning to - to the extent that the younger Briles is now under NCAA scrutiny. Florida, now, with PEDs...on and on and on at those school who puff out their chests and say stupid things like, "Football is the front porch of the university!"

Come on, man. Let's all dial it back a step or two, okay? Just get a decent football coach hired. If basketball fails again, ditch Benford and try again. But, for pete's sake, everyone, do not lose your perspective about academics versus athletics.

Cerebus · October 13, 2015

Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. - they all seem to be doing well without top football and basketball programs. Lehigh. I mean get serious.

Good God we're not Harvard, Yale, MIT or even Rice. If a student has a really strong idea of what they want to do, they go to a school with a strong program. Guess what? A huge percentage of students have no real idea of what they want. Strong athletics help attract those students.

ColoradoEagle · October 13, 2015

I don't really like this kind of mindset: "No offense to UNT’s academic departments, but the front door to any large university is its athletic program." It's one of the two laughably untrue, but overused, sentiments spouted in the SportsNews genre.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/01/13/tcu-seeing-spike-in-admissions-after-rose-bowl/

The university has set a new record. More than 17,000 new students have applied for acceptance to attend TCU in the fall, and the deadline isn’t until February 15, 2011.
That’s a 42 percent increase over last year’s record setting year.

NorthTexan95 · October 13, 2015

Brett didn't write this ... the editors did.

Cerebus · October 13, 2015

Brett didn't write this ... the editors did.

Yes. Brett writing this would poison his ability to actually cover sports. This is the DRC editorial staff.

HarringtonFishSmeller · October 13, 2015

Good God we're not Harvard, Yale, MIT or even Rice. If a student has a really strong idea of what they want to do, they go to a school with a strong program. Guess what? A huge percentage of students have no real idea of what they want. Strong athletics help attract those students.

Again, my other not so academically inclined nephew who, I can assure you, truly, has not idea what he wants to do, chose Stephen F. Austin...even with an acceptance letter to Oklahoma State in hand. Tell me which school is higher up on the football food chain, Oklahoma State or Stephen F. Austin?

Really, you guys.

And, put your younger self into the situation. Why did you choose North Texas? Was it because you were so enamored of the idea of sitting at Fouts and watching North Texas versus Southwest Missouri State?

Come on, man. I was accepted to Missouri, Oklahoma, North Texas, and a few others, all of whom had higher profile athletic programs than UNT. I chose North Texas. Okay? It's ridiculously funny that graduates of North Texas are buying into this ridiculous argument.

Edited October 13, 2015 by HarringtonFishSmeller

Cerebus · October 13, 2015

Well...like I said <incessant yammering>

1) Stop being a damn troll or get banned. Stop trying to pull this thread off discussion.

2) From the Sociology of Sport Journal:

Intercollegiate Sports Success and First-Year Student Enrollment Demand

This paper investigates the effect of winning, postseason play, and television appearances for football and basketball on first-year student enrollment demand over a 21-year period at a representative NCAA Division I institution. Empirical estimates confirm popular notions that winning on the football field, after traditional enrollment demand factors are controlled, does attract students.

UNT90 · October 13, 2015

Keep the letters coming to the university president. Pressure has to be building. Keep the pressure on. This university has a long history of apathy toward athletics, and RV has powerful friends.

The only thing that will change the AD at this university is a large (as in many people and donors) consistent pressure on Pres. Smatresk to make a change. Getting multiple letters from the same 5 people won't affect change.

Even if you are just a lurker, send an email or letter to the President. Let him know how you feel.

Maybe, just maybe, UNT will finally do the right thing when it comes to athletics.

Maybe.

Edited October 13, 2015 by UNT90

rcade · October 13, 2015

I understand people being upset that a football program is down. I'm pissed about it. But, not enough to lose perspective and somehow, in these stupid ways, want my alma mater to put athletics in front of academics.

You don't understand the point of the DRC's comment. It wasn't about putting athletics over academics, it was about using athletics to successfully market the university.

UNT is not Harvard, Yale or MIT, and mentioning them in this context is goofy. UNT is a big state school that has a strong regional presence in one part of Texas. It has impressive academics and programs in some areas, but is always going to need affordability and location as two of its selling points.

When you consider the schools UNT is realistically competing with for the average student, having a good football program can be vital to making them want to be on our campus. It also helps create relationships that make some of them think of UNT when they're successful alumni in their careers and want to take out their checkbook.

Eagle-96 · October 13, 2015

Again, my other not so academically inclined nephew who, I can assure you, truly, has not idea what he wants to do, chose Stephen F. Austin...even with an acceptance letter to Oklahoma State in hand. Tell me which school is higher up on the football food chain, Oklahoma State or Stephen F. Austin?
Really, you guys.
And, put your younger self into the situation. Why did you choose North Texas? Was it because you were so enamored of the idea of sitting at Fouts and watching North Texas versus Southwest Missouri State?
Come on, man. I was accepted to Missouri, Oklahoma, North Texas, and a few others, all of whom had higher profile athletic programs than UNT. I chose North Texas. Okay? It's ridiculously funny that graduates of North Texas are buying into this ridiculous argument.

2Q==

Aldo · October 13, 2015

So, again, fellow North Texas grads...what was it that drew you to beloved UNT when it so clearly did not have the athletic draw everyone says is so necessary to draw in applicants?

A new thread plzkthx

forevereagle · October 13, 2015

Otherwise, man up, and accept that there is more than one point of view on the academic/athletic issue.

You were provided with data that suggests a different viewpoint from your own and you summarily dismiss it and then finish with this. I have to now assume the whole thing is a bit.

Censored by Laurie · October 13, 2015

You were provided with data that suggests a different viewpoint from your own and you summarily dismiss it and then finish with this. I have to now assume the whole thing is a bit.

if it's not from the CDC he want's no part of your "data"

VideoEagle · October 13, 2015

Wow, great editorial. I can't tell by the link - is this by the DRC editorial staff, i.e. a DRC comment or was it by someone writing to the paper? I think it's for former but want to be sure.