DRC: Baker examining UNT scheduling philosophy

[Brett Vito]

DRC: New UNT AD open to looking at different avenues to improve football schedule, including moving future games

http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20160915-football-nonconference-slate-on-table-as-baker-aims-to-build-unt-program.ece

[kj86]

Over the next five years, road games against Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, TAMU and Missouri.  I would like to see WB get us out of at least a couple of those.

[Christopher Walker]

Quote

UNT will receive a $1 million payout for playing Florida.

Baker said that money can be beneficial, but he would prefer to eliminate those paycheck games while fulfilling his three main scheduling objectives.

“You want to make sure you have at least six home games,” Baker said. “You also want to make sure that you schedule games that are meaningful for fans, and you want to put together a schedule that allows you to be successful.”

Baker left open the possibility of exploring a number of options to make those goals a reality, including signing new home-and-home agreements, two-for-one contracts, deals including neutral-site games and moving games currently on a UNT schedule that is booked solid for the next few years.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Christopher Walker

[Cerebus]

I like getting rid of the big guarantee game.  I assume that means The Wren™ is expecting sales and marketing to make up the shortfall.  Not a huge fan of neutral site games, and I don't know how you keep 6 home games a year by signing 2 for 1s.

[oldguystudent]

3 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

I like getting rid of the big guarantee game.  I assume that means The Wren™ is expecting sales and marketing to make up the shortfall.  Not a huge fan of neutral site games, and I don't know how you keep 6 home games a year by signing 2 for 1s.

Hasn't it already?  Isn't revenue considerably more than $1M greater than five years ago?  Yet we keep chasing that $1M paycheck?  Revenue $10?  Get that extra million. Revenue $28M?  Get that extra million.  Relative to overall revenue, it just makes less and less sense to me.

[Cerebus]

Just now, oldguystudent said:

Hasn't it already?  Isn't revenue considerably more than $1M greater than five years ago? 

Our costs have also gone up considerably.  Stipends are new.  All those contract buyouts are new.  The new hires made by The Wren™ aren't working for left over Kettle Korn.   

[oldguystudent]

Just now, Cerebus said:

Our costs have also gone up considerably.  Stipends are new.  All those contract buyouts are new.  The new hires made by The Wren™ aren't working for left over Kettle Korn.   

I get that, but also consider that we pay out $500K against that $1M we take in.  Again, relative to overall cash flows, it just isn't as big as it once was.  If TheWren™ isn't able to net an additional $500K some other way, I'd actually be surprised.

[untjim1995]

We aren't going to get rid of the bodybag game, just because of the money and exposure they provide. I'm sure he is looking at buying out the FCS spares that RV saddled us with and fix that.

Seriously, there are exactly two FCS teams that would be worth scheduling here--SFA and SHSU. They are decent, bring fans, and our fans wouldn't mind playing them. Instead, we have seen Texas Southern, Nicholls State, Portland State, Bethune-Cookman, Lamar, ACU, Incarnate Word, Houston Baptist, and Rhode Island make our schedules. You will never get people out to watch this group beyond the diehards.

But the bodybag game helps to pay for these buyouts of the spares...hopefully, Wren can do something about this. He might not be able to and we will just have to ride it out, but it is very refreshing to see an actual motivated AD in place, versus a lazy one who took the first call and first offer from every single P5 school and then turned around and shot a dart at the US map and found the nearest FCS spare next to it and called them up to play here.

 

[Cerebus]

Just now, oldguystudent said:

I get that, but also consider that we pay out $500K against that $1M we take in.  Again, relative to overall cash flows, it just isn't as big as it once was.  If TheWren™ isn't able to net an additional $500K some other way, I'd actually be surprised.

Your first question was to ask if we don't make $1M more now than we did five years ago.  First, I am not sure we do.  With the CUSA TV payout reduction we're above SBC conference payout, but not $1M more.  Second we have added the RV "retirement" payout, the Mac payout, student stipends, and we have added several expensive new positions in the coaching staffs and in the administration staff.  To be honest we are +/- probably very close to what we were before if not a little under.

You second question is to ask if The Wren™ can makeup 400k-600k a year in revenue in order to cut out the payout games.  Obviously he thinks he can or else he wouldn't bring it up.  I think if he can we then it is a very good sign that we made the right hire.  I really hope he is successful in doing so. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

30 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Your first question was to ask if we don't make $1M more now than we did five years ago.  First, I am not sure we do.  With the CUSA TV payout reduction we're above SBC conference payout, but not $1M more.  Second we have added the RV "retirement" payout, the Mac payout, student stipends, and we have added several expensive new positions in the coaching staffs and in the administration staff.  To be honest we are +/- probably very close to what we were before if not a little under.

You second question is to ask if The Wren™ can makeup 400k-600k a year in revenue in order to cut out the payout games.  Obviously he thinks he can or else he wouldn't bring it up.  I think if he can we then it is a very good sign that we made the right hire.  I really hope he is successful in doing so. 

Keep in mind as well, that in order to get out of those games, there is likely some sort of financial penalty.  
So, not only are you trying to make up the $600k difference between the $1mil paycheck game & the $400k FCS game, you're now also having to make up the $###,###? penalties for getting out of those contracted games.

[Cerebus]

11 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Keep in mind as well, that in order to get out of those games, there is likely some sort of financial penalty.  
So, not only are you trying to make up the $600k difference between the $1mil paycheck game & the $400k FCS game, you're now also having to make up the $###,###? penalties for getting out of those contracted games.

Probably won't flat out cancel.  Probably will try to renegotiate down the line. 

Obviously The Wren™ thinks that we need to get a more winnable schedule NOW, and I agree with him.   If all goes well recruiting/coaching gets better and then by the time those rescheduled games roll around we are in better shape to play them.  

[untjim1995]

12 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Probably won't flat out cancel.  Probably will try to renegotiate down the line. 

Obviously The Wren™ thinks that we need to get a more winnable schedule NOW, and I agree with him.   If all goes well recruiting/coaching gets better and then by the time those rescheduled games roll around we are in better shape to play them.  

It just stinks that the schedule is that set in stone for OOC that you are probably stuck with FCS games here. I know Army is a team that brings in some fans, but I just think it would be cool if we weren't playing them as long as we are. Not much we can do about it now, but if you keep the SMU series, plus bodybag and FCS spare, it would be really nice to have that last OOC game be rotating between several other programs, not just one. I know Memphis replaces Army in the early 20's sometime, which is a good series to have scheduled. I just would have like the Army series to have been home-and-home for two years, then have the flexibility to get another solid OOC name to play...

[Green Mean]

I don't want any body bag games whatsoever.  It's embarrassing and demoralizing to pretty much have the opponent to name their score against us. There are plenty of teams in FBS we can schedule that is winnable and yet add value to the general fan's mind. When you're really bad, scheduling an FCS cupcake is nice (except last year) but if our goals and hopes are to legitimately improve the program we need to schedule all 12 games against FBS teams with all of them being winnable. Down the line if the program is truly winning and improving and if you want to give a bodybag game a try to what level you're at then I'm ok with that but other than that just say no to body bag games if possible. 

Going independent is a super silly idea. BYU and ND are the exceptions and even then at some point that may have to change down the line and they'll decide to gain entry to a conference of their choosing.  Being in a conference gives you a home and at the very very least it gives you partners and allies in which you never know when you'll need and they'll come in handy in the future.  We don't need to be independent to win games and be successful and having better schedules. Now that we have Wren at the helm I really think we'll see what a real AD is and how they operate vs a ridiculously lazy, stubborn, and apathetic one we had with RV.

Improvement starts with on the field results but we also have people in place to overlook it all and make things happen mainly Wren and President Smatresk. Ultimately regardless of what we do and how much money we can generate if we don't win we'll just never get any leverage when we're trying to improve our overall athletic status and affiliations.

[Tyler Maryak]

Simply, I love that he wants to look at potentially doing all the things that some before him said that North Texas could just never do.

EDIT: Yes, much like Chris highlighted above.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Tyler Maryak

[edcollopy]

Can't wait for Rhode Island to finally play in Denton.  I think we've been begging them for years.  Get your tickets now.

 

 

[Withers940]

Body Bag games are fine but I would much rather have them against local teams such as state of Texas or surrounding states. Why cant we do home and homes with those teams. See Baylor vs Rice this weekend. Baylor is playing at Rice.

If we are going to schedule FCS teams, I like what @untjim1995 said, schedule local FCS teams so they can at least bring some fans into the game.

Neutral Site games?? That doesn't make sense at all, who's going to give up a home game?

[Mean_Green09]

Id like to turn body bag games in to opportunity games. Meaning we get good enough to win them. 

[DT 90]

From a parent of a former player perspective, those "body bag" are a big plus in recruiting.  Ask my former player his thoughts on playing at LSU, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. Mine was pissed  because his class didn't get to play tu in Austin (they thought they could have beat the crap out of them).   Even where he coaches now, UL-M, his kids got really fired up about playing OU last weekend.  The same to be said about Auburn later on during the season  Its an opportunity for them to shine on the big stage against the best of the best.  He relishes the game at Alabama where he went toe to toe with the Outland trophy winner on every defensive snap. He beams with pride about his teams performance in the Georgia game. That game alone made a huge impact on the outcome of the season. Nothing was to big for them to handle.

I am all for 6 games at home and a very BIG no to neutral sites (slap in the face of your city, and why spend the money on nice stadiums if you don't use them).  I still say one game against a P5 conference a year (home and home at minimum) for sure.   

Carry on. 

Edited September 15, 2016 by DT 90

[Ryan Munthe]

Please no neutral site games at AT&T or wherever. Rest sounds great.

[MeanGreenHoops]

2 hours ago, Cerebus said:

I like getting rid of the big guarantee game.  I assume that means The Wren™ is expecting sales and marketing to make up the shortfall.  Not a huge fan of neutral site games, and I don't know how you keep 6 home games a year by signing 2 for 1s.

Neutral site games are only that if you play them where your fans will sow up. For us that Dallas (Houston?) Else it's just a road game.

From the article, I sure hope Wren didn't see the attendance at the 1st home game and think SMU was responsible for that. I don't have a problem with the SMU series, but attendance at that home game had more to do with it being our 1st home game (which are always well attended especially considering we hadn't already been clobbered in week1) , plus great weather and a new coach curiosity. 

[Withers940]

32 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

Neutral site games are only that if you play them where your fans will sow up. For us that Dallas (Houston?) Else it's just a road game.

From the article, I sure hope Wren didn't see the attendance at the 1st home game and think SMU was responsible for that. I don't have a problem with the SMU series, but attendance at that home game had more to do with it being our 1st home game (which are always well attended especially considering we hadn't already been clobbered in week1) , plus great weather and a new coach curiosity. 

I dont know if you attended the last two SMU Games (2015 Away or 2014 Home) but UNT always shows up to those. Yes its the first game but UNT has a mutual hatred for those Nose Thumbing Dickheads of Dallas and thats why we show up.

I agree with your Neutral site games however I still feel like its a waste of a potential Home game where We reap the benefit of the proceeds. Houston only if it takes up a Rice Home game when we play them or a U of H home game. I feel that is too far to waste a home game.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I certainly don't mind playing a "neutral site" game at AT&T stadium, as long as it's an AWAY game on our schedule and we have 6 HOME games.   Otherwise, I would really hope we could get the game at Apogee.

[Withers940]

4 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I certainly don't mind playing a "neutral site" game at AT&T stadium, as long as it's an AWAY game on our schedule and we have 6 HOME games.   Otherwise, I would really hope we could get the game at Apogee.

Like playing a Body Bag game there. I like that because the big time teams want to come to Dallas to show their product to potential recruits

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Should look at what A&M has done. Not that we are simarily situated, but wasn't it last season they only had like 3 or 4 away games? 7 home games and a neutral site game at NRG in Houston (basically a home game) or something like that. 

Edited September 15, 2016 by ChristopherRyanWilkes

[kj86]

I didn't catch that "neutral site" thing on the first pass.  An unequivocal HELL NO to that!  As someone stated, only if it's the other team's home game.