DRC Monday column: UNT clamored for years for a Texas rival. It's got one now

NT ATO · November 1, 2016

4 hours ago, Rudy said:

Please stop trying to force this as a GD rival. Rivals develop naturally. Let it go and if it develops into one, then so be it.

This rivalry has done just that...it has developed, naturally. The players, coaches, younger fans, and a few older fans are all aware of it.

The loss to Middle Tenn. did not hurt, this one does.

GrandGreen · November 1, 2016

19 minutes ago, NT ATO said:

This rivalry has done just that...it has developed, naturally. The players, coaches, younger fans, and a few older fans are all aware of it.

The loss to Middle Tenn. did not hurt, this one does.

Yes, the MTSU loss this year didn't hurt as much because there were relatively low expectations by most NT fans at that time. However, in the past; basically NT's glory Belt years; the Muts games were far and away more meaningful than any UTSA game with the possible exception of the first game with UTSA. That loss costs NT a division championship.

The standings and the importance of the game are what makes a particular game mean more than the normal matchup. The relevance of the game is what makes it a meaningful event, designated rivalries mean little. The UTSA game was important because NT was in the chase for not only a bowl game but a possible championship. Playing any other conference team last week would have had the same significance.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 1, 2016

10 hours ago, CMJ said:

Hell, I consider MTSU a bigger rival.

Exactly. We've played more meaningful games with MTSU. And, I'd even go in with saying Arkansas State as well, to a lesser degree.

Back in the day, and sheer number of games played-wise: New Mexico State and Texas State.

I think UTSA's rival should be UTEP, because they are both the stepchildren of Papa UT, and thus have some shade of putrid orange in their uniforms. Plus, they are in both in cities inundated with the children of my wife's Mexican ancestors, living as hispanics, but many unable to really speak Spanish to real Mexican people.

As far as New Mexico State, their last AD publicly stated that he didn't care whether or not the football team won or lost and that the head coach would be evaluated for his off the field work with the kids.

Okay, so...that guy's gone. But, NMSU is no more competitive, and never will be. They are a basketball school who will soon be without a conference and should give it up altogether.

Denton is an eclectic town, known - when I was signing up, anyway - as a party school on par with Southwest Texas State, now Texas State. San Marcos is the same. We have that bond...even though we are clearly the far superior school academically. That's right, I said it.

MTSU and Arkansas State seem serious about football and are trying like hell to be competitive. I think we are as well. I always enjoyed our scrapes with those two in the Sun Belt. Those were normally spirited games with something on the line: bowls, conference titles, or knocking each other out of contention for the same.

Maybe it's just because I grew up in Texas and have seen the Alamo and the Riverwalk dozens of times. San Antonio just doesn't do much for me. And, I've been on the UTSA campus once...and, that was, really, one time too many. It's not anything like the college-town feel you get from Denton or San Marcos, and, really Murfreesboro and Jonesboro.

In other words, if you are in Murfreesboro or Jonesboro on a Saturday in the fall, there's a good chance people know there's a football game in town. Can't really say that about San Antonio.

So, to me the correct and preferable rivalries are:
(1) Middle Tennessee
(2) Texas State
(3) Arkansas State
(4) SMU
(5) Your Mom

Edited November 1, 2016 by MeanGreenMailbox

VideoEagle · November 1, 2016

So the team thinks it's a rivalry. Many NT student's think it's a rivalry. The NT university administration think it's enough of a rivalry to provide buses.

The UTSA team thinks it's a rivalry. The UTSA students think it's a rivalry. And the UTSA administration considers it a rivalry.

The two schools play every year.

But it's not a rivalry to some. Instead, some suggest MTSU (whom we are unlikely to play again for at least two more years), Arky State (no games planned) or Texas State (again, no games planned). I guess actually playing football games isn't a part of the rivalry equation.

As for SMU, they are also a rival. You can have more than one - just ask UT, Alabama, Florida, USC or Ohio State.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · November 1, 2016

43 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

So the team thinks it's a rivalry. Many NT student's think it's a rivalry. The NT university administration think it's enough of a rivalry to provide buses.

The UTSA team thinks it's a rivalry. The UTSA students think it's a rivalry. And the UTSA administration considers it a rivalry.

The two schools play every year.

But it's not a rivalry to some. Instead, some suggest MTSU (whom we are unlikely to play again for at least two more years), Arky State (no games planned) or Texas State (again, no games planned). I guess actually playing football games isn't a part of the rivalry equation.

As for SMU, they are also a rival. You can have more than one - just ask UT, Alabama, Florida, USC or Ohio State.

To some extent, true. However, we played Middle Tennessee every season from 2001-2013, then again in 2015. We had played Arkansas State 14 consecutive seasons, before went came to Sun Belt 2.0. They are schools that regularly compete for bowl games.

I like the idea of State vs. State rivalries as well. Liked the border battle games with Arkansas State, and to a lesser degree with the Louisiana schools, although I'd prefer the idea of a Louisiana Tech rivalry than ULM or Louisiana.

Personally, I don't care much what the UTSA team, students, and administration think. We don't have a long history with them. They might think they are our rivals the way Texas Tech fans yearned to be A&M's rival when, clearly, A&M's rival was UT, but...wishing it, and it actually being so are two different things.

The UTSA team, students, and administration can go pound sand. They should schedule Incarnate Word and become their inner city rivals.

Edited November 1, 2016 by MeanGreenMailbox

UNTLifer · November 1, 2016

6 hours ago, emmitt01 said:

Whataburger is my favorite fast food joint. Occasionally, my craving for chicken strips will win out and I will eat some KFC.

KFC could never truly rival Whataburger though.

Whataburger'S chicken strips are better than KFC's

risinggreen · November 1, 2016

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

Whataburger'S chicken strips are better than KFC's

I had Golden Chicks for the first time today and thought they beat both. Uh oh, not another chicken thread.

If Rice had more than a few hundred fans I would like to call them a rival, but it is what it is, and I doubt that anyone other than Houston will ever be a rival of theirs. Unless maybe they get back in a conference with Tulane.

NM Green · November 1, 2016

I know they are a rival because I want nothing more than 2 things this weekend:

1. Mean Green victory

2. Middle to pound the dirty birds into submission out in the Boro.

gMg

Cerebus · November 1, 2016

46 minutes ago, NM Green said:

I know they are a rival because I want nothing more than 2 things this weekend:

1. Mean Green victory

2. Middle to pound the dirty birds into submission out in the Boro.

gMg

UTSA's remaining schedule:

MTSU
LaTech
Texas A&M
Charlotte

Most likely they end up 5-7. If we can get to 5 wins, we'll take the bowl slot because of APR (984 vs 956). That is at least a little bit of revenge.

NorthTexan95 · November 1, 2016

5 hours ago, VideoEagle said:

So the team thinks it's a rivalry. Many NT student's think it's a rivalry. The NT university administration think it's enough of a rivalry to provide buses.

The UTSA team thinks it's a rivalry. The UTSA students think it's a rivalry. And the UTSA administration considers it a rivalry.

The two schools play every year.

But it's not a rivalry to some. Instead, some suggest MTSU (whom we are unlikely to play again for at least two more years), Arky State (no games planned) or Texas State (again, no games planned). I guess actually playing football games isn't a part of the rivalry equation.

As for SMU, they are also a rival. You can have more than one - just ask UT, Alabama, Florida, USC or Ohio State.

It may be a "rival" game for some but not most fans. Do we have threads about UTSA in May? No. Do they have threads about us in June? No.

Anyone who considers UTSA to be a rival must not have ever experienced a rivalry. Other than Vito, this is a game that no one really talks about until the week of the game. But we'll be talking about SMU to some extent all year.

Honestly, I don't care if UTSA becomes our rival but it's not there yet.

RBP79 · November 1, 2016

I don't like'um...don't like'um at all......

MeanMag · November 2, 2016

9 hours ago, VideoEagle said:

So the team thinks it's a rivalry. Many NT student's think it's a rivalry. The NT university administration think it's enough of a rivalry to provide buses.

The UTSA team thinks it's a rivalry. The UTSA students think it's a rivalry. And the UTSA administration considers it a rivalry.

The two schools play every year.

But it's not a rivalry to some. Instead, some suggest MTSU (whom we are unlikely to play again for at least two more years), Arky State (no games planned) or Texas State (again, no games planned). I guess actually playing football games isn't a part of the rivalry equation.

As for SMU, they are also a rival. You can have more than one - just ask UT, Alabama, Florida, USC or Ohio State.

Without looking, I think we have played more games against Texas State than any other school in our history.

I would have preferred SWTxStU-SM to UTSA to have been let in to CUSA. It is a better school and has a better athletics program across the board.

UTSA does absolutely nothing for CUSA at all. Absolutely no redeeming qualities for the conference as a whole. It was an unfortunate selection by CUSA.

eulessismore · November 2, 2016

1 hour ago, MeanMag said:

Without looking, I think we have played more games against Texas State than any other school in our history.

I would have preferred SWTxStU-SM to UTSA to have been let in to CUSA. It is a better school and has a better athletics program across the board.

UTSA does absolutely nothing for CUSA at all. Absolutely no redeeming qualities for the conference as a whole. It was an unfortunate selection by CUSA.

Hell yeah, we could have been floating the Comal every other year. I wonder if they still have that little tourist trap next to it with the piano playing chicken. And then there's the "Texas State" connection.

Boca_Nasty_96 · November 2, 2016

On 10/31/2016 at 10:14 AM, MeanGreenTexan said:

Establishing a gridiron 'rivalry' based on a fun trip for fans to make is a fantastic idea. We're competing for recruits with Houston as well. It's just as easy (if not easier) to get to... granted, the town is not as fun as San Antonio. We've played them somewhat recently, why not just declare Houston a 'rival'?

The UT-system schools can have each other. We need to find someone else. Rice would be better. LATech would be better (it's a shorter drive btw... and you can stop/stay in Shreveport/Bossier for fun).

SMU is in our backyard. The Class Warfare is what makes UNT/SMU a rival. Not to mention the two teams have been playing each other since 1922. It's a 'rivalry', albeit a mostly-one-sided one.

This whole UNT-UTSA 'rivalry' just seems forced to me.

What about UTEP ?

MeanGreenTexan · November 2, 2016

6 minutes ago, Boca_Nasty_96 said:

What about UTEP ?

UTEP sounds like a great rival for UTSA! Both belong to the UT system and have the same colors.

TIgreen01 · November 2, 2016

Would be nice if we would do to LaTech what utsa seems to have a knack for doing to us---ruining a season. Beat LaTech and their chances to win the CUSA West Division (and a title) are burned significantly. And it quickly washes out the bad taste left in our mouth from losing to crappy utsa again.

Lets aim a little higher on the CUSA food chain for a rival, please?!?

PlummMeanGreen · November 2, 2016

On 10/31/2016 at 9:40 AM, MeanGreen_MBA said:

I welcome UTSA as a rivalry. It is an easy drive for fans. San Antonio is a great place to go. Both state schools competing for the same recruits. Who cares if they have only been around a short time. Let's embrace this and make it ours? In-state rivals....it is a natural. No reason to not make it happen....

I would love for us to be rivals as part of a new MWC-East division with Rice, UTEP & La Tech.

CUSA-East travel-wise may be further out than many schools in the MWC & how many D-1 football start-up (or unknowns) in the CUSA-East/SBC footprint are there the last 10 years? They are national perception killers to the rest of us where football is king.

Perception is much better as a MWC member than CUSA (or SBC 2.0) will ever have & with more schools in a new MWC-East division better kick-off times for better media time zone coverage than TCU ever had I'd wager could be negotiated.

Edited November 2, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

Boca_Nasty_96 · November 2, 2016

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

UTEP sounds like a great rival for UTSA! Both belong to the UT system and have the same colors.

They both have the same hand signs

MeanGreenTexan · November 2, 2016

47 minutes ago, Boca_Nasty_96 said:

They both have the same hand signs

See? They were made for each other.

Cr1028 · November 2, 2016

I wasn't around for the NO Bowl run so I never saw the MUTS as a rival, just a team that kicked our ass. I vividly remember 35-0. None of the Belt schools felt like a rivalry to me. The only school that felt like a rival was SMU because of their proximity and the fact that they think they are better than us when they really aren't. UTSA may feel the same way about us but I don't know. I do know they are fast approaching CougarQueen levels of being annoying.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Cr1028

MeanGreenTeeth · November 2, 2016

Got5onIt · November 2, 2016

I always considered MTSU & stAte rivals in the belt. Still think MTSU and SMU are current rivals but never UTSA. However, it's looking like we're pretty much heading in that direction. Good gawd.....

mgfan · November 2, 2016

Sorry, no. We are forced to play them, if they weren't in the same conference I would see no point in playing them. I don't think we would for that matter.

SMU on the other is our rival. We don't have to play them, but choose to because we HATE each other and can't wait to destroy each other on the gridiron.

UTSA.... meh.

Christopher Walker · November 3, 2016

I stand by my on-air comments last night:

I believe that UTSA is a rivalry by fate/consequence of their place in our seasons, and how those particular games in the last four years have significantly impacted the perception/outcome of such.

Plus, ugh, I hate losing to them. It feels gross.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Christopher Walker

Rudy · November 7, 2016

An interesting point was brought up Saturday. Would any of you consider ULM a rival? Because they are basically the Sun Belt version of NutsaaCK. A recent start up/move up that we have trouble beating. That is all they are.