Year one of the Seth Littrell era would have been successful even without a bowl game

Skipper · November 29, 2016

I am faced with a conundrum.

At the beginning of the season, I upset quite a few people by saying North Texas football would only be slightly better this year.

So I made a deal.

If North Texas makes a bowl game I'll write a public apology letter.

Hell I'll even try to hand deliver it to Littrell.

— Clay Massey (@Clay_FC) August 30, 2016

Here I sit at the end of November after 12 football games were played, and I find myself in a situation where I was both right and wrong. North Texas will more than likely make a bowl game, but the Mean Green did not qualify for one based on their record.

Instead, North Texas will probably go bowling thanks to their Academic Progress Rate, which is 10th in the country at 984. While there are nine schools with better scores, eight of them already have the six wins necessary for bowl eligibility, so APR is irrelevant.

Officially recognized in 2004, APR measures eligibility and retention of student-athletes. According to the NCAA, each student-athlete receiving athletic related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible. A team’s points are then divided by the total they could have received and multiplied by 1,000 to get APR.

Essentially, the Mean Green can thank their grades for an opportunity to take home a bowl title for only the second time in 10 years.

If you think about it, it’s kind of funny. Seth Littrell posted five wins but had to be helped out by the grades North Texas posted under former head coach Dan McCarney. Oh, irony.

So, am I sorry for saying the Mean Green would not be incredible this year? No.

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