Is it time to drop "North Texas" and become UNT?

[Harry]

RV was a big proponent of using "North Texas" with our athletics program. Chancellor Lee Jackson preferred UNT.  Given the negative stigma associated with "directional" schools, is it now time that we get behind UNT as our school name for athletics?  RV and soon Jackson are gone.  This seems like a good time to pick one, rebrand and stick with it.  Thoughts?

[SilverEagle]

It'll be interesting to hear the thoughts of some of the younger alums on this matter. I don't understand how going exclusively with UNT somehow eliminates the "directional" issue, since one of the letters in UNT represents a direction. I don't ever hear anyone associated with Southern Methodist University being concerned about their name being too directional. Especially since their name is somewhat inaccurate, since Dallas is located more in the Southwest than in the South. 

Same for Southern Cal. They don't seem to worry about the generic direction in their name.

In both of my examples neither of the schools have the letters of their school on their helmets, as well as not having their generic names. And now, the same goes for North Texas. We have the SOW.

North Texas has always been what we've called ourselves......much like Southern Methodist, and Southern Cal.

I don't see any advantage in changing it.

Edited March 31, 2017 by SilverEagle

[letsgiveacheer]

I've never lived in the DFW area other then the time I went to school.

Other than when talking to a musician, there is almost zero recognition of the University of North Texas on a national level. Much less UNT.

I wish I had a dollar for every conversation that went like this: 

Them: Where do you go to school? 

Me: University of North Texas (or North Texas State University)

Them: Where?

Me: repeat the above

Them: Oh.

With UNT, it would be worse. 

Virginia Tech used to be commonly known as VPI (Virginia Polytechnic Institute). When they wanted better name recognition on a national level, they started referring to themselves as Virginia Tech. 

 

[EagleMBA]

North Texas is what we are. Let's not mess with tradition and open the door to...well, you know...

[Stix]

I say "No".

@Harry, how about making this a poll?

 

 

[Cowtown]

I've preached on this before. Jerry building his tomb in Arlington it has forced him to brand any big events as North Texas Superbowl, North Texas Final 4...etc. By default we get name awareness for North Texas to hundreds of millions for free. We would be idiots to go solely with UNT. Now, a rebrand...I have never been a fan of the give it to me lance font or the judas priest eagle we use, but any trip through the Union says the eagle is here to stay.

[Cerebus]

The exact opposite.  We need to stop using "UNT" and move to "North Texas".  North Texas has been a part of every single name the school has ever had.

 

If, for some reason people are hung up and using initials, us NT instead of UNT.  

[NorthTexan95]

When people ask me where I went to school I always say North Texas. 

 

4 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

The exact opposite.  We need to stop using "UNT" and move to "North Texas".  North Texas has been a part of every single name the school has ever had.

 

If, for some reason people are hung up and using initials, us NT instead of UNT.  

I believe I agree with this.  Everyone knows USC is Southern Cal (or South Carolina maybe if on the east coast) but UNT has no recognition. North Texas does.  If we want to brand initials I'd rather use NT than UNT.  

Edited March 31, 2017 by NorthTexan95

[Harry]

4 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

The exact opposite.  We need to stop using "UNT" and move to "North Texas".  North Texas has been a part of every single name the school has ever had.

 

If, for some reason people are hung up and using initials, us NT instead of UNT.  

I can tell you from my kids and other younger folks I talk to I know that UNT is the way they refer to us.  Jackson won the overall battle on advertising and every billboard was UNT for decades now...  I just wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to stick with it.  Here in DFW we already have TCU and SMU so it seems to me UNT may be a good fit.  It makes no sense to see "North Texas" on espn scoreboard and UNT on every billboard if you get my drift. Pick one and stick with it.  Use the new chancellor hire to reinforce it.  

[SilverEagle]

21 minutes ago, letsgiveacheer said:

I've never lived in the DFW area other then the time I went to school.

Other than when talking to a musician, there is almost zero recognition of the University of North Texas on a national level. Much less UNT.

I wish I had a dollar for every conversation that went like this: 

Them: Where do you go to school? 

Me: University of North Texas (or North Texas State University)

Them: Where?

Me: repeat the above

Them: Oh.

With UNT, it would be worse. 

Virginia Tech used to be commonly known as VPI (Virginia Polytechnic Institute). When they wanted better name recognition on a national level, they started referring to themselves as Virginia Tech. 

 

I'd be willing to bet that you've  never had that problem, regardless of the location of the conversation, when you answered "North Texas".

[MeanGreenHoops]

54 minutes ago, Harry said:

RV was a big proponent of using "North Texas" with our athletics program. Chancellor Lee Jackson preferred UNT.  Given the negative stigma associated with "directional" schools, is it now time that we get behind UNT as our school name for athletics?  RV and soon Jackson are gone.  This seems like a good time to pick one, rebrand and stick with it.  Thoughts?

YES a hundred times YES.

[Tyler Maryak]

24 minutes ago, Stix said:

I say "No".

@Harry, how about making this a poll?

 

 

 

[MeanGreenHoops]

6 minutes ago, Harry said:

I can tell you from my kids and other younger folks I talk to I know that UNT is the way they refer to us.  Jackson won the overall battle on advertising and every billboard was UNT for decades now...  I just wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to stick with it.  Here in DFW we already have TCU and SMU so it seems to me UNT may be a good fit.  It makes no sense to see "North Texas" on espn scoreboard and UNT on every billboard if you get my drift. Pick one and stick with it.  Use the new chancellor hire to reinforce it.  

This is the reason I think yes. Everyone that knows of the school call it UNT.

[UNTFan23]

4 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

This is the reason I think yes. Everyone that knows of the school call it UNT.

I hear people use UTA and UT-Arlington interchangeably; the same with UTD and UT-Dallas.

Using UNT may work well within the DFW area and less so out in other areas of Texas but outside of Texas, UNT is not much of a household name. At least with North Texas people know where the school is located.

[greenminer]

Saying UNT is going to stop any negative directional sentiment is like saying TV censorship prevents me from knowing they guy dropped an F bomb.

[THOR]

no to letters...North Texas is specific....UNT is just an acronym...i never reply to our school as UNT, it's always North Texas

 

class of 2000

Edited March 31, 2017 by THOR

[greenminer]

I don't get the directional sentiment, not within nor from my college sports buds.  Is that a generational thing? Some kind of tease you get from your UT buddies? Honest question, because I didn't grow up surrounded by UT homers.

[Harry]

I think some of you are missing my point.  For years RV through  the SID pressed for us to be referred to as North Texas in all sports media and the NCAA.

Of course there will always be those who refer to us as North Texas just like there are some old farts that still call us the dreaded "North Texas State".

My proposal is to change that to UNT.  Just like SMU and TCU and UT and A&M and many many others.  Let's put our resources behind one moniker instead of two.

[Aldo]

When talking to locals and other alumni I use "UNT".

When I'm out of town and it comes up, I say "North Texas".

There is no name recognition for "UNT" in athletics. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by Aldo

[UNTFan23]

3 minutes ago, Harry said:

I think some of you are missing my point.  For years RV through  the SID pressed for us to be referred to as North Texas in all sports media and the NCAA.

Of course there will always be those who refer to us as North Texas just like there are some old farts that still call us the dreaded "North Texas State".

My proposal is to change that to UNT.  Just like SMU and TCU and UT and A&M and many many others.  Let's put our resources behind one moniker instead of two.

I don't see the benefit of throwing us into the acronym soup. Outside of TX, UNT doesn't carry much weight. When I lived out of state in Arkansas, people would ask me who UNT was and so I had to spell it out for them.

[UNTLifer]

46 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

This is the reason I think yes. Everyone that knows of the school call it UNT.

I could just as easily state the opposite.

[Wag Tag]

Branding Athletics? UNT, NT, Eagles, Mean Green! This is where I see confusion! I would like to see either UNT or North Texas on all uniforms and major visibility items. Mean Green and Eagles on perimeter items only! I never liked Mean Green on the helmets especially on TV when I thought the school abbreviation would be better!

[untjim1995]

I know that a lot of guys just want to see UNT and feel excited...

[ForneyGreen]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

I can tell you from my kids and other younger folks I talk to I know that UNT is the way they refer to us.  Jackson won the overall battle on advertising and every billboard was UNT for decades now...  I just wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to stick with it.  Here in DFW we already have TCU and SMU so it seems to me UNT may be a good fit.  It makes no sense to see "North Texas" on espn scoreboard and UNT on every billboard if you get my drift. Pick one and stick with it.  Use the new chancellor hire to reinforce it.  

Agreed Harry.  I have the opportunity to counsel a lot of HS kids, and the very large majority refer to our school as UNT... so that name (at least for the up-and-coming generation) is well known in the Metroplex.  Even with adults, it is rare that I mention UNT and someone doesn't know what I mean.

Of course, someone in Los Angeles or Chicago may have no idea what UNT means, but in the Metroplex, it has become a well-known brand.

[GrayEagle]

1 hour ago, Cerebus said:

The exact opposite.  We need to stop using "UNT" and move to "North Texas".  North Texas has been a part of every single name the school has ever had.

 

If, for some reason people are hung up and using initials, us NT instead of UNT.  

That bold statement pretty much says it for me and I won't change.  Of course, you only have a few years (or less) to sweat me out.  Occasionally, for the sake of brevity or to clarify an article that could be confused with another local entity, I would be OK with NT or UNT.