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

SAGreenFan · April 1, 2017

6 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

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

Cerebus · April 1, 2017

4 hours ago, meangreenlax said:

But when I go back to the east coast, North Texas has much more recognition; a lot of people know of someone who lives in or near DFW.

I mean, I live in the next state over now, and nobody knows what the hell UNT is.

Exactly.

Very few people outside of DFW, unless they happen to be conference mates or personally know a North Texas grad, know what the hell UNT is, much less where it is.

I know that UNT branding is actually beloved by Lee Jackson, so if you like the Lee Jackson school of thinking, keep pulling for UNT.

Rudy · April 1, 2017

Well, actually, Jackson preferred UNTD.

meangreenlax · April 1, 2017

9 hours ago, Cowtown said:

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.

Absolutely. North Texas is no longer a directional moniker. It's a regional one, and that region is larger, more populous, and has more going for it than the entirety of a lot of states...

NT93 · April 1, 2017

If we go by UNT we can't do the (students section) "NORTH", (alumni section) "TEXAS" cheer.

Take that as you choose.

Edited April 1, 2017 by NT93

bstnsportsfan3 · April 1, 2017

I am an alum, under 30 (for a few more months anyways) and i never worked for the AD. I believe North Texas is the way to go. I always refer to the school as North Texas. If i see a fellow alum, i say North Texas. North Texas is the region, North Texas IS the university. I love the Idea of using the SOW and the NT logo. I have never found someone outside of DFW who knew what UNT was, unless they were an alum, but when i say i went to North Texas, they all know what school i mean. As stated earlier, we have forever been "North Texas" in some way, shape or form since 1890. Lets keep it like that.

EDIT....and i see the irony posting this when my avatar has UNT in it....LOL

Edited April 1, 2017 by bstnsportsfan3

wardly · April 1, 2017

Life was easier when we were North Texas State. All the students use U.N.T., while most older alumni seem to go with North Texas. I don't like initials[U.C.F.,N.M.S.U.,M.T.S.T., B.F.F.,Etc.] The reality is that once you get away from our border states no one knows who we are anyway so I really don't wee what difference it makes. Of course, I would rather be "Eagles," but that ship has sailed.How about "U.N.T. Mean Green Eagles from North Texas located north of D.F.W.".

oldguystudent · April 1, 2017

16 hours ago, HoustonEagle said:

The name does not make you. You make the name. Southern Cal is not called a directional school because they are an elite institution. If we improve our academics and athletics we will not be called a directional school as well.

I don't mean to quote your post individually, it's just one of many instances I've seen mention Southern Cal/USC.

It isn't a directional school because it isn't some offshoot redheaded stepchild of a bigger flagship state run university system.

It is its own privately run entity.

There is no University of Northern California. If there were, its name is presently Stanford.

As for locally, when I lived damn near across the street from that school, most locals just referred to it as "SC."

Same goes for whoever mentioned "Southern Methodist." Not a directional school because not part of a larger state run institution.

Now then, let's get to the important matters. If we're to start re-branding (AGAIN), can we start talking a new shade of green (AGAIN?)

Nothing says consistently getting your name out there to the world like changing it every six months.

Mean Green 93-98 · April 1, 2017

3 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

I don't mean to quote your post individually, it's just one of many instances I've seen mention Southern Cal/USC.

It isn't a directional school because it isn't some offshoot redheaded stepchild of a bigger flagship state run university system.

It is its own privately run entity.

There is no University of Northern California. If there were, its name is presently Stanford.

As for locally, when I lived damn near across the street from that school, most locals just referred to it as "SC."

Same goes for whoever mentioned "Southern Methodist." Not a directional school because not part of a larger state run institution.

Now then, let's get to the important matters. If we're to start re-branding (AGAIN), can we start talking a new shade of green (AGAIN?)

Nothing says consistently getting your name out there to the world like changing it every six months.

People who apply the "directional" tag apply it to any college that has a direction in its name, other than when that direction is the name of the state itself (e.g., North Carolina, South Carolina). The tag would apply to Southern Cal just as certainly as it would to North Texas--North Texas is not part of a bigger flagship system. It is a public university as opposed to a private, but that's a moot point. The tag has everything to do with the name and nothing to do with anything substantial. And the fact that it would apply to Southern Cal shows just how dumb, ill-informed, and useless the "directional" tag is. Did Southwest Texas State University somehow become a more legitimate university the day they dropped "Southwest" from their name?

GreenFlag · April 1, 2017

23 hours 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.

This is definitely true. I don't care too much either way even though I voted North Texas - which is winning biggly.

NM Green · April 1, 2017

This is an April fools question, right?

North Texas all the way. My longhorn friends and metro peeps call it unt. But I call it North Texas because it says all that it needs to say - we are North Texas and not smu tcu uta or utd. We encompass all of this vibrant region which ranks as one of the most progressively successful engines in the world. I even got used to seeing No Texas which bugged for half a year then when we won it just looked better. If I were MTSU I wouldn't change a thing. They have carved out their directional school niche just fine.

GMG

DeepGreen · April 2, 2017

On 3/31/2017 at 11:33 AM, Harry said:

RV was a big proponent of using "North Texas" with our athletics program. Chancellor Lee Jackson preferred UNT.

Classic example of Frick and Frack not being on the same page!

Monkeypox · April 2, 2017

keith · April 2, 2017

Older grad and I live out of state in the northeast. I wear A LOT of North Texas gear (with pride I will add). I bet if you asked my friends, coworkers, acquaintances, etc. where I went to college, over 98% would be able to correctly tell you The University of North Texas. On the other hand, other than my closest friends who I have actually asked, I couldn't tell you where people I know went to school. Unfortunately, North Texas still has a negative directional school stigma attached to it. Unless I explain it to them, North Texas might as well be Eastern Connecticut or Southern New Hampshire. It's just the way it is and for some reason it seems that we will never be able to get away from it.

Lots of examples have been provided of "directional" or directional-sounding schools that have avoided this stigma. A couple more that come to mind are UCF (Central Florida) and USF (South Florida). It seems they have been able to avoid the curse by promoting the acronym instead of the full name. Given this and the apparent rising popularity of UNT among the younger crowd, I sided with Harry (and a few others) and voted for UNT. Timing seems right with all new/positive energy surrounding our athletics future.

I've always disliked seeing N. Texas, Nor. Tex., North Tex and as NM Green point out the worst one, No Tex (or No Texas) on the scoreboard summary.

Still irks me that Southwest Texas State University was able to grab Texas State.

97and03 · April 2, 2017

The only way a directional school can overcome the stigma is through athletic success, unfortunately. Many crappy schools are considered by the unwashed masses to be good universities due to success in football (SEC comes to mind).

Aquila_Viridis · April 3, 2017

I buy merchandise that says North Texas. I do not buy merchandise that says UNT.

Tyler Maryak · April 3, 2017

On 3/31/2017 at 3:44 PM, Quoner said:

Dang it - it was your wife, wasn't it? It's not a criticism either - just more you get used to hearing something presented to you long enough and it sounds right.

Yes, this is true, she did suffer for many years under the old regime.

Dr. Seuss · April 3, 2017

As I'm sub 30, I dont think it matters if we're UNT or North Texas... I mean, its basically the same... Better time could be spent elsewhere than changing just to change.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · April 3, 2017

On 3/31/2017 at 11:33 AM, 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. It was time 30 years ago.

keith · April 3, 2017

16 hours ago, Aquila_Viridis said:

I buy merchandise that says North Texas. I do not buy merchandise that says UNT.

Me too. My son always seems to buy the UNT version of what I have.

GrandGreen · April 3, 2017

UNT and North Texas are both right. The directional thing is meaningless. It also use to be believed that state in a name denoted second tier. Nearly every university is both known by their initial as well as full name.

As far as branding, use both. I never use UNT but prefer NT, initials just fit better on caps and are easier to write. Only RV would spell out North Texas on a helmet.

The more successful the programs are, the more well known the University. Does it matter if it is UT or University of Texas? One advantage is I know of no other NT were there are multiple UT's and UH's for example.

Stix · April 3, 2017

I guess it's analogous to what's the correct shade of green; we all have our preference. Keep in mind that the battle flag necessarily has two shades of green. So maybe it's OK to use both UNT and North Texas.

But to throw gas on the fire...

During the "break' in the fight song, it's been "U... N... T... Eagles" since... 1988?. Why not: "North... Texas... Mean... Green" ?

MeanGreen_MBA · April 3, 2017

3 minutes ago, Stix said:

I guess it's analogous to what's the correct shade of green; we all have our preference. Keep in mind that the battle flag necessarily has two shades of green. So maybe it's OK to use both UNT and North Texas.

But to throw gas on the fire...

During the "break' in the fight song, it's been "U... N... T... Eagles" since... 1988?. Why not: "North... Texas... Mean... Green" ?

We would look silly spelling out the letters U-N-T with our arms, and then the flapping our arms like eagle wings while saying North...Texas....Mean....Green. Just sayin' Other than that, I am a North Texas guys with circumstances for UNT

Stix · April 3, 2017

1 minute ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

We would look silly spelling out the letters U-N-T with our arms, and then the flapping our arms like eagle wings while saying North...Texas....Mean....Green. Just sayin'

:Bazinga: LOL!