North Texas Will Struggle To Fly In Loaded Conference USA

[Harry]

48 minutes ago, unt_rocket09 said:

You dumb f*cks really need to get off your high horse with UTSA.  They made a bowl game, they are in a MAJOR Texas city.  That area is exploding, and Im sorry they have a great recruiter.  Kids dont give a shit if we have been playing football 100 more years than them.  This is 2017, kids are not the same as when you grew up....that crap doesnt matter anymore.  UTSA aint going anywhere, so just realize they are a rival from here on out.

A little harsher language than I might have used but you do make a valid point.

The whole "Sleeping Giant" description has grown old and doesn't carry the same weight it did back a decade ago.  Hells Bells, we have been playing football for over a hundred years now folks!  Even Rip Van Winkle woke up in 20!

That said, I have stated on here multiple times, UNT didn't really get serious about football until they hired Mac and opened Apogee.  Mac was paid a LOT more than anyone prior and so were his assistants.  The problem was, we had underfunded and ignored it for so long these were just steps to get us back to breakeven --  if that.  We finally seem to "GET IT" and have put real resources and attention to this goal.  I believe Dr. Smatresk seems to really understand the importance of it and unlike prior presidents is not just giving it lip service.   Hopefully the new chancellor will be a pro athletics voice as well because Lee Jackson just wasn't.

Now we seem to have a good AD and coaches in place -- albeit time will tell.  We seem to be putting our money where out mouth is on salaries, and buying out contracts, etc.  There are good signs, real encouraging things that should give us hope.  But I understand that some may still be skeptical and honestly I think that is where a lot of our potential fanbase is right now and rightfully so.  We've heard these things before only to be disappointed with the results.

BUT BACK TO UTSA -- one of our biggest issues over the past two decades is we haven't really even had a true rival.  Rivalries are very important for growing programs.  Some feel like it is beneath us to have UTSA as a rival and I disagree.  In fact I see UTSA as more of a natural rival than any other team at this particular time.   They basically ruined our 2013 season at home.  It was one of the poorest coached games I have seen and it still sticks in my craw to this day.  I don't understand why the importance of this game never got to Mac and really didn't seem to big a big deal to Littrell either.

[untjim1995]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenMailbox said:

We've certainly put ourselves in the proverbial pickle haven't we, if he can't get this thing off the ground any better than 5-7 and APRing into a bowl.

Plus, UTSA doesn't have the "years/decades of losing" baggage to carry around as they sally forth.

UTSA has a local media that promotes them and cares about them. We don't.

UTSA plays in the middle of a destination market that others want to come and play in for recruiting. We don't.

UTSA hasn't ever dropped down a level in football, causing generations of alumni and potential fans to abandon ship. We have.

UTSA doesn't have to worry about its standing with TX HS football coaches and parents of recruits. We do.

Thats your differences...until shown otherwise, we are well behind them right now as a program. We are 1-3 against them, with the one win being a miracle. They had a plan right away to thrive at this level. It's worked well so far for them. We are still trying to figure out what to do.

[MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF]

2 minutes ago, Harry said:

A little harsher language than I might have used but you do make a valid point.

The whole "Sleeping Giant" description has grown old and doesn't carry the same weight it did back a decade ago.  Hells Bells, we have been playing football for over a hundred years now folks!  Even Rip Van Winkle woke up in 20!

That said, I have stated on here multiple times, UNT didn't really get serious about football until they hired Mac and opened Apogee.  Mac was paid a LOT more than anyone prior and so were his assistants.  The problem was, we had underfunded and ignored it for so long these were just steps to get us back to breakeven --  if that.  We finally seem to "GET IT" and have put real resources and attention to this goal.  I believe Dr. Smatresk seems to really understand the importance of it and unlike prior presidents is not just giving it lip service.   Hopefully the new chancellor will be a pro athletics voice as well because Lee Jackson just wasn't.

Now we seem to have a good AD and coaches in place -- albeit time will tell.  We seem to be putting our money where out mouth is on salaries, and buying out contracts, etc.  There are good signs, real encouraging things that should give us hope.  But I understand that some may still be skeptical and honestly I think that is where a lot of our potential fanbase is right now and rightfully so.  We've heard these things before only to be disappointed with the results.

BUT BACK TO UTSA -- one of our biggest issues over the past two decades is we haven't really even had a true rival.  Rivalries are very important for growing programs.  Some feel like it is beneath us to have UTSA as a rival and I disagree.  In fact I see UTSA as more of a natural rival than any other team at this particular time.   They basically ruined our 2013 season at home.  It was one of the poorest coached games I have seen and it still sticks in my craw to this day.  I don't understand why the importance of this game never got to Mac and really didn't seem to big a big deal to Littrell either.

Totally agree.  But, as just posted in the Big 12 ticket thing, is it too little, too late?

We all love what is being done now.  The problem, as posted annually, is that we don't exist in a vacuum. 

Our new stadium is nice.  But, when you look at some of the P5 schools' new stadium expansions, it's ridiculous.  They are getting pro football type prices for suites and seats.  Seriously. 

You've got position coaches at some P5s outearning G5 head coaches. 

------

The whole situation just has me thinking:  is it worth it when it's damn near impossible to catch up without some sort of T. Boone Pickens-type of money savior out there for us? 

I don't want to drop down to FCS.  But, there are three to four dozen schools also in our situation, as well as better run, upper level FCS schools looking to move up.

I can't help but believe (and, dread) that there will come a day when P5 just goes its own way, tells the NCAA to stick it, and we are left completely on the outside looking in. 

Again...not to diminish where we are now.  But, where we are now and what we are doing now...many, many schools were doing it 25-30 years ago.  How long can we realistically play "catch up?"

it's like the discussion with the IPF.  It's not really a novel thing anymore.  There is no advantage because everyone else already has one.  So, in essence, you sepnt $10-15 million real dollar to "catch up" at being a couple of decades behind.

The whole thing is sobering.

[UNTLifer]

Back on topic, we will kick ass in CUSA this year.

[MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF]

4 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

UTSA has a local media that promotes them and cares about them. We don't.

UTSA plays in the middle of a destination market that others want to come and play in for recruiting. We don't.

UTSA hasn't ever dropped down a level in football, causing generations of alumni and potential fans to abandon ship. We have.

UTSA doesn't have to worry about its standing with TX HS football coaches and parents of recruits. We do.

Thats your differences...until shown otherwise, we are well behind them right now as a program. We are 1-3 against them, with the one win being a miracle. They had a plan right away to thrive at this level. It's worked well so far for them. We are still trying to figure out what to do.

Agree.  You have to consider hiring Larry Coker part of the seriousness.  Many people here pooh-poohed that hire, but the guy was 26-32 in five years after building the program from scratch.  He had back-to-back winning season as well in 2012 and 2013. 

Think about it, it's been since 2003-2004 that we've had back-to-back winning seasons.  UTSA only has to look back to 2012-2013.

 

[unt_rocket09]

Just point after point being made at why UTSA is a good rival.....live in reality!

[untjim1995]

50 minutes ago, MeanGreenMailbox said:

Totally agree.  But, as just posted in the Big 12 ticket thing, is it too little, too late?

We all love what is being done now.  The problem, as posted annually, is that we don't exist in a vacuum. 

Our new stadium is nice.  But, when you look at some of the P5 schools' new stadium expansions, it's ridiculous.  They are getting pro football type prices for suites and seats.  Seriously. 

You've got position coaches at some P5s outearning G5 head coaches. 

------

The whole situation just has me thinking:  is it worth it when it's damn near impossible to catch up without some sort of T. Boone Pickens-type of money savior out there for us? 

I don't want to drop down to FCS.  But, there are three to four dozen schools also in our situation, as well as better run, upper level FCS schools looking to move up.

I can't help but believe (and, dread) that there will come a day when P5 just goes its own way, tells the NCAA to stick it, and we are left completely on the outside looking in. 

Again...not to diminish where we are now.  But, where we are now and what we are doing now...many, many schools were doing it 25-30 years ago.  How long can we realistically play "catch up?"

it's like the discussion with the IPF.  It's not really a novel thing anymore.  There is no advantage because everyone else already has one.  So, in essence, you sepnt $10-15 million real dollar to "catch up" at being a couple of decades behind.

The whole thing is sobering.

Totally agree. It's just a matter of when. I suspect that the NCAA will still be the governing body for them to protect against antitrust lawsuits for the Powet Conferences and the Upper G5s, which are the AAC and MWC.

The rest of us are just going to be playing in a lower level. For all of you who believe the MWC isn't worth it, when it comes down to being included in the top level of football instead of a lower level, this will be what you chose.