Distancing ourselves from Army rivalry is still a head scratcher to me...

Harry · May 9, 2018

I came across an article outlining Army's new stadium renovations which I have pasted a link below. The Wren/Littrell/McCasland/Jalie era has been fantastic to watch develop and bodes very well for the future of North Texas athletics. One of the few things I have never understood is why exactly we would move away from what has been a terrific series - both for our players and fans - with Army? I get that they are a hard team to prepare for etc, but I still think the positives outweigh the negatives. Their fans helped us create one of the better home atmospheres in Apogee last season. It is also one of the great destination games and now will become even more so after the upgrades. I would hope that we could reconsider this stance and keep what has been a very positive non-conference series for us in the future.

http://footballscoop.com/news/army-big-plans-renovate-one-college-footballs-best-stadiums/

MeanGreenTexan · May 9, 2018

1 minute ago, Harry said:

I came across an article outlining Army's new stadium renovations which I have pasted a link below. The Wren/Littrell/McCasland/Jalie era has been fantastic to watch develop and bodes very well for the future of North Texas athletics. One of the few things I have never understood is why exactly we would move away from what has been a terrific series - both for our players and fans - with Army? I get that they are a hard team to prepare for etc, but I still think the positives outweigh the negatives. Their fans helped us create one of the better home atmospheres in Apogee last season. It is also one of the great destination games and now will become even more so after the upgrades. I would hope that we could reconsider this stance and keep what has been a very positive non-conference series for us in the future.

http://footballscoop.com/news/army-big-plans-renovate-one-college-footballs-best-stadiums/

We've already re-scheduled Liberty to replace the Army games.
Nothing to reconsider, unless we're going to start a new home/home, which would not make any sense.

If Littrell thinks it's detrimental to the team, I'll defer and agree. Who cares what the fans think, if it's bad for the team.
If Littrell would rather play Liberty for the team's sake, let's play Liberty.

MGNation92 · May 9, 2018

It's pretty well documented, that while playing Army has been great from an entertainment perspective, it has been worse for the team. Having to prepare for an unconventional offense that no other team on our schedule runs, while also dealing with the injury concerns that linemen/LB's face with all the blocking schemes of a triple option attack.

I'm also still really salty about that Guyton hit last year that apparently wasn't targeting. Seriously F*** that guy

Edited May 9, 2018 by MGNation92

Ben Gooding · May 9, 2018

It was dumb.

I don't hate getting out of the Army serious near as much as I hate traveling to Liberty, which is dumber.

So, they just doubled down on the dumbness of this.

Wag Tag · May 9, 2018

8 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

It was dumb.

I don't hate getting out of the Army serious near as much as I hate traveling to Liberty, which is dumber.

So, they just doubled down on the dumbness of this.

Thank for your experienced and expert opinion on dumbness factors! GMG

Edited May 9, 2018 by Wag Tag

Ben Gooding · May 9, 2018

4 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Thank for your experienced and expert opinion! GMG

You're most certainly welcome.

Ben Gooding · May 9, 2018

10 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Thank for your experienced and expert opinion on dumbness factors! GMG

Cute edit.

DeepGreen · May 9, 2018

I have to agree with Harry. Hate that the Army series will end. Great tradition Military School, great destination. As for defending the option attack, the first game at Army was fun to watch. Regardless of the interceptions we took advantage of, I think we defended against the option pretty well. Last year, not so much. But it can be done. I certainly wouldn't throw away a series with a National opponent like Army for a Liberty.

oldguystudent · May 9, 2018

When I realized how consistently dirty they play, especially Captain Cheapshot out there in the secondary, I was more than happy to let them off the schedule. I was kinda disappointed in their fans at Apogee as well. Maybe I'm just being idyllic, but I expected better.

Edited May 9, 2018 by oldguystudent

Salsa_Verde · May 9, 2018

I guess it’s tricky. I thought the exposure North Texas received from playing Army was great. The national exposure coincided with Army actually being a good team, which hasn’t been the case in the past. That being said I think the series has run its course but would like to see them on the schedule again in the future.

UNTLifer · May 9, 2018

Let's play Air Force.

Salsa_Verde · May 9, 2018

Question...are people more upset with ending the Army series or more upset that it was replaced with a series against Liberty?

UNTLifer · May 9, 2018

2 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Question...are people more upset with ending the Army series or more upset that it was replaced with a series against Liberty?

I think this is the biggest issue.

KingDL1 · May 9, 2018

What is liberty?

Replacing a recognizable winnable team with a no name is not what I was hoping for.

Why would we even travel there? Are we sure we are there to play football, I was told they only play basketball?

I am the saddest because I wanted to go to the away game at army this year, West Point is in the same county I was born in. I had not made the trip yet.

NorthTexan95 · May 9, 2018

35 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

What is liberty?

Replacing a recognizable winnable team with a no name is not what I was hoping for.

Why would we even travel there? Are we sure we are there to play football, I was told they only play basketball?

I am the saddest because I wanted to go to the away game at army this year, West Point is in the same county I was born in. I had not made the trip yet.

I'm disappointed this aspect as well. I was unable to go last time but was looking forward to making it one day.

What really upsets me is that I lived in Virginia for 8 years and UNT never played a game in the state. Last summer we moved back to Texas and now they have two games in Virginia in the same season. Sometimes timing stinks.

letsgiveacheer · May 9, 2018

31 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I'm disappointed this aspect as well. I was unable to go last time but was looking forward to making it one day.

What really upsets me is that I lived in Virginia for 8 years and UNT never played a game in the state. Last summer we moved back to Texas and now they have two games in Virginia in the same season. Sometimes timing stinks.

As a Durham resident, I am delighted two games will be played in Virginia next season. You can be sure I'll be at both.

However I am disappointed as anyone about losing the Army series. There is no better place on earth to watch college ball than West Point on a crisp, fall day. But we should not despair, great restaurants abound in Lynchburg. I hear McDonalds has a new cooked to order quarter pounder that I can't wait to try!

As far as the chippy play of Army and the other academies, it goes back a long way. http://afteraction.militarytimes.com/2009/11/24/service-academy-football-teams-play-dirty/ Given the size and academic restrictions those guys face, I wonder if they should even be playing FBS football?

southsideguy · May 9, 2018

i think UTEP will be running a similar offense this year.

All About UNT · May 9, 2018

5 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

When I realized how consistently dirty they play, especially Captain Cheapshot out there in the secondary, I was more than happy to let them off the schedule. I was kinda disappointed in their fans at Apogee as well. Maybe I'm just being idyllic, but I expected better.

Rhyan England is his name

BTG_Fan1 · May 9, 2018

4 hours ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Question...are people more upset with ending the Army series or more upset that it was replaced with a series against Liberty?

Its replacing Army with Liberty..

We all understand the point about how difficult it is to translate from a normal gameplay to army's and how it physically beats up the players..

But again, Army was a potentially the 2nd or 3rd best team we play this regular season. They got Top 25 votes like FAU and I'm assuming Iowa was ranked at 1 time or another. Army is also a national name, and a solid program in terms of how people view the athletic program as well. But the biggest thing that is being overlooked, was the number of fans that turned out for the game. It was one of the top 2 or 3 attended games in the short history of Apogee. Also, I have brought this up but people don't like it but UTEP/Rice/Charlotte really drag down the conference in terms of how it is viewed. They maybe 3 of 5 or 10 worst programs this past year and we play 2 of them making our schedule look even weaker, at least having someone like Army improved how the schedule was viewed before the breakout of FAU.

I would not have had a problem with Liberty if we had played them and got a nice check to make up the difference, but playing them 1 and 1 without anything in return is a gut punch and a punch in the pocketbook of the program.

oldguystudent · May 9, 2018

I'd be hesitant to point fingers at UTEP and Rice. There but by the grace of God went we a few short years ago.

GTWT · May 10, 2018

5 hours ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Question...are people more upset with ending the Army series or more upset that it was replaced with a series against Liberty?

Both. Army is a quality football program & a great academic institution. Liberty is neither.

Greenrex · May 10, 2018

Exchanging Army for Liberty was a heart breaker for me and, we may never know the real reason it was done. I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with the style of play. My first thought was that there must be some sort of personal/religious sentiment on the part of the athletic director but, that's pure speculation.

GTWT · May 10, 2018

3 hours ago, Greenrex said:

Exchanging Army for Liberty was a heart breaker for me and, we may never know the real reason it was done. I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with the style of play. My first thought was that there must be some sort of personal/religious sentiment on the part of the athletic director but, that's pure speculation.

Speculation - yes, but it would explain the behavior.

MeanGreenTexan · May 10, 2018

4 hours ago, Greenrex said:

Exchanging Army for Liberty was a heart breaker for me and, we may never know the real reason it was done. I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with the style of play. My first thought was that there must be some sort of personal/religious sentiment on the part of the athletic director but, that's pure speculation.

Actually, we do know, because it has been specifically said, multiple times by Littrell & Baker.

Littrell & his staff did not like the Army matchup because it was hard on his team. It took them out of their rhythm, because each season, for a full week, they had to put the breaks on normal practices & practice for triple option... then you have that blocking scheme & dirty play getting our guys hurt... He wanted out of the series. Wren delivered with a VERY WINNABLE replacement. Some people don't like it because of Liberty's religious alignment. Who cares? It's a football game!

That's it. End of story.

UNTLifer · May 10, 2018

Just now, MeanGreenTexan said:

Actually, we do know, because it has been specifically said, multiple times by Littrell & Baker.

Littrell & his staff did not like the Army matchup because it was hard on his team. It took them out of their rhythm, because each season, for a full week, they had to put the breaks on normal practices & practice for triple option... then you have that blocking scheme & dirty play getting our guys hurt... He wanted out of the series. Wren delivered with a VERY WINNABLE replacement. Some people don't like it because of Liberty's religious alignment. Who cares? It's a football game!

That's it. End of story.

But what fun is accepting that?