DRC: Thoughts on what UConn leaving the AAC could mean for UNT

97and03 · June 22, 2019

58 minutes ago, p_phelps said:

We have to look at this more than football, our softball and women's soccer are and have been very very good for a long time... I'm concerned we have not done enough quite yet.. while on the absolutely right path I think the doubters would look at us with past perceptions in the major sports.

That said, hell yeah get us in a different conference. I'm not even 100% sure CUSA is much better than the sun belt...

I think you have to take it a step further and look at the overall situation of the Athletic Department. Coaches salaries, facilities, and number of sports fielded will all play into any realignment decision. I would say location both helps and hurts us. Sharing a market isn’t attractive to the conference but having the DFW airport helps. I am sure many schools would not mind making the trip to the area in alternating years with SMU for recruiting purposes.

I think we have the facility and commitment boxes checked. Might have to add baseball? I think we field a minimum number of teams.

PlummMeanGreen · June 22, 2019

3 hours ago, NM Green said:

First of all, DFW North is growing into its own little Metro. Getting a player that could bring some of Dallas and Northern most Texas is not that crazy to think about. Little Elm, Frisco, Prosper...seem much more aligned in cultures than they do with Dallas proper. Denton's unique identity is being revealed year by year and presents as another culturally cool part of Texas.

Second, I am tired of this supposed power SMU has over us. They don't own us and I don't think of them as over us at all any more. They can look down us from their imagination. I personally feel we have tremendous upside and are viewed as a program of the future. They seem like a program of the past to me.

The AAC programs don't excite me that much either but they are perceived as a step up in conference. They fit our desired footprint, even though I wish Smastrek would convince others to head west to the MWC. You have Boise over there and UCF over there. I think Boise stirs more interest than UCF but we need an invite first.

With this type of SMU respect we don't even deserve to share the same air with them. Times change, programs evolve and I refuse to see us as "behind" SMU the rest of my days.

Show up with confidence and crush the presentation. Go Wren!

GMG

✅ MWC......Then SMU is conference chasing after our favorite school. SMU supported La Tech over us lest anyone forgot back in the old CUSA.

• CUSA is no long term solution for North Texas.

• Seems TCU beat USC in the Sun Bowl as a MWC school & then a Rose Bowl? I stand to be corrected.

GMG!

Edited June 22, 2019 by PlummMeanGreen

MeanGreen2019 · June 22, 2019

In Wren we trust.

SUMG · June 22, 2019

1 hour ago, DeepGreen said:

Too bad Denton does not have a State of the Art Convention/Conference Center. At least I don't think they have one.

Maybe "The Wren" will be hob-knobbing with some of the AAC folks that are in attendance.

They've had one for a year or two now.

PlummMeanGreen · June 23, 2019

1 hour ago, DeepGreen said:

Too bad Denton does not have a State of the Art Convention/Conference Center. At least I don't think they have one.

Maybe "The Wren" will be hob-knobbing with some of the AAC folks that are in attendance.

My sister (from Greater Houston) attended a convention at the Denton Hotel & Convention Center & couldn’t say enough nice things about it. In fact, I met her & a cousin from Lewisville up there for a nice visit & a great meal at its restaurant. I was duly impressed & a bit surprised with how large it was.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Easily A 4 Stars Venue For Denton & UNT.

• The below link has some nice pics.

https://www.discoverdenton.com/meetings/facilities-venues/denton-convention-center/

Edited June 23, 2019 by PlummMeanGreen

greenjoe · June 23, 2019

The Texas and Oklahoma Kiwanis District Convention will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center the first weekend in August. We're expecting over 500 people to attend.

6 for Heisman

GO MEAN GREEN

Christopher Walker · June 23, 2019

2 hours ago, SUMG said:

Having the Athletic Directors Symposium at The Embassy Suites in October.....can only help us in this (conference considerations) as well as scheduling. We get a lot of ADs in town....they see our facilities....it's a good thing.

https://www.adsymposium.us/

Ohhhhhh, damn. This is very, very good. Not sure whether its better or not that we don't have any games scheduled that weekend. On one hand, Wren can devote his full attention to the conference and its attendees. On the other, it would be cool to have all those officials to experience our game day experience.

2 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

Too bad Denton does not have a State of the Art Convention/Conference Center. At least I don't think they have one.

Surely, you jest. >> See @PlummMeanGreen's link above.

DeepGreen · June 23, 2019

1 hour ago, Christopher Walker said:

Ohhhhhh, damn. This is very, very good. Not sure whether its better or not that we don't have any games scheduled that weekend. On one hand, Wren can devote his full attention to the conference and its attendees. On the other, it would be cool to have all those officials to experience our game day experience.

Surely, you jest. >> See @PlummMeanGreen's link above.

When I think of Embassy Suites I don’t think of a convention center. I’m sure it’s nic e.

GrayEagle · June 23, 2019

7 hours ago, greenminer said:

I don't know how the AAC truly views us, but I would feel really good about our chances if they can just get The Wren in the room to talk.

Well, the commissioner does know Wren so I'm pretty hopeful that he will at least get to have his message heard.

RBP79 · June 23, 2019

16 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

1. We already have the DFW TV market covered.

2. We don't want them.

What argument did they use in the 70's to keep NT out of the SWC?

Private vs Public universities ( more or less).....and SMU was afraid to face Hayden Fry.

greenminer · June 23, 2019

20 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

You do not appear to be aware of how TV markets and conference affiliations work. Why did the Big 10 take Rutgers several years ago when there were far superior options, as far as athletic accomplishment? Because Rutgers was close enough to bring in the NYC TV market. Do a large percentage of people in the NYC market watch Rutgers football? Of course not.

The same way, we were C-USA's first choice back when the openings came up in 2013 because we gave them access to the DFW market, not because a large percentage of DFW TV viewers watch UNT football.

This I get, but I am not convinced it’s a deal-breaker.

Mean Green 93-98 · June 23, 2019

9 minutes ago, greenminer said:

This I get, but I am not convinced it’s a deal-breaker.

You're right, of course, depending on how the powers in that conference perceive whatever else we'd bring. But their perception of us is something most of us really have no way of knowing.

TIgreen01 · June 24, 2019

For once, the timing of conference realignment might be perfect for UNT.

....if Fine and Littrell deliver the kind of season we're all hoping for.

No pressure, guys! 🙂

UNT Texas Hooligan · June 24, 2019

I like it, we are trending upwards at what appears to be the right time. Y'all want some comic relief? Head over to CSNbbs and read the continual circle jerk of homers listing why their school is the best fit for the AAC and is guaranteed to be heading there next. Never seen so much delusion on one board. That said, looking forward to #North Texit

97and03 · June 24, 2019

3 minutes ago, UNT Texas Hooligan said:

I like it, we are trending upwards at what appears to be the right time. Y'all want some comic relief? Head over to CSNbbs and read the continual circle jerk of homers listing why their school is the best fit for the AAC and is guaranteed to be heading there next. Never seen so much delusion on one board. That said, looking forward to #North Texit

I think we are equally deluded but I friggin’ love that hashtag!

#NorthTexit

UNT Texas Hooligan · June 24, 2019

10 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

I think we are equally deluded but I friggin’ love that hashtag!

#NorthTexit

I have now adopted it

UNT'19 · June 24, 2019

We just have to get #NorthTexit trending now.

Legend500 · June 24, 2019

If we want in to AAC, we need to start spending like one even without an invitation. In discussions with SMU and Houston administrators, wanting to block UNT never comes up. Sure, there's history, but those schools also remember that there's good history there as well - Houston wouldn't have gotten into any conference without us dragging them from TIAA all the way to MVC, and we were one of the only teams willing to play SMU when they needed us, and many of their undergrads go on to become our grad alumni.

The big difference isn't facilities (anymore, thankfully), location (everyone would love to have a shot at recruiting this or the San Antonio market), performance (hi Tulane) or market (ESPN's figured out that .02% of the market is better than .01%). The problem is cash - mainly the fact that we spend too little on our programs. It's gotten a lot better, but still, we need to increase spending by around $20 million annually to be attractive.

Nobody from the west is getting in anyway - Wichita already makes basketball unbalanced. But if they're gonna do it, I can give you the first list they'll see:

67	Old Dominion	C-USA	$46,203,813	$46,181,753	$28,681,512	62.08
68	Boise State	Mt. West	$45,486,486	$45,456,789	$12,615,561	27.73

73

Arkansas State

Sun Belt

$39,459,027

$12,624,293

31.99

75	Texas State	Sun Belt	$38,445,832	$35,915,260	$27,787,153	72.28
76	Charlotte	C-USA	$37,931,802	$33,246,728	$25,709,896	67.78

82	Appalachian State	Sun Belt	$35,058,621	$35,065,566	$21,257,458	60.63
83	Central Michigan	MAC	$34,692,784	$31,792,125	$25,077,606	72.28
84	Florida Atlantic	C-USA	$34,509,259	$34,102,683	$23,953,161	69.41

87	Middle Tennessee	C-USA	$34,040,334	$34,040,334	$22,376,798	65.74
88	Coastal Carolina	Sun Belt	$33,703,994	$33,704,483	$28,251,293	83.82
89	Florida International	C-USA	$33,389,929	$33,003,699	$24,028,758	71.96

94	North Texas	C-USA	$32,150,203	$36,363,381	$21,398,461	66.56
95	Texas-El Paso	C-USA	$31,781,343	$32,039,189	$18,486,004	58.17

99	South Alabama	Sun Belt	$30,693,877	$27,949,252	$20,664,956	67.33
100	Western Kentucky	C-USA	$30,439,066	$30,439,067	$16,853,917	55.37
101	Georgia State	Sun Belt	$30,230,203	$29,859,420	$22,423,489	74.18
102	Troy	Sun Belt	$29,962,107	$29,962,107	$21,711,635	72.46

107

Texas-San Antonio

C-USA

$28,772,631

$30,104,385

$17,385,928

60.43

Wag Tag · June 25, 2019

15 hours ago, Legend500 said:

If we want in to AAC, we need to start spending like one even without an invitation. In discussions with SMU and Houston administrators, wanting to block UNT never comes up. Sure, there's history, but those schools also remember that there's good history there as well - Houston wouldn't have gotten into any conference without us dragging them from TIAA all the way to MVC, and we were one of the only teams willing to play SMU when they needed us, and many of their undergrads go on to become our grad alumni.

The big difference isn't facilities (anymore, thankfully), location (everyone would love to have a shot at recruiting this or the San Antonio market), performance (hi Tulane) or market (ESPN's figured out that .02% of the market is better than .01%). The problem is cash - mainly the fact that we spend too little on our programs. It's gotten a lot better, but still, we need to increase spending by around $20 million annually to be attractive.

Nobody from the west is getting in anyway - Wichita already makes basketball unbalanced. But if they're gonna do it, I can give you the first list they'll see:

67 Old Dominion C-USA $46,203,813 $46,181,753 $28,681,512 62.08
68 Boise State Mt. West $45,486,486 $45,456,789 $12,615,561 27.73
73 Arkansas State Sun Belt $39,459,027 $39,459,027 $12,624,293 31.99
75 Texas State Sun Belt $38,445,832 $35,915,260 $27,787,153 72.28
76 Charlotte C-USA $37,931,802 $33,246,728 $25,709,896 67.78
82 Appalachian State Sun Belt $35,058,621 $35,065,566 $21,257,458 60.63
83 Central Michigan MAC $34,692,784 $31,792,125 $25,077,606 72.28
84 Florida Atlantic C-USA $34,509,259 $34,102,683 $23,953,161 69.41
87 Middle Tennessee C-USA $34,040,334 $34,040,334 $22,376,798 65.74
88 Coastal Carolina Sun Belt $33,703,994 $33,704,483 $28,251,293 83.82
89 Florida International C-USA $33,389,929 $33,003,699 $24,028,758 71.96
94 North Texas C-USA $32,150,203 $36,363,381 $21,398,461 66.56
95 Texas-El Paso C-USA $31,781,343 $32,039,189 $18,486,004 58.17
99 South Alabama Sun Belt $30,693,877 $27,949,252 $20,664,956 67.33
100 Western Kentucky C-USA $30,439,066 $30,439,067 $16,853,917 55.37
101 Georgia State Sun Belt $30,230,203 $29,859,420 $22,423,489 74.18
102 Troy Sun Belt $29,962,107 $29,962,107 $21,711,635 72.46
107 Texas-San Antonio C-USA $28,772,631 $30,104,385 $17,385,928 60.43

Definitely part of the discussion, but this is only ranking Revenue.(which would involve student fees) Also part of the presentation would be facilities and expenditure on those facilities both existing and new. I have trouble understanding Ark St and Tx St being 20 spots ahead of us? The dickens are in the details. GMG

Edited June 25, 2019 by Wag Tag

keith · June 25, 2019

4 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Definitely part of the discussion, but this is only ranking Revenue.(which would involve student fees) Also part of the presentation would be facilities and expenditure on those facilities both existing and new. I have trouble understanding Ark St and Tx St being 20 spots ahead of us? The dickens are in the details. GMG

I believe TxState has a full $20/credit hr student fee. I'm not sure where we are these days. I recall with the stadium funding we started at $10/credit hr with the ability to raise it $1 a year or something. I think we tried raising it then backed it out...I don't know it just seems like other state supported schools in Texas have an easier time raising funds in this regard than we do. I get the argument of not putting everything on the backs of students. It just seems that we aren't able to do what some similar schools in the state are. Perhaps someone closer to the details can shed some light.

EDIT...looked it up. We are at $16.25/hr capped at 15 hours. Texas State is at $21/hr.

Edited June 25, 2019 by keith

untjim1995 · June 25, 2019

42 minutes ago, keith said:

I believe TxState has a full $20/credit hr student fee. I'm not sure where we are these days. I recall with the stadium funding we started at $10/credit hr with the ability to raise it $1 a year or something. I think we tried raising it then backed it out...I don't know it just seems like other state supported schools in Texas have an easier time raising funds in this regard than we do. I get the argument of not putting everything on the backs of students. It just seems that we aren't able to do what some similar schools in the state are. Perhaps someone closer to the details can shed some light.

EDIT...looked it up. We are at $16.25/hr capped at 15 hours. Texas State is at $21/hr.

So are UTSA and Lamar, if I remember correctly.

Edited June 25, 2019 by untjim1995

RiseUNT · June 25, 2019

Can we get a summer conference realignment talk mega thread started?

GrandGreen · June 25, 2019

Why does a convention center have anything to do with getting into another conference?

Although the chances are small, NT should definitely maneuver for a spot in the AAC.

NTXCoog · June 25, 2019

On 6/24/2019 at 3:57 PM, UNT Texas Hooligan said:

I like it, we are trending upwards at what appears to be the right time. Y'all want some comic relief? Head over to CSNbbs and read the continual circle jerk of homers listing why their school is the best fit for the AAC and is guaranteed to be heading there next. Never seen so much delusion on one board. That said, looking forward to #North Texit

If you want real humor, go to UConn's boneyard football message board where they're asking why they can't be as successful an independent football team as BYU or Notre Dame.