DRC: Common fans are the foundation for UNT's program. Can it hang on to those it has, find new ones?

[KRAM1]

35 minutes ago, wardly said:

Correct. He would not allow any alumni association, especially one for athletics. I know we hate that we dropped to 1aa, but it was either that or drop football, We had no money. In fact, the only way Nolan kept the football program afloat during the Fry era was to transfer dedicated non athletic donations to the athletic department which got him fired and nearly imprisoned . The majority of funds illegally transferred were from those donated specifically to build a new music building. I became aware of this in the early 1990"s when I served 3 years on The Foundation Board, which was formed not only to generate giving but to clean up what had been donated. We had people giving us small dedicated donations that we tried to transfer to a general fund with the donors approval. Also people were giving us junk just for the write off. If memory serves we turned down the offer of a motor boat. I cannot stress enough what an underfunded athletic depart we have had for decades.

Remember the life insurance program? That idea flamed out pretty quickly after a few of us signed up. Don't think we ever saw a penny from that program. Beat the motor boat donation idea, but not by much. 

[drex]

I am amused that Veto used the terms common and working class to describe our fans.  I had no idea Veto was so arrogant.  Just think what might happen if the R-C (Dallas Morning News) actually tried to help us instead of getting in our way through their basically anti-North Texas articles. I don't expect the press to be cheerleaders for the program, but they could do better in support.  If North Texas crashes in athletics, where does Veto go?  You might think about job security, Mr. Veto. 

[MeanGreenHoops]

1 hour ago, drex said:

I am amused that Veto used the terms common and working class to describe our fans.  I had no idea Veto was so arrogant.  Just think what might happen if the R-C (Dallas Morning News) actually tried to help us instead of getting in our way through their basically anti-North Texas articles. I don't expect the press to be cheerleaders for the program, but they could do better in support.  If North Texas crashes in athletics, where does Veto go?  You might think about job security, Mr. Veto. 

[TheTastyGreek]

28 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

Belo also sold the DRC three years ago, so they no longer have ownership in common with the Dallas Morning News. 

Plus, y'know, spelling. And the fact that any time @Brett Vito lightly clears his throat, we get some variation of this post. 

But, if you grant all that and just take away the main point, the implied but inaccurate relationship between publishers, the misidentification of the subject, the ongoing grudge that seems to motivate it all, and the misplaced persecution complex and weirdly threatening conspiratorial tone... I think this post has given us a lot to really think about. 

[UNTLifer]

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/10/31/denton-record-chronicle-to-be-purchased-by-its.html#:~:text=The publisher of the Denton,media%2C a digital media agency.

However, the two companies will continue to work together after Patterson’s purchase. Belo will continue to print and distribute the Record-Chronicle, and the publications will share content.

"The real difference will be in the ownership structure, and Bill and the DRC team will have real, true autonomy and independence over the strategic decisions they make in the future," said Grant Moise, executive vice president of A.H. Belo. "We're excited we're going to remain business partners with the DRC, and I hope we'll be able to play a meaningful part of their future, just in a different way."

[GrandGreen]

7 hours ago, wardly said:

Correct. He would not allow any alumni association, especially one for athletics. I know we hate that we dropped to 1aa, but it was either that or drop football, We had no money. In fact, the only way Nolan kept the football program afloat during the Fry era was to transfer dedicated non athletic donations to the athletic department which got him fired and nearly imprisoned . The majority of funds illegally transferred were from those donated specifically to build a new music building. I became aware of this in the early 1990"s when I served 3 years on The Foundation Board, which was formed not only to generate giving but to clean up what had been donated. We had people giving us small dedicated donations that we tried to transfer to a general fund with the donors approval. Also people were giving us junk just for the write off. If memory serves we turned down the offer of a motor boat. I cannot stress enough what an underfunded athletic depart we have had for decades.

Yet programs with even less did not drop down.   NT was not willing to do then what they routinely do now and finance sports at a level to maintain 1a affiliation with school funds. 

The new rules to stay 1a demanded a stadium over 20,000 plus I believe an average attendance of over 15K.  NT had neither.

One of the main reasons dropped down  was that the NT administration thought that NT could dominate in 1AA and it would be better than being a bad 1A program.   NT would also get to play for a national championship in 1aa as they had a tournament format.  

NT spend way too long in 1aa before they figured out like most similar programs that the answer was student fees.  

One story, I remember is that NT actually went to ULM to ask them how they competed at that time pretty well in 1A.  The answer which appalled NT's administration was to recruit non-qualifiers than by some miracle get them eligible.  That was prior to the clearing house that now much approve scholarship standards.