What's the Next Big Project?

[GMG24]

On 12/31/2021 at 2:42 PM, untjim1995 said:

That’s the last thing we need right now. Focus completely on the revenue sports and the other sports we have here now. 
 

All baseball would do is cost a ton of cash and be a drain for years ahead.

Completely disagree.  Baseball (if done right, could possibly be the best program on campus) DBU TCU are offering kids 20-30% scholarships meaning they come up with the other 70-80% and pay their way through school.  Imagine coming to UNT where we can offer you 35-40% and you pay the difference.  The amount of $ kids families could save would be worth the look.  You will have to win but with all the baseball talent in the metroplex every year you should be able to build a program with great success and possibly very early success.  Ton of baseball coaches ask all the time why we don't.  Lot of them think it would be a dream job because of location/conference/ability to steal recruits from top programs because of cost to attend UNT vs the other schools. 

[GMG24]

On 12/31/2021 at 3:41 PM, UNT Family Man said:

Either:

1. New HFC or

2. New OC/QB coach

1 and 2 are the same person minus the title given. 

[GMG24]

On 1/1/2022 at 9:47 AM, PlummMeanGreen said:

If there were any doubts, this (in quotes) came from a Wren Baker tweet right before UNT was added to the American Athletic Conference.

”Expanded athletic center will be taken closer to Apogee! Expanded athletic center is key to the consideration of any additional teams.“  

We’re all mostly dreamers of futuristic venues on this forum or we wouldn’t be following this athletic program, but this is what I hope our new building project in Apogee’s south end zone will look a little like?

One thing not shown on the one in the below link would be a large Video screen on top the facility.  That would stop the need for  smaller video screens at Apogee which would not be readable.   

https://today.appstate.edu/webcams/end-zone

🦅

Similar to Okie State? That would be awesome! 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

18 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

Similar to Okie State? That would be awesome! 

That’s what I want too. Everything in that athletics complex minus the entrance needs renovation.

Okie St scoreboard is legit, would love something similar.

[wardly]

Those interested in baseball need to get over it. The next new athletic venue will be a basketball arena. It will cost more than our 10 year old football stadium and seat 80% fewer fans.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, GMG24 said:

You will have to win but with all the baseball talent in the metroplex every year you should be able to build a program with great success and possibly very early success.  Ton of baseball coaches ask all the time why we don't.  Lot of them think it would be a dream job because of location/conference/ability to steal recruits from top programs because of cost to attend UNT vs the other schools. 

Same exact things we see every year about why UNT should be successful in any sport.

does anyone have any real insight into the finances of running a baseball program?

Maybe our number one priority right now - if we want to be competitive in revenue sports AND get baseball going - is engaging more alumni and getting exponentially more funds into our budget. Donations. Scholarships. Etc.

maybe baseball can help with that. Maybe an upright football ship would be better.

[Cr1028]

I bet less than 5% of this board could tell you which team won the college baseball championship last year. Put the resources where they move the needle. We have club baseball if you want to watch some UNT baseball, otherwise you can watch the Rangers, Roughriders, or your local high school or CC team any time you like.

https://recsports.unt.edu/sportclubs/baseball

Edited January 2, 2022 by Cr1028

[Green Otaku]

https://www.diycollegerankings.com/how-much-do-d1-colleges-spend-on-baseball-programs/2505/

And that's once it's set up, I'm sure the initial cost to get things started would be a pretty penny. 

[Tom McKrackin]

20 minutes ago, Green Otaku said:

https://www.diycollegerankings.com/how-much-do-d1-colleges-spend-on-baseball-programs/2505/

And that's once it's set up, I'm sure the initial cost to get things started would be a pretty penny. 

My stock answer when I here the “it’s too expensive” or “we have bigger priorities” argument is how does UTSA manage it?  Or Sam Houston, SFA etc.! Please don’t tell me their budget is bigger than ours.

[Cr1028]

15 minutes ago, Tom McKrackin said:

My stock answer when I here the “it’s too expensive” or “we have bigger priorities” argument is how does UTSA manage it?  Or Sam Houston, SFA etc.! Please don’t tell me their budget is bigger than ours.

We have 5 men’s sports and 9 women’s sports. UTSA has 7 men’s sports and 8 women’s sports. With each fielding a 85 scholarship football team, I cannot fathom how UTSA could possibly have as many female scholarship athletes as male.

[MeanGreenPatriot]

2 hours ago, Tom McKrackin said:

My stock answer when I here the “it’s too expensive” or “we have bigger priorities” argument is how does UTSA manage it?  Or Sam Houston, SFA etc.! Please don’t tell me their budget is bigger than ours.

Have you seen UTSA other facilities? The lack of investment there allows for baseball.

[Green Otaku]

15 hours ago, Tom McKrackin said:

My stock answer when I here the “it’s too expensive” or “we have bigger priorities” argument is how does UTSA manage it?  Or Sam Houston, SFA etc.! Please don’t tell me their budget is bigger than ours.

My guess would be the initial investment is one of those roadblocks. Unless one of those teams recently built a baseball program from the ground up, in which case your point would stand. 

[DentonLurker]

15 hours ago, Tom McKrackin said:

My stock answer when I here the “it’s too expensive” or “we have bigger priorities” argument is how does UTSA manage it?  Or Sam Houston, SFA etc.! Please don’t tell me their budget is bigger than ours.

Your stock answer doesn't really address the "we have bigger priorities" argument though. I have no doubt we could find the budget if we wanted to. There's just a long list of things that need to happen prior to adding baseball, in my mind. AC expansion, new basketball arena, new SB facilities, etc. There's a lot we still need to accomplish for the sports we have before we look at adding more.

[greengal]

I really do like baseball and if softball is any comparison it appears we could have a decent program quickly.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

21 hours ago, GMG24 said:

Completely disagree.  Baseball (if done right, could possibly be the best program on campus) DBU TCU are offering kids 20-30% scholarships meaning they come up with the other 70-80% and pay their way through school.  Imagine coming to UNT where we can offer you 35-40% and you pay the difference.  The amount of $ kids families could save would be worth the look.  You will have to win but with all the baseball talent in the metroplex every year you should be able to build a program with great success and possibly very early success.  Ton of baseball coaches ask all the time why we don't.  Lot of them think it would be a dream job because of location/conference/ability to steal recruits from top programs because of cost to attend UNT vs the other schools. 

[Mean Green Matt]

1 hour ago, greengal said:

I really do like baseball and if softball is any comparison it appears we could have a decent program quickly.

Sure, but probably with equally non-existent fan support. The softball team played for a conference championship (and won it) at home a few years ago and couldn’t even get 500 people there despite a small group of us on here pleading with people to show up. 

[Mean Green Matt]

21 hours ago, wardly said:

Those interested in baseball need to get over it. The next new athletic venue will be a basketball arena. It will cost more than our 10 year old football stadium and seat 80% fewer fans.

A completely misguided effort moving a winter sport across an interstate highway from the main part of campus, when a perfectly suitable venue already exists. But what are we going to do when that once a decade robotics competition forces the women’s basketball game to play at TWU???

[wardly]

4 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

A completely misguided effort moving a winter sport across an interstate highway from the main part of campus, when a perfectly suitable venue already exists. But what are we going to do when that once a decade robotics competition forces the women’s basketball game to play at TWU???

Tell that to the powers that be. I believe that some venues such as our basketball and women's softball would best be served if they were located on campus. However Baylor is building their new basketball arena off campus west of 135 so what do I know.

[Legend500]

On 12/31/2021 at 6:11 PM, Cr1028 said:

I don’t agree with this. UTEP and UTSA would like nothing more than to beat Texas at any sport they play. The same could be said about the TAMU-CC Islanders wanting to beat the Aggies at Basketball. ALL available resources should be poured into the flagship and once we reach Texas levels of resources, then and only then should we worry about trying to help and woo the satellites.

Of course they'd love to beat the home school, beyond that, though, they're fans. In either event, it's a good thing for the program as a whole which, right now, needs to secure our home market to the greatest extent possible. I'm not talking about throwing millions to the Trailblazers, but where we can help - say joint advertising - we should.

On 12/31/2021 at 7:03 PM, GrandGreen said:

No, NT at Denton has no obligation or need to help Frisco and Dallas campuses.   UT could not care less about UTEP, UTA, etc.  The board over the whole UT system might, but only if it is not going to interfere with their massive funding of UT Austin.  

Worrying about either the SPit or Apogee is imo unnecessary.  Sure maintenance has to keep the facilities in top condition, but there does not need to be any major capital projects.  Unless it can be demonstrated that they would actually pay for themselves like suites at the SPit.

NT money now needs to go athlete facilities that help recruiting.   As stupid as it seems, build the gaudy dressing rooms and study areas that appeal to high school athletes. 

UT doesn't have to care about getting more attention. We do. However we need to do that, drawing more people in the Metroplex into a relationship with North Texas - however that is done - is a necessary predicate to expanding our programs. Leveraging our presence area-wide is a part of that.

On 12/31/2021 at 8:12 PM, Green Otaku said:

Interesting about the lighting at Apogee, how was it supposed to be originally? 

The final renders still had them in (attached), but they were cut just before construction started. It really is the little things sometimes at a venue, and it's a minor outlay for a good return. 
 

On 1/2/2022 at 12:22 PM, outoftown said:

There is one big porject that needs to be ahead of infrastrucutre etc. It is making sure -with wht is possible within the rules - that NT is up there among its peers or better in the NIL game

Great add I overlooked.

1 hour ago, DentonLurker said:

Your stock answer doesn't really address the "we have bigger priorities" argument though. I have no doubt we could find the budget if we wanted to. There's just a long list of things that need to happen prior to adding baseball, in my mind. AC expansion, new basketball arena, new SB facilities, etc. There's a lot we still need to accomplish for the sports we have before we look at adding more.

I think that's where a lot of us, including Admin, are about baseball. Even if we chose to start it as opposed to the far-cheaper and equally popular soccer option, both items are down the list a bit. The big thing is student athlete experience, and that means a new AC and making sure we match up well on the NIL front.

[DentonLurker]

3 hours ago, Mean Green Matt said:

when a perfectly suitable venue already exists.

I don’t want suitable. I want state of the art and something that will help in recruiting. It needs a real practice facility attached to it too that will hopefully have all the other amenities too (weight room, nutrition, training, suites, real floor seats that were planned and not a add on, etc.).

[UNT 90 Grad]

1 hour ago, DentonLurker said:

I don’t want suitable. I want state of the art and something that will help in recruiting. It needs a real practice facility attached to it too that will hopefully have all the other amenities too (weight room, nutrition, training, suites, real floor seats that were planned and not a add on, etc.).

And the AD wants suites and there just isn’t a feasible way to put suites into the Super Pit. 

[Tom McKrackin]

2 hours ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

And the AD wants suites and there just isn’t a feasible way to put suites into the Super Pit. 

And what would you propose we do with the Super Pit?  Demolish it?

[UNTLifer]

6 minutes ago, Tom McKrackin said:

And what would you propose we do with the Super Pit?  Demolish it?

The university owns it. They can continue to use it for graduations and other events. Hell, we are a music school so host some concerts. 

[wardly]

8 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Like all sports, the NCAA limits the number of baseball scholarships you can offer. The cost of a state of the art baseball stadium is probably $10 million. Throw in coaches, equipment, travel expenses and you have a real money pit. I suggest you google the schools who have baseball to see how much money they loose on a baseball program. What we really need is a dedicated basketball practice facility.

[greenminer]

Wren just needs to raise 1 billion dollars and we can throw that money at everything we need, all at once.

Title IX compliant, of course.