UNT AD List of Priorities

Tom McKrackin · February 28, 2022

I am stealing this topic from another poster, namely @NT80 but I thought it would be interesting to see where our fanbase stands.

If you were to compile a listing of the top 5 items needing to be addressed with UNT athletics what would it be.

1). Football - underperformance given the resources and salaries/facilities

2). Baseball - The next time I have someone tell me that we can't afford baseball I think I will puke. How does La. Tech and nUTSAck?

3). Athletic Center - It is too small and too hidden away. Needs a major expansion asap.

4). Basketball facility - This could be either a new facility on the Eagle Point side or perhaps a revamp of the Super Pit which BTW looked absolutely fantastic with 8500 peeps in it.

5). Academic/Career support staff and building - we need to have a place for all of the athletes to get tutoring and academic/career advice. SMU is a good example as they tell their recruits we will be there to help you navigate your career path for life.

The AAC is a huge step up, especially in terms of budgets, facilities, academic reputation and support. Wren has to formulate a new 10 year capital plan to address the future of UNT athletics.

DentonLurker · February 28, 2022

18 minutes ago, Tom McKrackin said:

Wren has to formulate a new 10 year capital plan to address the future of UNT athletics.

Wren has already done this. He’s checked some items off and laid out a list of future projects. See http://lightthetower.com

ColoradoEagle · February 28, 2022

I think these are two different lists. One is a facilities list, and the other is a sports list.

Sports

1. Football - This needs to get on track yesterday. Given the facilities (AC talked about separately) and the money going in, there's no reason this sport should be struggling against CUSA competition.

9999. Add Baseball - I like baseball. I would go to quite a few games. It's still a money loser in a time when that money would be put to much better use by paying our basketball coach and/or investing in facilities.

Facilities

1. Athletic Center Expansion - It was too small the day it was built. Kudos to RV for getting it done, because even at too small it was still light years ahead of the old setup. It's desperately needed to be expanded for quite a while, and Wren is right to have this as the number one priority. This also includes additional academic space and office space.

2. New Basketball Arena/PF - The school has shown that it is unable or unwilling to bring the Super Pit up to current standards. The AD needs a facility that will promote ticket sales, accommodate athletes better, and cements the investment into basketball. I've always maintained that UNT can be a monster in basketball, ever since the day I bought an outdoor heater and started tailgating for basketball back in 2005. We are a few weeks, at most, from the put up or shut up phase.

3. New Softball Stadium - This program has been great for the school and is overdue for a new stadium.

Dannymacfan · February 28, 2022

6 minutes ago, DentonLurker said:

Wren has already done this. He’s checked some items off and laid out a list of future projects. See http://lightthetower.com

Thanks for the link but that seems pretty dated. It still lists the indoor practice facility and that has already been built. I do appreciate you providing the link as I had not seen the rest of it before.

UNTcrazy727 · February 28, 2022

6 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

I think these are two different lists. One is a facilities list, and the other is a sports list.

Sports

1. Football - This needs to get on track yesterday. Given the facilities (AC talked about separately) and the money going in, there's no reason this sport should be struggling against CUSA competition.

9999. Add Baseball - I like baseball. I would go to quite a few games. It's still a money loser in a time when that money would be put to much better use by paying our basketball coach and/or investing in facilities.

Facilities

1. Athletic Center Expansion - It was too small the day it was built. Kudos to RV for getting it done, because even at too small it was still light years ahead of the old setup. It's desperately needed to be expanded for quite a while, and Wren is right to have this as the number one priority. This also includes additional academic space and office space.

2. New Basketball Arena/PF - The school has shown that it is unable or unwilling to bring the Super Pit up to current standards. The AD needs a facility that will promote ticket sales, accommodate athletes better, and cements the investment into basketball. I've always maintained that UNT can be a monster in basketball, ever since the day I bought an outdoor heater and started tailgating for basketball back in 2005. We are a few weeks, at most, from the put up or shut up phase.

3. New Softball Stadium - This program has been great for the school and is overdue for a new stadium.

Quote

3. New Softball Stadium - This program has been great for the school and is overdue for a new stadium.

Looks like they're just going to completely renovate the current stadium.

Edited February 28, 2022 by UNTcrazy727

ColoradoEagle · February 28, 2022

4 minutes ago, UNTcrazy727 said:

Looks like they're just going to completely renovate the current stadium.

Pretty sure a new stadium is still in the plans. This is just a field resurfacing akin to when field turf was added to Fouts.

golfingomez · February 28, 2022

57 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

I think these are two different lists. One is a facilities list, and the other is a sports list.

Sports

9999. Add Baseball - I like baseball. I would go to quite a few games. It's still a money loser in a time when that money would be put to much better use by paying our basketball coach and/or investing in facilities.

pardon my ignorance, but are any of our sports money makers? i know there's a lot of accounting work that makes these really fun topics to talk about but bottom line, do our sports 'make money'?

EDIT:

Sorry, almost forgot, 'Question, no info'

Edited February 28, 2022 by golfingomez

greenminer · February 28, 2022

14 minutes ago, golfingomez said:

pardon my ignorance, but are any of our sports money makers? i know there's a lot of accounting work that makes these really fun topics to talk about but bottom line, do our sports 'make money'?

EDIT:

Sorry, almost forgot, 'Question, no info'

Last I heard, there are less than 5 college athletic departments in the country that actually profit off their sports (overall). Longhorns and Buckeyes come to mind.

UNTcrazy727 · February 28, 2022

1 hour ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Pretty sure a new stadium is still in the plans. This is just a field resurfacing akin to when field turf was added to Fouts.

They might add on to the current stadium, but I do not believe they are going to change the location of the stadium anymore.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · February 28, 2022

4 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Pretty sure a new stadium is still in the plans. This is just a field resurfacing akin to when field turf was added to Fouts.

Delong doesn’t want a new stadium unless it’s gonna be standing on the exact same ground

ColoradoEagle · February 28, 2022

Thank you both for the info! Hopefully we can build a new grandstand at least.

meangreen11 · February 28, 2022

5 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

I think these are two different lists. One is a facilities list, and the other is a sports list.

Sports

1. Football - This needs to get on track yesterday. Given the facilities (AC talked about separately) and the money going in, there's no reason this sport should be struggling against CUSA competition.

9999. Add Baseball - I like baseball. I would go to quite a few games. It's still a money loser in a time when that money would be put to much better use by paying our basketball coach and/or investing in facilities.

Facilities

1. Athletic Center Expansion - It was too small the day it was built. Kudos to RV for getting it done, because even at too small it was still light years ahead of the old setup. It's desperately needed to be expanded for quite a while, and Wren is right to have this as the number one priority. This also includes additional academic space and office space.

2. New Basketball Arena/PF - The school has shown that it is unable or unwilling to bring the Super Pit up to current standards. The AD needs a facility that will promote ticket sales, accommodate athletes better, and cements the investment into basketball. I've always maintained that UNT can be a monster in basketball, ever since the day I bought an outdoor heater and started tailgating for basketball back in 2005. We are a few weeks, at most, from the put up or shut up phase.

3. New Softball Stadium - This program has been great for the school and is overdue for a new stadium.

Great list -- And you have it in the right order. Football should be at the top of the priorities. It's the main problem and after that we have to update the athletic center asap.

Clinetort · March 1, 2022

If a new basketball arena is built before baseball is added, I will never give another dime to the athletic department. It's time. It has been time, but I've accepted the excuses as to why my University "can't afford" baseball. Do the right thing Wren. Give us reason to cheer on our Mean Green from March to May.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · March 1, 2022

2 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Thank you both for the info! Hopefully we can build a new grandstand at least.

Yes that’s the plan. Not exactly sure when it will be, but I’ve heard within the next 5 years since the scoreboard was done. Which is beautiful.

Green Lantern · March 1, 2022

14 hours ago, Clinetort said:

If a new basketball arena is built before baseball is added, I will never give another dime to the athletic department. It's time. It has been time, but I've accepted the excuses as to why my University "can't afford" baseball. Do the right thing Wren. Give us reason to cheer on our Mean Green from March to May.

Baseball isn’t on the radar - and it shouldn’t be. The new hoops arena will 100% happen prior to consideration of adding another sport. It’s in the strategic plan. Prepare yourself.

Clinetort · March 1, 2022

17 minutes ago, Green Lantern said:

Baseball isn’t on the radar - and it shouldn’t be. The new hoops arena will 100% happen prior to consideration of adding another sport. It’s in the strategic plan. Prepare yourself.

Baseball is in the master plan and baseball should trump a new arena.

greenminer · March 1, 2022

35 minutes ago, Clinetort said:

Baseball is in the master plan and baseball should trump a new arena.

Should trump a new arena, According to who or what?

golfingomez · March 1, 2022

54 minutes ago, Clinetort said:

Baseball is in the master plan and baseball should trump a new arena.

Baseball has been in the master plan since i was a freshman (and probably before that) in 2004

UNTLifer · March 1, 2022

15 hours ago, Clinetort said:

If a new basketball arena is built before baseball is added, I will never give another dime to the athletic department. It's time. It has been time, but I've accepted the excuses as to why my University "can't afford" baseball. Do the right thing Wren. Give us reason to cheer on our Mean Green from March to May.

Better lock that vault.

Please consider the state of the department's facilities when Baker got here, actually, when RV arrived. RV started the move to upgrade facilities because they were on the junior high level. Terrible training/sports medicine facility, no nutrition, Fouts was a dump, soccer was playing on intramural fields, the track surface at Fouts was so bad a D1 university used the local high school's track to train, softball was playing on a city own field, etc... RV got the ball rolling with the purchase of the old Liberty Christian property and Apogee and Baker has picked it up and put a full plan in place to get our current programs the facilities and support they have lacked for ages. We are in the process of working through that plan and he has prioritized facilities based on the report put together a few years ago on the current state of the facilities.

I love baseball. That was the sport I played for 20 some odd years and I would love nothing more than to add it to our department, but it just isn't that easy and shouldn't be done until the current programs are supported as they should be. I also don't buy the notion that baseball can't make money. NCAA baseball is becoming much more popular today, and some of these big D1 programs can afford to take the loss in that sport to support the true moneymaker which is football, but if done correctly, baseball should make enough money to cover salaries, equipment and 11.7 scholarships.

Want it to move faster? Find a donor, or a group of donors, that are willing to underwrite the start up costs and donate to the department with the stipulation that their money only be used for baseball. Until then, look for the current programs to receive facilities first prior to bringing in baseball and a female sport to equalize the scholarships awarded.

Edited March 1, 2022 by UNTLifer

PlummMeanGreen · March 1, 2022

22 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Facilities

1. Athletic Center Expansion - It was too small the day it was built. Kudos to RV for getting it done, because even at too small it was still light years ahead of the old setup. It's desperately needed to be expanded for quite a while, and Wren is right to have this as the number one priority. This also includes additional academic space and office space.

Probably needed this expansion before the IPF & that is because it’s going to benefit both the Men & Women varsity athletes.
If you check around even many regional FBS G5 schools have nice ones, but can’t touch North Texas with our other venues & the prime interstate real estate to put them on.

I have no idea how much Wren Baker needs to raise to get started with Phase 1 but I’d guess around $50 million?
Phase 2 to finish out the End Zone facility part of all this probably another $40-50 million?
To see a architectural rendering of how the finished product would look like would be nice because the potential Big Spenders will need that to look at over a set of blueprints. That is something Wren Baker (& Smatresk) would already know because they are 2 or 3 steps ahead of the rest of us.
_________________________

Totally unrelated, but this is what the Student Side of San Diego State’s new stadium will look like.
E56324E9-7DF2-4246-9176-9A596BAE8045.jpeg.9363e2c2a8124f88834b935676ac0cae.jpeg

🦅

Edited March 1, 2022 by PlummMeanGreen

NorthTexasWeLove · March 1, 2022

3 hours ago, Green Lantern said:

Baseball isn’t on the radar - and it shouldn’t be. The new hoops arena will 100% happen prior to consideration of adding another sport. It’s in the strategic plan. Prepare yourself.

I think we should be a basketball school that has an outstanding baseball program. We are so gung-ho on being good in football, and I love football. Eventually we have to face our reality and take the green goggles off and really look into who and what we are as a football program. Football is easily the most difficult sport to get good at and 10 fold that to stay good at. Drastic measure needs to be taken to put our eggs in baskets that will shine a positive light on our university. Football hasn't really done since the 70's. How much more evidence do we need to move on and really, really invest in basketball and FINALLY stand a baseball program back up.

ColoradoEagle · March 1, 2022

The priorities should be basketball and football, in that order. Baseball isn't even on the radar. We stand a much better chance of being nationally known in basketball than football, but at the same time, we have all the tools to do both if the right pieces fall into place.

Adding baseball creates a drag on those two sports, even if it only bares out in slightly smaller staffs. In the end, baseball is a vanity sport, which is fine! But realize that we still have work to do on our core sports (Football, MBB, WBB) before we can add another mouth to feed.

NorthTexasWeLove · March 1, 2022

49 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

The priorities should be basketball and football, in that order. Baseball isn't even on the radar. We stand a much better chance of being nationally known in basketball than football, but at the same time, we have all the tools to do both if the right pieces fall into place.

Adding baseball creates a drag on those two sports, even if it only bares out in slightly smaller staffs. In the end, baseball is a vanity sport, which is fine! But realize that we still have work to do on our core sports (Football, MBB, WBB) before we can add another mouth to feed.

I find it difficult to consider WBB a "main sport" because people want it to be so. The CWS and the run up to the CWS + Omaha gets 10x the media attention WBB would only dream of.

ColoradoEagle · March 1, 2022

5 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I find it difficult to consider WBB a "main sport" because people want it to be so. The CWS and the run up to the CWS + Omaha gets 10x the media attention WBB would only dream of.

Hard to track "media attention", but the WBB championship game draws 3-4x as many viewers as the CWS. The 25th ranked attendance in 2019 for WBB (Wisconsin - 3886) dwarfed all but the top 14 baseball attendance in the same year.

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