Our Programs True Potential?

[Mike Jackson]

Going through this round of conference is making my head spin.  The demographics of our University just destroys SMU’s.  We have over 300k local alumni and over 40k students.  Yet with barely 50k local alumni SMU is on the doorstep of being in the PAC 12.  So my question is why is our potential minimized in the minds of so many not from the DFW area.  I argue we have far more potential to elevate in this market to rival TCU, Baylor, and Texas Tech when it comes to watching games on TV than SMU does.  
 

So I would like to know what people really think here.  Take off the green tinted shades for a moment and imagine UNT in the PAC 12 paired with SDSU.  Would that wake up the local fanbase just waiting for a reason to support the team?  Basketball I think we compete fairly early, but football would take a little more time.  

[DentonLurker]

I think the biggest challenge we have boils down to $’s going into our program. Students can’t continue doing the heavy lifting forever.

[Jonnyeagle]

7 minutes ago, DentonLurker said:

I think the biggest challenge we have boils down to $’s going into our program. Students can’t continue doing the heavy lifting forever.

We have some of the lowest percentages of

student fees in the country. Giving has always been an issue at UNT but it seems to be getting better.

[DentonLurker]

8 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

We have some of the lowest percentages of

student fees in the country.

I can’t really speak to that, but student fees make up 30% of our revenue while ticket sales and contributions only make up 8% of our revenue.

[drex]

Attendance is pathetic, but SMU is not any better.

[NT93]

I think we are perceived as equals to Sam Houston State, SFA, and Texas State due to our time in I-AA.  
 

What changes that?  Winning and better conference affiliation.  Is the AAC enough?  Not sure, but it’s the best opportunity we’ve ever had to “wake the sleeping giant.”

[NT80]

$mut is a private school, has wealthy donors, high academics (but questionable integrity), and has a SWC history (with death penalty).  The PAC likes most all of that, except for maybe them being conservative and their religious affiliation.  They are in the DFW market and the PAC touts they will bring it to them, lol.  That's like saying UTA would do the same.

UNT is a huge public university that is rising again in Athletics.  We played Major College football back when it was labeled as such in the 50's-70's.  Then our Administration (Hurley) demoted us to 1-AA.   We were once in the MVC with Cincy, Louisville, Houston, Memphis, and Tulsa.  Think where we might be today had we not went to 1-AA and back.  But we are back now with Memphis and Tulsa and even caught up with Smut (to their dismay), lol.

Our potential in Football is rising, like Basketball and Softball.   We adapted to our other conferences and eventually won them.  We can also win in the AAC.   We can compete with anyone IF we find the right coach, keep the right players, and grow our fanbase and donors more.   Those are the keys going forward.

[MrAlien]

The school needs to build back the fan base, starting with the students.  I dont see enough students at games (football or basketball), even in the past when teams were not doing well I still remember seeing a larger proportion of students.  I think the alumni does a good job of showing up.   

[NorthTexasWeLove]

2 hours ago, Mike Jackson said:

Going through this round of conference is making my head spin.  The demographics of our University just destroys SMU’s.  We have over 300k local alumni and over 40k students.  Yet with barely 50k local alumni SMU is on the doorstep of being in the PAC 12.  So my question is why is our potential minimized in the minds of so many not from the DFW area.  I argue we have far more potential to elevate in this market to rival TCU, Baylor, and Texas Tech when it comes to watching games on TV than SMU does.  
 

So I would like to know what people really think here.  Take off the green tinted shades for a moment and imagine UNT in the PAC 12 paired with SDSU.  Would that wake up the local fanbase just waiting for a reason to support the team?  Basketball I think we compete fairly early, but football would take a little more time.  

It's 100% the type of student that UNT advocates to. 

[NM Green]

I don’t agree with a few of the sentiments in here. 

1. I believe we are perceived above our southland friends, now cusa with SH. I’ve followed New Mexico UNLV and Hawaii closely. We have better big programs than all those schools right now.  They are in the MWC but the AAC is about to surpass them as the strongest G5, just a notch below the PAC when Oregon and Washington depart. In fact, I would invite mega city UNLV to the AAC and rotate all tournaments between New Orleans and Las Vegas. 
 

2. it’s not the student at UNT. We have to go after the community. San Antonio goes after the community and their students show up. We always try to go after alum or go after students but create a family fun environment for the kids of the Community and the parents will bring them. It works in Frisco with FC Dallas 8 sellouts this season, some being in the blazing heat and really cold. Hire a Stars or Mavericks exec to create energy and linkage with the community and watch the average attendance tick up and up and up. 
 

Students and dormant alum will show up when we are sexy and cool.

GMG

[Glory to the Green]

People want to support a winning program. People want to see “larger schools” competing in Apogee/DATCU stadium.  I largely think that I’m a fan due to attending UNT from 2001-2005.  I feel like JM is trying to grow the fan base from the current students. It will pay off in the upcoming years (and maybe even this year).  The team has to win, though.

Basketball is going to be VERY fun to watch this year. Final Four FAU, Memphis, UAB…and the type of basketball I anticipate us playing. I hope we market the crap out of the bball team.  And I hope we’re able to get on National TV and/or bring some big fish to Denton. 

[Jonnyeagle]

1 hour ago, NM Green said:

1. I believe we are perceived above our southland friends, now cusa with SH. I’ve followed New Mexico UNLV and Hawaii closely. We have better big programs than all those schools right now.  They are in the MWC but the AAC is about to surpass them as the strongest G5, just a notch below the PAC when Oregon and Washington depart. In fact, I would invite mega city UNLV to the AAC and rotate all tournaments between New Orleans and Las Vegas. 

Man you may well be right.  The PAC10 will be a shadow of its former self. I like where the AAC is positioned for the future.

[Cougar King]

Dropping down to FCS killed off a generation of fans. (Gen-Xers)

Dodgeball killed off my generation of fans.(Millennials)

 

A Texas State buddy of mine put it best. "We all go to the first home game, see that they suck again and wait til next year."

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Cougar King

[cogido]

4 hours ago, Cougar King said:

Dropping down to FCS killed off a generation of fans. (Gen-Xers)

Dodgeball killed off my generation of fans.(Millennials)

 

A Texas State buddy of mine put it best. "We all go to the first home game, see that they suck again and wait til next year."

 

 

 

Blunt - but pretty close .

[jtm0097]

9 hours ago, Cougar King said:

Dropping down to FCS killed off a generation of fans. (Gen-Xers)

Dodgeball killed off my generation of fans.(Millennials)

 

A Texas State buddy of mine put it best. "We all go to the first home game, see that they suck again and wait til next year."

 

 

 

The one time I agree with Cougar Queen.

A broken clock is right twice a day.

[MrAlien]

Getting the DFW community interested is a good point.  I met a couple people at basketball games last season that had no connection to the universities that jut came to see a good ballgame.  

[NT80]

4 hours ago, MrAlien said:

Getting the DFW community interested is a good point.  I met a couple people at basketball games last season that had no connection to the universities that jut came to see a good ballgame.  

There are a lot of transplants moving into the area.   They need a team to adopt.

Edited July 8, 2023 by NT80

[Side.Show.Joe]

It's simple.... Win and every few weeks, generate interesting press for the program. In C-USA it wasn't so simple. C-USA had no real media exposure. But now with ESPN behind us, if we can win and generate interesting press, the fans will show up and tune in. 

UNT has a great opportunity to beat Cal in Week 1. If we do beat Cal, I think Morris should sing the North Texas Fight song, while the players shave his head at the post-game press conference. That would generate the extra kind of media exposure UNT needs early in the season. I know ESPN would put that on College Game Day Finally. 

[Jonnyeagle]

1 hour ago, Side.Show.Joe said:

UNT has a great opportunity to beat Cal in Week 1.

How many times has UNT taken advantage of these huge opportunity games?  I would hazard a guess we have one the worst closing percentages in the history of ncaa

[NT80]

3 hours ago, Side.Show.Joe said:

It's simple.... Win and every few weeks, generate interesting press for the program. In C-USA it wasn't so simple. C-USA had no real media exposure. But now with ESPN behind us, if we can win and generate interesting press, the fans will show up and tune in. 

UNT has a great opportunity to beat Cal in Week 1. If we do beat Cal, I think Morris should sing the North Texas Fight song, while the players shave his head at the post-game press conference. That would generate the extra kind of media exposure UNT needs early in the season. I know ESPN would put that on College Game Day Finally. 

More Local media exposure is what UNT needs, and not just lame Vito coverage.   Improving the radio signal into DFW will help.  The DFW market is tough to get local TV and newspaper coverage during Fall with Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, Stars, Smut, TCU, Big12, et al all playing.

Our biggest asset is our size.... Size of student population, size of Alumni base, size of parent groups, employees, etc.  Word of mouth is very important to spread the word.   We have a better conference and better opponents to sell new fans this year!

[97and03]

23 hours ago, drex said:

Attendance is pathetic, but SMU is not any better.

But their fundraising is leaps and bounds above ours. 

[Side.Show.Joe]

3 hours ago, Jonnyeagle said:

How many times has UNT taken advantage of these huge opportunity games?  I would hazard a guess we have one the worst closing percentages in the history of ncaa

Yeah, well Morris is new, so maybe we're due to improve. 

[Side.Show.Joe]

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

More Local media exposure is what UNT needs, and not just lame Vito coverage.   Improving the radio signal into DFW will help.  The DFW market is tough to get local TV and newspaper coverage during Fall with Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, Stars, Smut, TCU, Big12, et al all playing.

Our biggest asset is our size.... Size of student population, size of Alumni base, size of parent groups, employees, etc.  Word of mouth is very important to spread the word.   We have a better conference and better opponents to sell new fans this year!

Personally, I think our marketing needs to be fought on two fronts. We have to generate Dallas media interest, so we can drive up our rating on ESPN. But we also need to target the cities and towns east, west, & north of Denton with local billboards and community involvement. Our alums in Decatur & Sherman and every small town within a 75-mile radius could really help fill our stadium on game days. Personally, I think we are more likely to draw them to our games, since they have fewer entertainment options than our alums in Dallas and Fort Worth. And, when people are watching our games they don't care where the fans came from, just that they are loud and making the game atmosphere exciting.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Side.Show.Joe

[UNTLifer]

49 minutes ago, Side.Show.Joe said:

Yeah, well Morris is new, so maybe we're due to improve. 

Yep. Can’t change history, as much as some try, but we can certainly change the future. 

[GrandGreen]

On 7/7/2023 at 7:04 PM, NT80 said:

$mut is a private school, has wealthy donors, high academics (but questionable integrity), and has a SWC history (with death penalty).  The PAC likes most all of that, except for maybe them being conservative and their religious affiliation.  They are in the DFW market and the PAC touts they will bring it to them, lol.  That's like saying UTA would do the same.

UNT is a huge public university that is rising again in Athletics.  We played Major College football back when it was labeled as such in the 50's-70's.  Then our Administration (Hurley) demoted us to 1-AA.   We were once in the MVC with Cincy, Louisville, Houston, Memphis, and Tulsa.  Think where we might be today had we not went to 1-AA and back.  But we are back now with Memphis and Tulsa and even caught up with Smut (to their dismay), lol.

Our potential in Football is rising, like Basketball and Softball.   We adapted to our other conferences and eventually won them.  We can also win in the AAC.   We can compete with anyone IF we find the right coach, keep the right players, and grow our fanbase and donors more.   Those are the keys going forward.

Why do you think SMU has high academics?  I am serious, I've been to both.

It depends on what courses you are taking, but to assume that more expensive means better academics is questionable.  

By the way, I liked SMU.   On a very limited very old sample, I thought SMU professors were better; but that is comparing grad to undergrad school.   Majoring in accounting at NT was much harder than anything I had at SMU.  

A big plus in favor of NT was the diversity and just the number of students that provided a much better social network.  I also liked the college town atmosphere much more than University Park.  

Frankly, I am not looking forward to NT playing SMU.  SMU with NIL has an enormous advantage.