Where do we go from here?

MeanGreenZen · April 14

Donor fatigue is real and it exists even in the P4. Can you imagine digging deep into your pocket for some real money, landing a targeted player and then the player sucks or the team sucks? Or what if the big money guy you spent for gets beat out by some two-star? Does the coach feel pressure to play the guy your big money booster paid for?

SMU2006 · April 15

On 4/14/2025 at 11:55 PM, MeanGreenZen said:

Donor fatigue is real and it exists even in the P4. Can you imagine digging deep into your pocket for some real money, landing a targeted player and then the player sucks or the team sucks? Or what if the big money guy you spent for gets beat out by some two-star? Does the coach feel pressure to play the guy your big money booster paid for?

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Yet spending has gone up exponentially across the board each year.

untcampbell · April 15

It's funny. I get the same adrenaline rush beating a top ranked softball team (and the same funk after a loss) as any G5 or higher football game. We have a poorly funded sports program. I think most of that is because we simply don't have many fans. We get a pretty good bang for our buck for the numbers of people that attend our games, of any sport.

The question is: if we are losing fans in droves, how long will we have a program?

I'm sticking around as long as they turn the lights on. And when they go off, that will be a tough loss and a funk that won't go away quickly.

By the way MGFinNO, your post that started this thread gave me about as much pleasure as one of those player goodbyes you called out. Pursue your happiness elsewhere if you must, but keep an open mind about a return. I'm not sure how the school reacts to this kind of talk, but this fan realizes we don't have that many to lose.

GMG

Aquila_Viridis · April 15

Sadly I have to agree with the concept there has been a continuing failure of the university leadership to go directly to the community and alumni at large and make a pitch. I can’t tell if it’s because they have always been too proud to beg for it, or if it’s because they have been told not to by their overlords in the state government, who are more committed to the other state and even private universities.

NT80 · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 2:24 AM, Aquila_Viridis said:

Sadly I have to agree with the concept there has been a continuing failure of the university leadership to go directly to the community and alumni at large and make a pitch. I can’t tell if it’s because they have always been too proud to beg for it, or if it’s because they have been told not to by their overlords in the state government, who are more committed to the other state and even private universities.

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I don't know who controls the leashes and muzzles for Athletics Admins now? Many years ago Athletics at UNT was told "hands off" from big University donors. They had to go find their own new donors.

I don't see a lot of any marketing or reach-out to community or alums with Jared & Co.

Aquila_Viridis · April 15

I really feel like these influences come from outside the university. I feel like there’s a vision of what our university’s role is supposed to be in the overall scheme of Texas universities, and it does not include NT being a big factor in major sports.

NT80 · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 12:39 AM, untcampbell said:

It's funny. I get the same adrenaline rush beating a top ranked softball team (and the same funk after a loss) as any G5 or higher football game. We have a poorly funded sports program. I think most of that is because we simply don't have many fans. We get a pretty good bang for our buck for the numbers of people that attend our games, of any sport.

The question is: if we are losing fans in droves, how long will we have a program?

I'm sticking around as long as they turn the lights on. And when they go off, that will be a tough loss and a funk that won't go away quickly.

By the way MGFinNO, your post that started this thread gave me about as much pleasure as one of those player goodbyes you called out. Pursue your happiness elsewhere if you must, but keep an open mind about a return. I'm not sure how the school reacts to this kind of talk, but this fan realizes we don't have that many to lose.

GMG

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I think our overall game attendance has actually grown a lot compared to what it was 10-15 years ago, back in our Sun Belt days, and before, etc. Better conference, better known teams.

The ADs have not done a good job getting more students to attend sports, and the city of Denton seems as aloof as ever that UNT even has college sports.

NorthTexasWeLove · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 2:32 AM, NT80 said:

I don't know who controls the leashes and muzzles for Athletics Admins now? Many years ago Athletics at UNT was told "hands off" from big University donors. They had to go find their own new donors.

I don't see a lot of any marketing or reach-out to community or alums with Jared & Co.

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The lazy 'give to us once a year with no transparency whatsoever day' is approaching. They have been marketing that.

NorthTexasWeLove · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 2:39 AM, Aquila_Viridis said:

I really feel like these influences come from outside the university. I feel like there’s a vision of what our university’s role is supposed to be in the overall scheme of Texas universities, and it does not include NT being a big factor in major sports.

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I honestly feel like you are onto something. Gotta cut that person(s) off at the knees... The carrot keeping us hush would certainly have to be funding... always follow the money.. who controls that directly to us? What university affiliation do they have...

Other option...

We could just be that inept?

untjim1995 · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 2:35 PM, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I honestly feel like you are onto something. Gotta cut that person(s) off at the knees... The carrot keeping us hush would certainly have to be funding... always follow the money.. who controls that directly to us? What university affiliation do they have...

Other option...

We could just be that inept?

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Its the last part...but apathy isn't really ineptness. Its intentionally not caring, but not wanting to piss of the very few donors the university has that actually make money and like athletics, so we ISD this thing to show we have D-1 sports, but then go and cap the knees of the teams by doing things like hosting a faculty luncheon during the day and saying that we can't host a home game against a regional power school that evening because its too costly.

wardly · April 15

On 4/13/2025 at 2:53 PM, GMG_Dallas said:

Are big donors upset about the basketball hire?

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I know two that are.

NT80 · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 4:30 PM, wardly said:

I know two that are.

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Upset at the hire, or upset we couldn't keep Ross, or upset our NIL didn't keep players?....or all the above?

Shark84 · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 4:30 PM, wardly said:

I know two that are.

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Robinson was a quality hire. Head coaching experience, 3 straight 20+ win seasons and experience at building a competitive roster without lots of NIL money. Some big basketball donors were not happy with the Hodge hiring but winning quiets a lot of critics.

MeanGreenZen · April 15

On 4/15/2025 at 8:12 PM, Shark84 said:

Robinson was a quality hire. Head coaching experience, 3 straight 20+ win seasons and experience at building a competitive roster without lots of NIL money. Some big basketball donors were not happy with the Hodge hiring but winning quiets a lot of critics.

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Given the resources we have, the hire was fine. The next bad basketball coach Jared Mosley hires will be the first bad basketball coach he has hired. He gets the benefit of the doubt on that from me until he funks it up.
Now the next time the Super Pit is not available for postseason basketball I am going to climb up to the top of that green lit tower and jump off it headfirst.

wardly · April 16

On 4/15/2025 at 4:38 PM, NT80 said:

Upset at the hire, or upset we couldn't keep Ross, or upset our NIL didn't keep players?....or all the above?

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Door #1

NT80 · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 1:03 AM, wardly said:

Door #1

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Understand.

I won't judge him until I see him and the team in action. Maybe others wanted more of a "name" coach, fired from a bigger program? We had a rebound HC in football, Bob Tyler from Miss St, that was a huge failure.

I wasn't familiar with Cleveland State, so the context of taking a coach from that far north without any Texas connection seemed like a reach to me. But, as others said, basketball recruiting is basically National now.

He checked a lot of boxes we were looking for...a DI coach with three straight 20+ win seasons, and likes a similar defensive style to what we have played...but now all those players are gone anyway so who cares?

UNTLifer · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 1:03 AM, wardly said:

Door #1

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Who did they want?

97and03 · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 2:50 AM, UNTLifer said:

Who did they want?

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And would they have paid for their choice?

Censored by Laurie · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 1:03 AM, wardly said:

Door #1

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I wonder if basketball was actually at the root of their dissent...

keith · April 16

On 4/14/2025 at 5:38 PM, SMU2006 said:

Or you could mobilize the 300,000 plus DFW alums of North Texas to contribute (even marginally) to NIL. If you did that UNT would be among the upper crust of the G5.

Its transactional now. If you want your team to retain players (and win) you have to pay for it. Period.

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As of the fall semester 2024, we have 171,751 alumni with a degree living in the DFW metroplex area and 283,287 total alumni with a degree still living world wide.

For the bolded part, this is certainly something that SMU would know about.

Edited April 16 by keith

wardly · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 11:54 AM, Censored by Laurie said:

I wonder if basketball was actually at the root of their dissent...

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It is, but the rest of us need to move on and hopefully they will join us.

untjim1995 · April 16

On 4/16/2025 at 12:21 PM, keith said:

As of the fall semester 2024, we have 171,751 alumni with a degree living in the DFW metroplex area and 283,287 total alumni with a degree still living world wide.

For the bolded part, this is certainly something that SMU would know about.

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As well as 46309 students enrolled.

Denton's population is estimated in 2024 to be 164k. Denton County's population is over 1 million.

So we got the following for crowds at DATCU last season for our 30th season of FBS play since the i-aa prison sentence was commuted after 1994:

23,510 for SFA (W)

27049 for Wyoming (W)

18529 for Tulsa (W)

23138 for Tulane (L)

28519 for Army (L)

17387 for East Carolina (L)

So, we got a total attendance, according to UNT's reported numbers, of 138,132...which averaged 23,022 a game.

Just gives you something to chew on.

NT80 · Wednesday at 07:10 PM

On 4/16/2025 at 6:33 PM, untjim1995 said:

As well as 46309 students enrolled.

Denton's population is estimated in 2024 to be 164k. Denton County's population is over 1 million.

So we got the following for crowds at DATCU last season for our 30th season of FBS play since the i-aa prison sentence was commuted after 1994:

23,510 for SFA (W)

27049 for Wyoming (W)

18529 for Tulsa (W)

23138 for Tulane (L)

28519 for Army (L)

17387 for East Carolina (L)

So, we got a total attendance, according to UNT's reported numbers, of 138,132...which averaged 23,022 a game.

Just gives you something to chew on.

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Here is a site for attendance numbers for all FBS programs> 2024, 2023, 5-year average, etc.

https://www.d1ticker.com/2024-fbs-attendance-trends/

As you mentioned: UNT: 2024 = 23,022 , 2023 = 17,761... +29.62%... 5-year average = 19,634

Side.Show.Joe · Wednesday at 07:49 PM

It will take a new generation if fans to get excited about the NIL/Portal age of college football. Most players are now mercenaries, playing to earn a bigger paycheck for the next season. I miss having our players being our players forever. Monday Night Football should just forget about announcing where players attended college. Many are going to have 4 or 5 different schools before their done playing college ball.

JimboF · Wednesday at 08:07 PM

This is the way I view the situation in general -- there are essentially a couple groups of schools these days, one group that has universities with resources to compete for national titles on a fairly regular basis, as well as one that includes schools whose athletic teams should focus on winning conference championships and bowl games, and attaining postseason tournament berths. I earned my bachelor's degree from UT-Austin and my master's degree from Texas State. I expect UT-Austin to win a team national title (men's or women's) in some sport each school year, whereas I feel like Texas State should realistically be competing for conference titles, bowl victories, and spots in postseason tournaments. Texas State can still hang conference championship banners from the rafters, and I think it's certainly something to be proud of. I believe North Texas has won three bowl games in its history, so perhaps UNT should be angling for winning bowl games in three consecutive seasons or making the NCAA tournament three straight years. I mean, what's wrong with that?