Do we stand a chance at the MWC?

GreenEddieNT · July 21, 2005

I've come to agree with PMG that the MWC is going to be a BCS league very soon, possibly by 2008, and it would be huge if we could join. Just imagine if UNT was a BCS school. We could go toe-to-toe with UT and A&M in recruiting and we'd have enough money for the new stadium. We could also afford to pay our people enough that we'd never have to worry about another school coming in and luring 'em away. I know we are facing some stiff competition. Fresno State, Boise State, Hawaii, UTEP, and Nevada are ahead of us at the moment so we would have to beat out at least 3 of those schools. Am I just dreaming or do we have a realistic chance?

meanrob · July 21, 2005

No.

GrayEagle · July 21, 2005

Dreaming.

Legend500 · July 21, 2005

Shows ambition. Wish we had more like that....

Seminole Indian · July 21, 2005

Am I just dreaming or do we have a realistic chance?

Well, TCU needs a travel partner but you could probably add a couple of the recent CUSA additions to the list of schools ahead of you to fill that spot.

GreenEddieNT · July 21, 2005

Well, TCU needs a travel partner but you could probably add a couple of the recent CUSA additions to the list of schools ahead of you to fill that spot.

Hmm...that sucks. Well, at least it would open up a spot for us in C-USA. Anything is an improvement over the Sun Belt. The reason I want us to get into the MWC is because it will probably be a BCS auto-bid league by 2008 and these days being part of the BCS club makes all the difference in the world. Those who are in become the haves and those on the outside are the have-nots. I just don't feel that C-USA has what it takes to earn BCS status and the Sun Belt is even worse, at least C-USA earns good revenue for its members and has more prestige than the 'Belt.

GreenEddieNT · July 21, 2005

Shows ambition. Wish we had more like that....

I feel that we need to make it a goal to be a BCS school and you can only do that by joining a BCS conference. The Big-12 is full so our best chance I think is to follow TCU into the Mountain West and hope they are able to get into the BCS. That's the only chance we have in the short run to become elite.

buff64 · July 21, 2005

Not until 30,000 show up at home games and all the old members of the WAC are considered for membership.

PlummMeanGreen · July 21, 2005

I've come to agree with PMG that the MWC is going to be a BCS league very soon, possibly by 2008, and it would be huge if we could join. Just imagine if UNT was a BCS school. We could go toe-to-toe with UT and A&M in recruiting and we'd have enough money for the new stadium. We could also afford to pay our people enough that we'd never have to worry about another school coming in and luring 'em away. I know we are facing some stiff competition. Fresno State, Boise State, Hawaii, UTEP, and Nevada are ahead of us at the moment so we would have to beat out at least 3 of those schools. Am I just dreaming or do we have a realistic chance?

I think the MWC is a worthy dream for NT, but we have to do some fairly dramatic (NT alumnus-based) moves in order to put ourselves ahead of other schools who are probably a few steps ahead of us.

TOO LONG A READ? <>*<> Then go to bottom of page and read the paragraphs below the dotted line & expecially if you as an NT alum and/or Mean Green fan can afford less than $1 a day in your household budget.

Yes, I do think that TCU made a good decision by removing themselves from the CUSA (specifically its West Division) because IMO they create a perception with some potential recruits that they are a half step or more ahead of the schools they left behind one of which was their DFW twin and fellow private school, Southern Methodist University.

I think one upmanship is what the non BCS is all about these days. That is why completing ALL venues at our Eagle Point Campus is so important for our own future and even in the Sun Belt where other schools are making noises of moving ahead of us by getting involved in all this athletic venue's arms race. NT is even moreso the bulls-eye target for about 7 other SBC football schools. Last year with all our close SBC football games was a pretty big indicator that they are closing the gap.

In the decades I've followed our alma mater, I've observed that we have a tendency of taking a big step (or 2) forward and then 3 back. I hope Pohl's resignation doesn't put us in that mode again and trust Bobby Ray and our Board of Regents will not allow any one person or campus group to have such influence as to put us in that tailspin, yet I don't think NT moves forward, continues our dominance in the SBC or get our football program to where beating a Top 25 school is not such a surprise until these 3 things happen:

(1) when we build a major college football stadium to finish out the Mean Green Athletic Village

(2) when we significantly build our season ticket base which would eventually produce better attendance

(3) when we build our Mean Green Club to such a level that it produces million$ (like U of Memphis' does at $5 million plus) because when that happens that allows NT to get its athletic budget to about $18-20 million where it would need to be to be competitive in the Mountain West Conference.

All this happening in Mean Green Country is not about Norval Pohl or his successor, its not about NT Athletic Director Rick Villarreal, its not about Coach Darrell Dickey and its not about NT Board of Regent chairman Bobby Ray, yet all this happening is about-------us.

Some NT alums: LET GEORGE DO IT!

None of us can coat-tail with all this and take the attitude of "let George do our part" (so to speak) but each of us in whatever way we can work it into our budgets, have to be the investors in all this because if its not us of GoMeanGreen.com who are our school's most vocal, the ones of the NT constituency who very loudly make our opinions and ideas known or if its not us who makes most of our dreams that have come from this message board come to fruition--then just who is it who will make our dreams come true?

..................................................................................................................

WHERE DOES ONE START? The ones who answer this number on campus: 1-800-UNT-2366 are NT Ticket Mgr. Gabe Kirkpatrick or one of his staff members..................Ask em' first how you can join the $250 level for less than $1.00 a day?

They can help you toward the purchase of 2005 MG FB season tickets and/or explain to you how one can budget the Mean Green Club in most anyone's household budget. Can your budget afford less than $1 per day? If so, then that would get you that exclusive $250 annual MG Club membership (with close parking decal) and the opportunity to buy 2005 MG FB season ticket to even sit in "prime seating" Section E (between both 40 yard lines I think)

So..........you are an out-of-town alum or fan and can't make all or any of the games? Gabe and staff can tell you how you can buy season tickets and make some (or all) of your season tickets available to others in or near Denton who may have a problem attending any Mean Green football game this Fall.

Edited July 21, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

NCMeanGreen · July 21, 2005

1. Win more OOC games (Tulsa, La Tech, etc.)

2. Attendance AT LEAST @ 25K consistently

3. Football Stadium

Not necessarily in that order, either, as each will help feed the other...

stebo · July 21, 2005

All Div I conferences are now BCS. The MWC stands the best chance of stealig the Big East's auto bid but I am sure that the BE will find a way to get around that anyways.

UNTLifer · July 21, 2005

All Div I conferences are now BCS.

In theory only.

Seminole Indian · July 21, 2005

In theory only.

It's much more than theory. Granted you have to move ahead of the Conference ahead of you but just ask the Big East if it is theory.

PlummMeanGreen · July 21, 2005

It's much more than theory. Granted you have to move ahead of the Conference ahead of you but just ask the Big East if it is theory.

My .02 is the eastern sports writers will not be wanting to cover the Big East as much if they are suddenly dropped out of the elite BCS group.

Anyone want to know the power and influence of the eastern sports-writing crowd? Just ask a boat load of Dallas Cowboys who cannot get into the NFL Hall of Fame because of their influence. If Big East Commish' Tranghese were smart, he would be mobilizing that entire bloc of eastern sports writers to help his cause.

Hopefully, in due time, the NCAA will make all this a non-issue for the Big East, MWC, WAC, MAC and the Sun Belt. That might be a pipe dream, but stranger things have happened within the NCAA.

Edited July 21, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

GrayEagle · July 21, 2005

Somehow I get the feeling that when Notre Dame's TV contract runs out that they will become a member of the Big East for football (which would make them a full member) and thus keep the Big East's auto bid. They might even be able to talk Army, Navy and one other to form a 12-team league, thereby cementing their remaining in the Big 6.

taynt7 · July 21, 2005

yeah no chance.....sun belt baby!

Greeneagle87 · July 21, 2005

To get into the MWC we need:

1)32000+ attendance

2)new football stadium

3)top 25 team in something OTHER than football.

4)15k of 32k in stands to be incredibly attractice women.(to boost attendance of dudes to 70k)

taynt7 · July 21, 2005

we should probably get busy on getting some local support before we can expect ANY from anyone or anywhere else

ArkansasEagle · July 21, 2005

If NT ever wanted to make a jump to the MWC, in which I feel we would fit right in and be competitive.......we need to have at least 30,000 at all of the home games. Any conference would love to see us travel with at least 15,000 fans.

At the Univ of Arkansas, there football stadium was crap when they joined the SEC, however, the SEC wanted the hogs because of their traveling fans.

Everything in higher ed and the world, hinges on $$$$....if we could get our attendance up, any conference would come flirting.

GO MEAN GREEN....BEAT LSU

Seminole Indian · July 21, 2005

At the Univ of Arkansas, there football stadium was crap when they joined the SEC, however, the SEC wanted the hogs because of their traveling fans.

Now their football team is crap, but their stadium, actually all their facilities are first rate. The problem is there are not enough schools like Rice, Baylor, SMU, or Houston, in the SEC to pad their conference won/loss record. This isn’t going to change until they join the Big 10, which is where they would be today if old needle nose hadn’t jumped the gun. Then they can really recruit Texas again.

UNTLifer · July 21, 2005

Now their football team is crap, but their stadium, actually all their facilities are first rate. The problem is there are not enough schools like Rice, Baylor, SMU, or Houston, in the SEC to pad their conference won/loss record. This isn’t going to change until they join the Big 10, which is where they would be today if old needle nose hadn’t jumped the gun. Then they can really recruit Texas again.

Why would the being in the Big 10 be better for Arkansas' Texas recruiting than the SEC? The SEC is a better conference and is southern based. Now if Broyles would have waited and been part of the Big XII with the other Texas teams they would have never lost their Texas ties.

PlummMeanGreen · July 21, 2005

If NT ever wanted to make a jump to the MWC, in which I feel we would fit right in and be competitive.......we need to have at least 30,000 at all of the home games. Any conference would love to see us travel with at least 15,000 fans.
At the Univ of Arkansas, there football stadium was crap when they joined the SEC, however, the SEC wanted the hogs because of their traveling fans.
Everything in higher ed and the world, hinges on $$$$....if we could get our attendance up, any conference would come flirting.
GO MEAN GREEN....BEAT LSU

Back while in high school, I once took the HS sweetheart to Rice Stadium to see the Owls and Arkansas Razorbacks and the Hogs literally had more fans than the home team. Not so unusual at Rice, of course.

Maybe the SEC wanted those visiting Hog fans back when they first brought Arkansas into their league, but there has (somewhat) been an evolution take place with the Big Boys it seems in recent years and that is: Just how many of the Texas', TAMU's, Tennessee's and the like even have the luxury of allotting large numbers of tickets (with a view) to visiting fans anymore?

Back in the day, NT could buy as many ticket to go down and play the Longhorns as we wanted, but now look what tickets they are giving NT. I have not been back to UT since. So my new take on all this now is: What the heck, save gas, hotel expenses and just give that money to the MG Club or buy an additional season ticket or 2 because we all know that NT athletics needs the money (and additional butts at Fouts) a helluva lot more than UT does.

The Big Boys are all mostly filling their stadiums with their own fans now. It really does seem like a whole new era because of that, too. We still have some work ahead at NT before we can tell our visiting teams that they can only have 500 tickets because that is all we can spare. What a happy day when that time in our future does arrive and hopefully sooner than later.

Edited July 22, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

Seminole Indian · July 22, 2005

Now their football team is crap, but their stadium, actually all their facilities are first rate. The problem is there are not enough schools like Rice, Baylor, SMU, or Houston, in the SEC to pad their conference won/loss record. This isn’t going to change until they join the Big 10, which is where they would be today if old needle nose hadn’t jumped the gun. Then they can really recruit Texas again.

meangreen2012 · July 22, 2005

Well i believe it is a small possibility. I heard from other places ( star telegram ect.) that UNT is on the short lists of schools the Moutain West is considering expanding to. Think about it, they get two decent Mid major texas schools allowing there presense in a bigger market. The likely hood is probably small for the Mountain West, but CUSA would be an improvment.

FirefightnRick · July 22, 2005

Well i believe it is a small possibility. I heard from other places ( star telegram ect.) that UNT is on the short lists of schools the Moutain West is considering expanding to.

In monday or tuesday's Startlegram the MWC commissioner was qouted as saying their expansion ended with TCU. And after the magic wand that was waved with Louisville at the end of last season so that their new conference could count them them as a member so they could miss having to go their first year without a team ranked in the top 10, preventing the first step towards losing it's BCS rating, then there is no way the MWC will become a true BCS. No way.

I predict TCU is headed for a huge train wreck.

Rick