How Can We Get Denton Involved?

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Forget the past, what are some ways that we can get the City of Denton to support the Mean Green in greater numbers?

If we could get 10% of Denton County to attend football games, then the demand would far exceed our current stadium capacity. Even 5% would do the trick when adding in the student attendance and the alumni that are from other counties. If these people bought season tickets, we could issue bonds and get this stadium built in less than two years.

I have a few suggestions that might help. Maybe others have some suggestions as well.

1. Update the Athletic Village video and have the UNT Coaching Staff and Athletic Department present it to every organization in the county that will accept it. Most organizations are looking for programs and this will at least get the message out to those who have the most community spirit. Even go beyond the county to any organization within a hundred miles that might be interested. If we need a bake sale, car wash or whatever for expenses, then let the Mean Green Club do it.

2. The largest Fouts attendance to date was vs. Baylor when the Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting in conjunction with the game festivities. Make this an annual event.

3. Give a 50% discount to first time season ticket holders. No donation would be required unless the holder wanted seats in Section E.

4. Giveaway a car, vacation, or whatever else we can get in donations at the last home game. Give a year's scholarship to a student. Use ticket stubs or specially designed tickets that can be deposited in a large hopper at each game. You can only put your ticket in the hopper if you attend the game.

5. Organize volunteers to distribute letters, along with a season ticket applications, to virtually every household in Denton and, if possible, all of Denton County.

Others may have some ideas concerning promotions and advertising. If so, jump in and we'll forward them all to the Athletic Department and maybe they will pick one or more that they feel that they can accomplish within budget.

IMO, the Mean Green Club should be a club in the strictest sense with meetings, ideas, and volunteers to carry them out. We want to help the AD, not control it. Or at least this part of we does.

[Bryan316]

The city had North Texas banners on the light poles on Carroll and around the Square, but the duststorm at the end of February tore almost all of them. I was actually hoping to find one on the road for my room, but alas... Last I saw, they were replaced with Denton Jazz Festival ones. Hopefully the NT ones will come back once football season starts.

[GreenBat]

The city had North Texas banners on the light poles on Carroll and around the Square, but the duststorm at the end of February tore almost all of them. I was actually hoping to find one on the road for my room,

Bryan were you planning on buying one or as normal college students do, make off with one on a 5 finger discount? If you are going to purchase one, let me know how much they cost? If you were going to 5 finger discount it, shame on you.

[UNTflyer]

I'm sorry, but I see a much better turnout on the alumni side than I do on the student side. Same for the home basketball games.

A school of 36,000 students that offers FREE admission to all home games should be able to nearly fill the student side. So my question is...

How can we get the students involved?

[NT80]

How can we get the students involved?

Play teams they have heard of, we need in CUSA.

[DeepGreen]

Play teams they have heard of, we need in CUSA.

And win.

[MCMLXXX]

Todd Dodge has already made a big difference.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

First, the students don't exactly get in free....they just prepaid at a reduced rate. Every full-time student pays a fee that goes to the athletic department, regardless of whether they attend or not. It's much better for the team though if the student body strongly supports their efforts. But, regardless of the number of students that attend, that doesn't create another dime of revenue other than the concessions that they purchase.

What does create additional revenue is ticket sales. That comes from supporters, whether they be alumni or fans.

Yes, I heartily agree that being in CUSA would greatly enhance our attendance. The problem is that we are not in CUSA. So, we have to have an entertaining team that fans will want to see, regardless of whom we play. We should try to make the two non-conference home opponents a name that is familiar to all. We should have a conference that is balanced so that there are no real 'gimmies'. We have to get enough attendance on a consistent basis that when an opening in CUSA does happen we'd be a shoo in.

[MeanGreengdub]

I'm a student and the people I know that don't go to games don't go because "we suck" which we did. But, it was nice to hear them asking me when the spring game was because they knew about Dodge so hes sparked some interest in the student body. But ya, win more football games than you lose and you'll get students in the seats, period. All the give-a-ways and gimmicks are great but winning is the biggest thing that get's students in the seats.

[DeepGreen]

...win more football games than you lose and you'll get students in the seats, period. All the give-a-ways and gimmicks are great but winning is the biggest thing that get's students in the seats.

End of subject.

[emmitt01]

We need more yard signs!

[UNTLifer]

Play teams they have heard of, we need in CUSA.

I know this isn't popular at NT yet, but how about just going to support your university regardless of who we play?

[MeanGreengdub]

I know this isn't popular at NT yet, but how about just going to support your university regardless of who we play?

touche

[GoMeanGreen1999]

First, the students don't exactly get in free....they just prepaid at a reduced rate. Every full-time student pays a fee that goes to the athletic department, regardless of whether they attend or not. It's much better for the team though if the student body strongly supports their efforts. But, regardless of the number of students that attend, that doesn't create another dime of revenue other than the concessions that they purchase.

This is really splitting hairs here - at the end of the day, the students can't get out of paying this fee, therefore they get in free.

If they really, truely want the stadium full, there are ways to publicize it to get it done. We were pretty close at the Baylor game a few years back. The Athletic Department could, and I say could offer the tickets in the end zones for $3-5 dollars a piece and you would sell them, but they are not going to do that. If I had no connection to UNT other than the fact that I lived in Denton, I wouldn't pay more than $5 to sit in those end zone seats, with them being as far away from the action as they are.

[BonfireBrian]

I know this isn't popular at NT yet, but how about just going to support your university regardless of who we play?

Nah! That just plain doesn't make any sense.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I know this isn't popular at NT yet, but how about just going to support your university regardless of who we play?

See, I actually agree with this a lot. If the students had more pride in UNT, we wouldn't have a problem. It really starts a the student level. If you in grain it in your freshman, and then have them learn the traditions, over time, you will see significant increase in attendence at your sporting events. How many freshman go to "Fish" camp at A & M each year where they learn the traditions and each other? A very significant amount of the freshman go.

[NT80]

I know this isn't popular at NT yet, but how about just going to support your university regardless of who we play?

Won't happen so why do we keep complaining about it? You can't force student's loyalty to attend to change; the only thing you can influence is why they might want to attend: giveaways, concerts, food, attractive opponent, etc.

[MeanGreengdub]

Won't happen so why do we keep complaining about it? You can't force student's loyalty to attend to change; the only thing you can influence is why they might want to attend: giveaways, concerts, food, attractive opponent, etc.

WINNING.

Trust me. Look at any sports organization that has struggled but once they started winning, everyone was a fan. Kinda like the Mavs. No one was really crazy about the Mavs in the 90's but now there are tons of Mavs fans and they sell out all the time because they win. And ya, Cuban is great at marketing his team but it still comes down to winning.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Winning is a no-brainer. How do you get them here before you have an established winning record? I have NO doubt that Dodgeball will be a winner but even before then I think that it will be entertaining. I want to get arm weary with "another Mean Green first down!:. I also want a stadium full of fans to enjoy that with me.

Frankly, I think that if you can get them that you will get them back bwcause they will enjoy it but first you have to get them here. School spirit is picking up. Fish Camp increases its attendance every year. We also have a decent core of alumni that are there most games but we need at least another five or ten thousand more.

Winning takes time but it will come. We want a stadium ready when the winning becomes obvious.

[NT80]

WINNING.

Trust me. Look at any sports organization that has struggled but once they started winning, everyone was a fan. Kinda like the Mavs. No one was really crazy about the Mavs in the 90's but now there are tons of Mavs fans and they sell out all the time because they win. And ya, Cuban is great at marketing his team but it still comes down to winning.

Why did 25,000 show up for SMUt last year? It wasn't because we were winning; we had just lost 56-7 the previous week and were 2-9 the previous season. It was the opponent. And BTW, only 1,500 at most were SMUt fans. Why did only 9,000 show up for FIU? Because of the opponent. Yes, a winning season would have produced more attendance for FIU, but not 25,000.

Edited May 12, 2007 by NT80

[MeanGreengdub]

Why did 25,000 show up for SMUt last year? It wasn't because we were winning; we had just lost 56-7 the previous week and were 2-9 the previous season. It was the opponent. And BTW, only 1,500 at most were SMUt fans. Why did only 9,000 show up for FIU? Because of the opponent. Yes, a winning season would have produced more attendance for FIU, but not 25,000.

Just a little reminder...it was also the first home game of the season so that helps with attendance. The Rangers suck every year but Opening Day is always sold out.

[trud1966]

QUOTE(NT80 @ May 12 2007, 02:20 PM)

Why did 25,000 show up for SMUt last year? It wasn't because we were winning; we had just lost 56-7 the previous week and were 2-9 the previous season. It was the opponent. And BTW, only 1,500 at most were SMUt fans. Why did only 9,000 show up for FIU? Because of the opponent. Yes, a winning season would have produced more attendance for FIU, but not 25,000.

Just a little reminder...it was also the first home game of the season so that helps with attendance. The Rangers suck every year but Opening Day is always sold out.

Obviously, there are several right answers to that very question, and I agree with both of these answers. There also is alot of truth in the fact that we need to start winning to fill that stadium. The way I see it, it's pretty simple. We're caught in this viscious circle of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. Some will argue well, if we win, that will fill the stadium, which is more revenue, which pays for a stadium, coaching contracts (extensions) promotional advertising, the list goes on. Others will argue that we cant win until the coaching is in place. So obviosly, we're stuck in this quagmire until someone steps up. Should it be the AD with better coaching, or are we just going to have to get it done with the players we have? Well, obviously, the AD finally took a step with TD, and he in turn did his part by bringing in an entirely new staff. Not only should people think highly of TD because of everything we've read about the guy and his proven success in Southlake. But he (or others in his position) are REALLY sticking their neck out in a first time head coaching position. I'm confident he'll do fine, but if you think he doesnt worry about things going wrong, well then that's a bit inhuman. Ok, I'll off tanget , but basically, RV took a GIGANTIC LEAP, TD is taking a huge leap. We cant just sit here and SEE if it works or not. THE NT community is somehow going to step up as well, possibly volunteering to put out promotional stuff around the town, organizing pep rallies, giveaways, etc. We can all wait for UNT to organize this and criticize when they dont. But they do only have so many people and only so much of an operating budget. The school is always willing to accept money, so I doubt they'd turn down free promotion as well. Everyone wants a new stadium, but we're gonna have to earn it and fill the bad one for now. The real reason UNT needs to build a new facility will be because of needed expansion, NOT just simply, "the one we have is crappy". Crappy+Empty doesnt equal New Stadium.

Ok I've bitched enough, and really have done nothing other than point out the obvious. So someone tell me about UNT's fish-camp and what they have done in the past for incoming freshmen? Like what is the typical schedule of events? How long is it? Maybe we could all review it and point out ways to iimprove it this year? There's alot of smart people on this board, and probably willing to help.

[greenminer]

Winning and who we play go hand in hand in helping attendance.

[greenjoe]

Have a drawing during an undisclosed point in the game. Offer a student free tuitiion for the next semester based on the number of hours they are taking the previous semester, or a refund of the semester they are currently enrolled in. You must be present to win. They drawing is for the entire student body. Sometimes the drawing would be right before/after kickoff. Sometimes as late as the third or fourth quarter.

Join the Mean Green Club

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GO MEAN GREEN

[Bryan316]

Bryan were you planning on buying one or as normal college students do, make off with one on a 5 finger discount? If you are going to purchase one, let me know how much they cost? If you were going to 5 finger discount it, shame on you.

While yes, shame on me and my plans to acquire one that was torn from the light pole, after the winds and dirt have ripped them off of the light poles and blown them to who knows where, there's not a lot the school could do with them other than throw them in the trash. Hopefully next time they'll cut flaps in them so the wind can pass through.