Talked To Rick Tonight About The Stadium

[UNTflyer]

I've never seen the man so excited about the stadium project. He said everything is on schedule, corporate fund raising *IS* going on, and that we are still on target to break ground late spring/early summer. The legislation will be introduced in January and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will pass early rather than later in the session.

[VideoEagle]

That's great news. It's good to read the nattering nabobs of negativism who think the sun won't shine until we fire Todd Dodge are wrong. A lot of positive things are happening although they insist all is lost.

[Green Dozer]

Good news, thanks Flyer.

[Aquila_Viridis]

I've never seen the man so excited about the stadium project. He said everything is on schedule, corporate fund raising *IS* going on, and that we are still on target to break ground late spring/early summer. The legislation will be introduced in January and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will pass early rather than later in the session.

If this requires legislation I fully expect the UT, SMU, TCU, A&M and Texas Tech lobbies to get it killed.

[DeepGreen]

If this requires legislation I fully expect the UT, SMU, TCU, A&M and Texas Tech lobbies to get it killed.

Why would they kill it? Didn't UTSA, Lamar, and Texas State require similar legislation for their student/athletic fees to pass? Or, is North Texas the only state university not allowed to improve their athletic programs?

Edited November 27, 2008 by DeepGreen

[H-towngreen]

Flyer you are a liar!!! Doom and gloom surrounds the program. We're not getting a stadium, Dodge is getting fired, RV is leaving, We're not getting helmet stickers, and our colors are changing again....doom and gloom.

[Aquila_Viridis]

Why would they kill it? Didn't UTSA, Lamar, and Texas State require similar legislation for their student/athletic fees to pass? Or, is North Texas the only state university not allowed to improve their athletic programs?

Why wouldn't they? North Texas is the only school that has the potential to materially impact those other schools in terms of community interest and recruiting.

Maybe you don't remember how poorly NT's effort to establish a law school fared in the legislature. Until the residents of DFW wake up to the fact they are getting the shaft not having a major public university in their region, we can expect more of the same. The idea that this region is properly served by TCU and SMU is tragic. They are only accessible to a few.

[NT80]

I've never seen the man so excited about the stadium project. He said everything is on schedule, corporate fund raising *IS* going on, and that we are still on target to break ground late spring/early summer. The legislation will be introduced in January and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will pass early rather than later in the session.

Thanks Flyer for the update. Did RV mention when the public phase of the fundraising/info would happen?

[UNTflyer]

Why wouldn't they? North Texas is the only school that has the potential to materially impact those other schools in terms of community interest and recruiting.

Maybe you don't remember how poorly NT's effort to establish a law school fared in the legislature. Until the residents of DFW wake up to the fact they are getting the shaft not having a major public university in their region, we can expect more of the same. The idea that this region is properly served by TCU and SMU is tragic. They are only accessible to a few.

The reason the law school failed had nothing to do with anti-UNT sentiment. It had to do with one legislator getting into a tiff with another regarding eminent domain legislation.

[Aquila_Viridis]

The reason the law school failed had nothing to do with anti-UNT sentiment. It had to do with one legislator getting into a tiff with another regarding eminent domain legislation.

Interesting. It seems unlikely that 2 legislators swung the entire process. You know I am paranoid; even if it sounds convincing I will say it's a cover-up. The point is, don't take it for granted. It seems like there has been a pattern of abuse over the decades that has left one of the nation's most significant metropolitan regions without a major public university. It can't all be coincidence.

[NT80]

Interesting. It seems unlikely that 2 legislators swung the entire process. You know I am paranoid; even if it sounds convincing I will say it's a cover-up. The point is, don't take it for granted. It seems like there has been a pattern of abuse over the decades that has left one of the nation's most significant metropolitan regions without a major public university. It can't all be coincidence.

Flyer is correct, the Law School got attached to a very emotional issue for a couple legislators and they basically killed it on a technicality.

[Aquila_Viridis]

Flyer is correct, the Law School got attached to a very emotional issue for a couple legislators and they basically killed it on a technicality.

It appears this is coming up again early in 2009, though I have mixed feelings about it as it will ultimately be a part of the 'separate identity' (remember the blue and yellow jaguar) UNT Dallas.

[Huff]

It is amazing how you can get two completely different responses from two different people on the same subject. Last Saturday night in Denton the President of the University told me that there would not be any ground breaking for a stadium this Spring and sounded like it was still a long way into the future. No wonder we are all confused about what is going to happen and when. It will be intersting to see which person got it right - the President or the Athletic Director.

[houstonmeangreen]

I've never seen the man so excited about the stadium project. He said everything is on schedule, corporate fund raising *IS* going on, and that we are still on target to break ground late spring/early summer. The legislation will be introduced in January and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will pass early rather than later in the session.

Thanks for the info UNT Flyer. Last time I talked with RV he said after the student approval HKS, inc would finalize the drawings of the actual design in Nov but the actual blueprints, which would cost maybe 3.5 million would be done after the legislative approval. so....I wounder when the drawings of what we are actually going to build are going to be available to post....how close will they be to the model we had by H&S Partners? Any idea?

[DeepGreen]

It is amazing how you can get two completely different responses from two different people on the same subject. Last Saturday night in Denton the President of the University told me that there would not be any ground breaking for a stadium this Spring and sounded like it was still a long way into the future. No wonder we are all confused about what is going to happen and when. It will be intersting to see which person got it right - the President or the Athletic Director.

Somehow I'd tend to believe the President of North Texas.

[BleedGreen64]

The plans were drawn up by F&S Partners.

Did the woman from Arlinton who killed the law school get reelected?

[UNT90]

The plans were drawn up by F&S Partners.

Did the woman from Arlinton who killed the law school get reelected?

If your referring to Diane Patrick, yes she did.

[UNTflyer]

It was Yvonne Davis.

May 27--AUSTIN -- A bill creating a University of North Texas law school in downtown Dallas slipped out of reach on Saturday, following days of political maneuvering by area lawmakers hoping to prevent another two-year wait to establish the school.

The measure had been attached to a divisive eminent domain bill that was derailed on a technicality by Dallas' own Rep. Yvonne Davis.

[eulessismore]

It was Yvonne Davis.

May 27--AUSTIN -- A bill creating a University of North Texas law school in downtown Dallas slipped out of reach on Saturday, following days of political maneuvering by area lawmakers hoping to prevent another two-year wait to establish the school.

The measure had been attached to a divisive eminent domain bill that was derailed on a technicality by Dallas' own Rep. Yvonne Davis.

Well, I hope there is a strategy which the relevant UNT staff have for preventing this matter from suffering the same fate as the law school legislation. I believe that would basically consist of getting it to the floor early in the session.

[yyz28]

It is amazing how you can get two completely different responses from two different people on the same subject. Last Saturday night in Denton the President of the University told me that there would not be any ground breaking for a stadium this Spring and sounded like it was still a long way into the future. No wonder we are all confused about what is going to happen and when. It will be intersting to see which person got it right - the President or the Athletic Director.

It's called under promise, over deliver.

So far all the doomsdayer's have been dead wrong about this project, so I'm going to bank on Flyer and RV on this one. If RV says Spring ground breaking, I'll believe it until we have concrete evidence to the contrary.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Interesting. It seems unlikely that 2 legislators swung the entire process. You know I am paranoid; even if it sounds convincing I will say it's a cover-up. The point is, don't take it for granted. It seems like there has been a pattern of abuse over the decades that has left one of the nation's most significant metropolitan regions without a major public university. It can't all be coincidence.

Actually, yes they did. The bill passed the senate but when it got to the house it was tacked on as an amendment to an eminent domain bill and that is the reason it failed. It was never voted on as a stand alone bill; merely caught up in the infighting of another bill.

The only thing that we have ever been voted down on was a name change back in the 80s. We tried to become Texas State University by dropping the "North." We were told that name was held for Texas A&M for a possible change in the future (e.g. Oklahoma A&M = Oklahoma State).

IMO there has never been a pattern blocking us from being a metropolitan force in the manner of the University of Houston. We have lacked the leadership, money and legislative clout to accomplish this in the past. The last three presidents have been providing leadership in that direction and we are gaining some legislative clout but we still need a Hugh Roy Cullen type for financial assistance. I don't think that the time is very far away.

Edited November 27, 2008 by GrayEagleOne

[3XNTGRAD]

The only thing that we have ever been voted down on was a name change back in the 80s. We tried to become Texas State University by dropping the "North." We were told that name was held for Texas A&M for a possible change in the future (e.g. Oklahoma A&M = Oklahoma State).

We flirted with the Texas State name in the 80s, but never asked for it -- so it was not voted on. I actually had a conversation with Dr. Hurley (I was a student at the time) about the choice between TSU or UNT as names before the name change was sent to Austin. I sided with UNT because "North Texas" was who we were and it united us all the way back to Normal days as alums.

[houstonmeangreen]

The plans were drawn up by F&S Partners.

Did the woman from Arlinton who killed the law school get reelected?

We are not using plans by H&S partners....those were concept plans...the stadium we build will be designed by HKS and the blueprints will be by them also. Don't expect the model you saw to be what you get....how close?, I just don't know, maybe someone else does. RV said the stadium drawings will be done in Nov, but the blueprints for construction will be done after legislature approval because they cost 3.5 million.

So, how close will the new stadium be to the model we have by H& S Partners?

[NT80]

We are not using plans by H&S partners....those were concept plans...the stadium we build will be designed by HKS and the blueprints will be by them also. Don't expect the model you saw to be what you get....how close?, I just don't know, maybe someone else does. RV said the stadium drawings will be done in Nov, but the blueprints for construction will be done after legislature approval because they cost 3.5 million.

So, how close will the new stadium be to the model we have by H& S Partners?

I have a hard time believing blueprints for a simple stadium would cost $3.5 million, that's crazy. And I know the drawings all had "concept" plastered on them for liability sake but why would they trot out drawings and a model that wouldn't be close to what we wanted? I think most all were happy with the design and greatly preferred it over the previous "concept" drawings back a few years ago. They would be taking a big chance to come up with a completely new design all over again; but they don't ask us for our opinions, right?

[NT80]

We flirted with the Texas State name in the 80s, but never asked for it -- so it was not voted on. I actually had a conversation with Dr. Hurley (I was a student at the time) about the choice between TSU or UNT as names before the name change was sent to Austin. I sided with UNT because "North Texas" was who we were and it united us all the way back to Normal days as alums.

I've heard Texas State was not available because the Texas State University System has rights to that name and we're not a part of it. I like that "North Texas" is linked to all our past names but if I had a choice I would have taken Texas State in an instant. Big mistake we made there if it was available. It's much less regional for a name and better credibility Nationally overall as a name.