Unt To Host Lsu, Tech, Rice

NT80 · November 3, 2009

November 2, 2009

UNT finalizing deals with LSU, Texas Tech

9:13 PM Mon, Nov 02, 2009 | Permalink

Brett Vito

UNT has been hinting over the past few weeks that Johnny Jones and the athletic department were close to finalizing a couple of gems when it comes to the Mean Green's nonconference basketball schedule for the next few seasons.

I stopped by practice today and Jones said UNT was far enough into the process that he could share the details with me.

LSU and Texas Tech are coming to the Super Pit.

UNT will play at LSU in the 2010-11 season before hosting the Tigers in 2011-12. Texas Tech will play at UNT in 2010-11 before UNT heads to Lubbock in 2011-12.

Rice will also play at UNT in 2010-11 in a return game. The Mean Green plays at Rice on Dec. 5.

The contracts still have to be finalized, but at this point it seems like it is a matter of making sure the paperwork is in order.

Needless to say, this is a huge win for UNT and an indication of just how far the basketball program has come in the last few years. Jones indicated that getting both LSU and Tech to Denton is a sign of the respect the coaches of those programs have for the Mean Green.

The LSU series will be interesting just from the human interest angle that goes along with UNT's head coach. Jones was a great player for the Tigers and was also an assistant coach at the school for a long time. He interviewed for the coaching job there the last time it came open.

Getting Texas Tech on the schedule will also be interesting for UNT. There is a huge contingent of Tech fans in the area. Heck, about half of our sports staff at the DRC is Tech graduates who are big time Red Raiders fans.

Both games should draw big crowds and rank up there with the game two years ago when the Mean Green hosted Oklahoma State. UNT won that game behind Josh White.

Could UNT be in for another upset win? Who knows? At least the Mean Green will have a chance. That opportunity is another step in the right direction for a program that has become the headliner for the UNT athletic department.

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/

bstnsportsfan3 · November 3, 2009

sweet, i cant wait!

congrats on the AD for getting this and congrats on basketball for having enough success for this to happen

NT03 · November 3, 2009

Man I'm good. I guessed both Tech & LSu .... pure luck btw

CMJ · November 3, 2009

I had Tech based on that old rumor that we had a handshake deal with them from like....10 years ago that Bobby Knight backed out of.

UNT90 · November 3, 2009

The Tech game will be a be a very good time. I wish it was TA&M instead of Rice, but I'm not griping.

What's with half the DRC staff being Red Raiders???? They can't hire the local college talent? It does explain some of the slanted articles, though. Our football victories in the late 80s and early 90s probably still leave a bitter taste in their mouth.

drex · November 3, 2009

Well, it is only right that the Record Chronicle hire Tech grads....haven't you heard of the tremendous reputation of the Tech school of journalism? For that matter, haven't you heard of the highly regarded Oklahoma State school of journalism, where Bill Patterson went? If it makes you feel any better, in about a year or two half the sports staff at the RC will mean just one person.

UNT90 · November 3, 2009

Well, it is only right that the Record Chronicle hire Tech grads....haven't you heard of the tremendous reputation of the Tech school of journalism? For that matter, haven't you heard of the highly regarded Oklahoma State school of journalism, where Bill Patterson went? If it makes you feel any better, in about a year or two half the sports staff at the RC will mean just one person.

Thought that this was already the case.

TheTastyGreek · November 3, 2009

Thought that this was already the case.

They were actually hiring a new sportswriter position (which is almost unheard of lately) a little less than a year ago.

Censored by Laurie · November 3, 2009

They were actually hiring a new sportswriter position (which is almost unheard of lately) a little less than a year ago.

You got hosed.

TheTastyGreek · November 3, 2009

You got hosed.

Despite my dad's exhortations, I never applied. The sexual tension with Vito would have been unbearable.

Keith7 · November 3, 2009

Well, it is only right that the Record Chronicle hire Tech grads....haven't you heard of the tremendous reputation of the Tech school of journalism? For that matter, haven't you heard of the highly regarded Oklahoma State school of journalism, where Bill Patterson went? If it makes you feel any better, in about a year or two half the sports staff at the RC will mean just one person.

I hope you're joking.. the NT Daily beats them at TIPA year in and year out.. the tech journalism school is a joke, you're better off going to UTA than texas tech..

CMJ · November 3, 2009

I mean, sportswriters don't always cover the areas they're from? I doubt every sportswriter for the DMN, or FWST is from the metroplex, or went to school at SMU or TCU.

untjim1995 · November 3, 2009

I mean, sportswriters don't always cover the areas they're from? I doubt every sportswriter for the DMN, or FWST is from the metroplex, or went to school at SMU or TCU.

Shhh..don't let this little nugget of truth get out. The media giant that is the DRC hates UNT, as does the Ciy of Denton, all of Denton County, the Metroplex media (all because of SMU), and the entire state of Texas, especially UT and A&M, which view us as the real threat to their status!!If we could just convince Bill Patterson to hire UNT grads only for sports journalism, in the same manner that our fine alma mater has only hired UNT grads for ALL athletic department positions, we wouldn't be in the position we are in today.--SARCASM ALERT!!!

Look, Bill Patterson went to OSU. His parents went to UT. They run a business that caters to the local readers, of whom, 90% feel the same way about UNT athletics--pure apathy. They publish what the readers of Denton want to read.

KRAM1 · November 3, 2009

Back to the topic of this thread please...this is a very good deal for UNT. Think of the size of the crowd that might attend both of these games...WOW! Playing SEC and Big XII teams in denton is a big deal. I like it...bring 'em on!

GO MEAN GREEN!

BonfireBrian · November 3, 2009

This is great news. I'm glad to see that we really are working towards improving our OOC schedule and bringing in beatable, name teams.

UNT90 · November 4, 2009

Shhh..don't let this little nugget of truth get out. The media giant that is the DRC hates UNT, as does the Ciy of Denton, all of Denton County, the Metroplex media (all because of SMU), and the entire state of Texas, especially UT and A&M, which view us as the real threat to their status!!If we could just convince Bill Patterson to hire UNT grads only for sports journalism, in the same manner that our fine alma mater has only hired UNT grads for ALL athletic department positions, we wouldn't be in the position we are in today.--SARCASM ALERT!!!
Look, Bill Patterson went to OSU. His parents went to UT. They run a business that caters to the local readers, of whom, 90% feel the same way about UNT athletics--pure apathy. They publish what the readers of Denton want to read.

Ya, cause the DRC is where everyone wants to go to work as a journalist, right? I mean, the circulation surely rivals that of the FWST and the DMN, right?

Really assinine comparisons.

The point of the post is that I doubt the Lubbock paper is full of UNT grads. It seems a small town paper with a major university in said town would hire from that university for the simple fact that most interns would be from the local school, the local grads wouldn't have to relocate, etc... etc... I wasn't saying it was the DRC's duty to hire UNT grads, it just seems like it would be a win-win.

But, who in the hell would want to stay in Lubbock to work, anyway.

MDH · November 4, 2009

I like sports.

Huge win for Johnny and the mean green!

UNT_playmaker · November 4, 2009

Amazing and Huge news.... Great Job Johnny Jones.... I smell at least one upset, hopefully two...

Cant wait for basketball, football is just depressing.

dahbeed · November 4, 2009

couple of points....congrats on the great scheduling. these are guys the mean green can definitely beat in their house. very impressed with the direction unt's hoops is heading....will give me someone to hate like i did back in the uno 'ervin johnson' days and the jesse 'i swear i didn't know that auto title was in my name' evans at ulala.

not comparing jj to jesse at all but ulala had some baller teams under jesse 'not so clean' evans.

point 2 and it is no way comparable to your newpaper situation at all since you guys are influenced by the m.p. the bowling green paper lives off of wku grads. the wku journalism dept is one of the tops in the country and wins hearst awards every year. that said, the local paper is owned by a family and hasn't been snapped up by gannett so they hire these kids straight off the hill and don't pay them jack. but they've been in bg for 4 (or more) years and like the area and it's their first job so they get paid nothing and like it.

the good ones move on and the gaines family just hires another kid. in their defense we get great coverage for wku. and this is in an area that is 'ate up' with all things u.k.

back to the schedule....great job....i only wish more sun belt schools would move their hoops in the direction that you guys have.

kingwoodgreen · November 4, 2009

couple of points....congrats on the great scheduling. these are guys the mean green can definitely beat in their house. very impressed with the direction unt's hoops is heading....will give me someone to hate like i did back in the uno 'ervin johnson' days and the jesse 'i swear i didn't know that auto title was in my name' evans at ulala.
not comparing jj to jesse at all but ulala had some baller teams under jesse 'not so clean' evans.
point 2 and it is no way comparable to your newpaper situation at all since you guys are influenced by the m.p. the bowling green paper lives off of wku grads. the wku journalism dept is one of the tops in the country and wins hearst awards every year. that said, the local paper is owned by a family and hasn't been snapped up by gannett so they hire these kids straight off the hill and don't pay them jack. but they've been in bg for 4 (or more) years and like the area and it's their first job so they get paid nothing and like it.
the good ones move on and the gaines family just hires another kid. in their defense we get great coverage for wku. and this is in an area that is 'ate up' with all things u.k.
back to the schedule....great job....i only wish more sun belt schools would move their hoops in the direction that you guys have.

What makes Bowling Green a great college town? I am guessing that having the local paper cover the school and look at it as a great component of the city helps. I started a thred on colleg towns and would like to hear about how the town supports wku and does it have a vibrant retail/eatery lifestyle off campus.

dahbeed · November 4, 2009

What makes Bowling Green a great college town? I am guessing that having the local paper cover the school and look at it as a great component of the city helps. I started a thred on colleg towns and would like to hear about how the town supports wku and does it have a vibrant retail/eatery lifestyle off campus.

i have never said we are a great college town. b.g. is a college town tho'. warren co. is around 105k and with the surrounding counties we hit around 230k so b.g. is the retail and eatery center for all of the folks for that area.

it's to the point that on fridays and saturdays i don't venture out. too much pain. warren county has a pretty diverse manufacturing base but is tied a bit too heavily to the auto industry and not just the g.m. corvette plant.

the local paper has not always been a wku shill.....it has gone in cycles. when i was a kid it was all about it but when we've sucked it has died off. they really do a great job covering us now considering u.k. is as big as it is in this area.

there are tons of places for grub and since b.g. is wet and most of the surrounding counties are dry it's the liquor epicenter of this area. all of those are necessary for a college town. kids gotta eat and they're gonna drink. enrollment just passed 20k this year and tho' that is nowhere near you guys (few are) it's the largest enrollment in wku history.

when we made the sweet 16 2 years ago a lot of the local r.r. like wendy's and such had 'go wku' on their signs so i guess that is a mark of a college town. i didn't attend wku right out of school, i went into the military and i can tell you what a military town looks like.....pawn shop, dry cleaners, liquor store, titty bar and then repeat that loop over and over.

right now the city politicians are being accused of being in bed with and rubber stamping any bonds that wku's ransdell has asked for. wku has bought up most of that side of town and has already torn down plenty of shacks that were around campus. they have a master plan that entails retail and living that will be really nice if it comes to fruition. they have what they call a 'south campus' that has really spread the last 10 years in a high growth area.

wku definitely is the straw that stirs the drink.