Unt And Conference Changes

[codeman1021]

It will be really interesting to see what Baylor can do without being in a major conference. Without that funding, they are basically an SMU. No UT at home, no Tech at home, no OU at home... while we might not move too much during this cycle or reallignment - Baylor fans have complete disaster waiting them. What will they do without those marquee games and the big checks each year?

Answer: Suck worse.

[gangrene]

I'd love to get into the MWC, provided another, more regional league isn't formed out of the Big XII leftovers. However, I'm afraid that's a pie in the sky fantasy for us right now.

[MeanGreenTexan]

The MWC(New Mexico) got a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament this year. Also got UNLV and BYU in the dance. We were a 15 seed.

We would become competitive in the MWC, but definitely midpack at best for a few years.

New Mexico ran roughshod over the MWC this year and I can recall speculation that UNT could run into them in the dance. I think alot of us were hoping for that matchup. I think UNT could finish in the top half of that conference with next year's team.

Utah had a down year this year, but they're usually pretty good too. It would be a pretty fun basketball league though!

[Side Show Joe]

If the Big 12 dies could the MWC get that AQ spot? What about a MWC that includes Boise?

Maybe, but I don't think so. If the Pac 10, Big 10, SEC, and ACC all go to 16, the MWC at 12, with Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., and Baylor probably still won't be strong enough to recieve AQ status, Even with the demise of the Big 12 and Big East. Even if they added Boise and Houston, I don't think they make it.

I think it's time the Sun Belt, C-USA, and the MAC seriously consider merging into 2 mega conferences. It may be our only hope to remain viable FBS conferences.

[rcade]

At this point, the big conference teams have become so money grubbing and disloyal that I'm fed up with all of them. The Big 12 is being destroyed like the SWC was destroyed, Texas and other schools don't give a tinker's damn about conference loyalty, and they will never ever give the non-AQ schools a break.

I'd like to see the non-AQ schools all enter into a playoff system with the Football Championship Subdivision. Let the BCS cartel have their phony poll-chosen title. I want to see college football champs who win it on the field.

[FireFightnJoey]

This can't be all about T.V. money. If it was, the SEC would be snatching up Houston and North Texas, adding two of the top 10 T.V. markets in America, and improving the conferences in-roads into Texas recruiting.

No, this is not just about T.V. money, it's also about maintaining the status quo. Keeping the gap between the haves and have nots. Did Boise State, Utah, and TCU get too close to the big boys? Are we all going to pay a price for it now? Under the current expansion realities, none of those schools are moving up, but the gap between their conferences and the AQ BCS conferences will grow and they will still be left out. This hurts every non AQ conference, and it is looking more and more like all the important movement could be between the AQs.

I have come to the realization that this is all about coming to 4 super conferences and the +1 playoff system. That's where the BIG money will come. It has even been quoted by several people including Tuberville at Tech recently and the interview is posted on this board somewhere. It's even been quoted that possibly the 16 team leagues would have a lead in from each division of 8 teams. There you go ... 8 teams for an 8 team playoff format.

This will further separate the have and have nots. I can see the future now. BCS Playoffs/Championship, NCAA D1 Bowls, NCAA DII Playoff/Championship.

[GreenFlag]

You really think that an 8-4 year would have gotten us 25-26k in attendance?

2005: a 2-9 team drew 16,400 in average attendance.

2004: a 7-5 team drew about 15,000 in average attendance.

2003: a 9-3 team (undefeated in conference play and with a huge home gate against Baylor) drew about 18,700 in average attendance.

So what makes you think we would have gotten 25,000 for an 8-4 team? I don't think 8-4 would have gotten us an extra 7,000 fans per game to show up. Average attendance was about 18,200 last season and no single game had as many as 25,000...

Dickey Ball vs. Dodge Ball

Do you remember how painful it was to watch some of those games? I have no doubt a winning squad would put create a significant increase in attendance. Watching Dodge Ball may be frustrating but at least it is exciting.

[untjim1995]

Seriously what can NT really do at this point? The absolute best case scenario in

my opinion for for NT athletics is to somehow, someway is to get into the

MWC which is overall the best conference outside of the big ones. Even then getting invited to the MWC is almost a pipe dream. Other than that NT are the beggars and unfortunately they can't be choosers. While lots of upgrades have been done and are continuing to be done...it may just be too little too late to really have a positive effect on us during this phase of total realignment.

You know, that is a very good point about our timing of all of these "improvements" over the course of the last 15 years. When we moved up to I-A in 1995, we didn't realize that our program was going to be so underfunded still. I figured that since the university wanted to move up so we would fund the program accordingly, but that didn't happen. Of course, we ended up in the SBC at the perfect time and we found immediate success on the field against our conference mates, but the facilities and the funding still were poor. By the time DD wore out his welcome and we created a buzz with the Dodge hire, the facilities still sucked and we went on to further damage our reputation by losing in such an uncompetitive manner. By the time the university finally decided to build a new stadium, it probably is too little, too late. My question is if this new realignment really does create a Super BCS 64 and no other conferences can get into the mix for a BCS game or playoff system, what happens to the rest of us? Do we create a playoff system? Do any of us ever play those Super 64 teams anymore since they can just keep whoever in their own system?

Edited June 10, 2010 by untjim1995

[UNT90]

2006 15,650

2007 17,734

2008 16,956

2009 18,228

What I find interesting is that the attendance numbers are increasing despite poor records. It does make me wonder two things: 1) Are we building a following that could explode with the new stadium, 2) What would happen if our day in, day out opponents were SMU and Houston or TCU and Colorado State?

I would like to be averaging at least 25,000 by now, but it's hard not to be impressed by 18,228 showing up to watch a 2-10 team. The Oakland Athletics didn't even hit that average attendance number last year.

+ 1,634,935

Think what the increase could have been with a winning football program.

This year is key heading into the new stadium. Last year was key for conference realignment.