Vegas Sports Memo On The Mean Green

[MeanGreen61]

http://www.sportsmemo.com/blogs/view/?blog_id=4529

Rawlins said one of the challenges UNT faces is spreading the word about what it has to offer. He named the size of UNT’s student body, the school’s facilities and its market as the university’s strengths.

“What has surprised me is what a great institution North Texas is and that more people don’t know that,” Rawlins said. “Athletics is a window to the university. We need to enlarge that window. The stadium is a step in the right direction. We need to do more marketing in the Dallas area.”

Edited July 8, 2010 by MeanGreen61

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--I agree a great deal.. When I tell people here in West-Texas that that North Texas is larger than TxTech , most are very surprised... also they are surprised that we are larger than SMU, TCU and Baylor combined.

---I have no real answer but most people just don't realize how many good programs and how successful UNT programs are. Winning a lot and defeating some name opponents in football and even basketball would help the schools image a great deal and draw attention to us. To some people athletic success mean good school.... even though that is pretty meaningless. It likely does help in recruiting good students though.

Edited July 9, 2010 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[gangrene]

http://www.sportsmem...w/?blog_id=4529

Rawlins said one of the challenges UNT faces is spreading the word about what it has to offer. He named the size of UNT's student body, the school's facilities and its market as the university's strengths.

"What has surprised me is what a great institution North Texas is and that more people don't know that," Rawlins said. "Athletics is a window to the university. We need to enlarge that window. The stadium is a step in the right direction. We need to do more marketing in the Dallas area."

Preaching to the choir on the marketing in Dallas area comment. I am continuously amazed at how little brand awareness we have in our own backyard. I recall a trip to Hong Kong several years ago (about 5 or 6) in which an older couple noticed the green "North Texas" shirt I was wearing, while waiting in the security line. The woman initiated a conversation and asked what my flight destination was. When I told her it was San Francisco, she replied, "Oh, so you're not from the North Texas area?" She was from Richardson and thought my green North Texas shirt was referencing the DFW metroplex, rather than the University of North Texas. Now, I'll give her the benefit of a doubt, since the shirt I was wearing came from Steve and Barry's and, aside from the color and words "North Texas" had no other reference to UNT, but I highly doubt she would have made a similar assumption had I been wearing a burnt orange shirt with "Texas" on it.

I'm happy to see that we're involved with the Taste of Dallas this year, especially since TCU and SMU will have a presence there.

[foutsrouts]

Slowly but surely, I think word is starting to get out to many about what we have going academically up in Denton. I went to a family reunion in Fort Worth the other day, and most of the people there were UT and TCU graduates. Several of them talked (with a little surprise) about all of the good things they have been hearing about UNT. I think those signs around town could have been done a little better, but maybe they are opening people's eyes up a bit in regard to what we have in degree programs and such. Now if we can just get football and basketball to kick some butt simultaneously, maybe that wall of apathy and indifference can finally begin to crumble.

[JayDub]

Newsflash:

The only way to gain recognition is to win...or to keep losing. We've already gained a bit of recognition for that.

For those of you outside of the North Texas bubble: we're a laughing stock throughout the nation. When someone out here ask who my team is, their response to my reply of "North Texas" is usually a sympathy that is typically reserved for the loss of family members...or a solid belly laugh.

[drex]

The biggest killer of North Texas' image is the rollercoaster ride relative to wins and losses. We don't seem to be able to have a winning program in any sport for more than three or four years, then we do a nose dive for ten years and crawl back to a few consecutive years of winning. If we could win for a streak and then even slide back to .500 and be competitive it would help.

[Got5onIt]

Newsflash:

The only way to gain recognition is to win...or to keep losing. We've already gained a bit of recognition for that.

For those of you outside of the North Texas bubble: we're a laughing stock throughout the nation. When someone out here ask who my team is, their response to my reply of "North Texas" is usually a sympathy that is typically reserved for the loss of family members...or a solid belly laugh.

LMAO!!! This is 100% accurate.

[JayDub]

Whatever you do, don't speak the truth on this forum. You'll be downvoted into oblivion.

[Green Mean]

Gagree with JD

[NT80]

Newsflash:

The only way to gain recognition is to win...or to keep losing. We've already gained a bit of recognition for that.

For those of you outside of the North Texas bubble: we're a laughing stock throughout the nation. When someone out here ask who my team is, their response to my reply of "North Texas" is usually a sympathy that is typically reserved for the loss of family members...or a solid belly laugh.

You bring up a good point, most remember mid-major teams outside their own media area only because of a Big win or some noteable feat, like Boise or TCU making a BCS Bowl.

Otherwise, I'm not sure the nation has much of an opinion about North Texas football right now. I think we're probably unimportant to many people outside Texas but I doubt we're considered a laughing stock. Being a non-factor lately has made us just that..a non-factor, not some super losing program.

It's like saying "what do you think about Northern Illinois football?" For most people here in DFW they are an unknown, unimportant quantity. I couldn't tell you what their record was last year or any of the past 10 years.

Edited July 12, 2010 by NT80

[KRAM1]

Another thing UNT must accomplish is to somehow get its fans and supporters to stop badmouthing the program all the time. That and increased season ticket holders, Mean Green Club members, Alumni Association members and overall donors to the program could help a bit as well. Amazing how added support can often help the wins come and keep coming.

I just think the supporters of UNT can be their own worst enemy at times. Having graduated from three universities I can honestly say that I don't hear this from the alums and supports of the other two schools in near the magnitude that I hear it from the Mean Green Nation. Neither of the other two schools can be considered football "powerhouses" in their own right either as both have times of major struggle.

UNT is building in the right direction and plenty of positive progress is being made. It is true that wins must come on the football field and come on a consistent basis for UNT to garner the recognition it craves on the local, state and national scenes. Those who say winning cures everything are not wrong, but there is just a bit too much of the "it's everyone else who must step forward and then I'll support the program" still around UNT these days. For the life of me I cannot understand the "I cannot be proud of UNT" mentality.

Hopefully, more wins will come this season, we'll have a great Fouts Farewell Tour season, the new stadium will open and folks will start feeling much better about the progress being made. The "show me" attitude is not dead and has some validity, but I think there has been plenty of "showing" being done in the last few years by RV and Company and that now it is time for the Mean Green faithful to do whatever they can on an individual basis...however big or small it matters not...to help keep to momentum moving forward.

It can start with a great turnout for the Kick-off cookout this year on August 21st.

See you there! GO MEAN GREEN!

[TIgreen01]

We need to make more of the $100 million we're in the middle of spending on athletics. That is the simplest way to get the point across that UNT IS actually moving forward, athletically.

Most of our alums that badmouth the program have all attended games in the biggest dump football stadium in all of D1. It's hard to not come away with a bad impression, honestly. The new stadium will change that....and telling our alums that we're actually getting up off our butts and supporting the program in words that they can plainly understand. $$.

Oh...and winning cures all. ...but usually, winning requires having first spent $$.