So...

[ntmeangreen11]

With all the conference shifting continuing and the MWC potentially adding Houston in the next couple days, that means CUSA will have to expand. It will also have to be a western team. Logically looking at it, even if I wasn't a UNT fan, it seems like it would come down to us and LT.

Personally, I'm a lot more optimistic now, and will be ecstatic if the MWC takes two CUSA west teams. Although they might stay at ten at that point, I doubt they would want to scrap the title game. NMSU is too far west, and if UTEP bolts it's a win-win as far as cutting down travel expenses goes.

Does the new stadium and facilities and basketball success make us more attractive than LT, or will CUSA go another route(Temple, MT, WKU?)

I just don't see how they can't look at how much we have invested in our program and improved overall in all sports even though we have regressed considerably on the football field. I'll be praying to the football gods tonight, but we may very well be on the verge of having a new stadium and a schedule with SMU, Tulsa, Houston(OOC), Indiana(OOC), Tulane, USM, Rice etc coming to Denton in 2011. You can't tell me we won't sell out most of those games. All around Denton anyone and everyone I talk to is ready for that stadium to open and is going to be at the first game, I really wonder how difficult tickets are going to be to get.

As far as I am concerned, LT can sink in their ship they've been floating on for the past few years. Their fans are pure trash. It's simply unbelievable to read their comments about their program on their board. I just do not see where that arrogance comes from. I know Louisiana is probably the lowest educated of all the southern states(and that is saying A LOT) but since when does low education lead to arrogance and the mentality that their s*** doesn't stink? I really hope if neither of us gets a CUSA invite they're not welcomed back to the sun belt and get to fill their schedule with the likes of Montana Cal Poly TSU/UTSA Idaho SJSU NMSU etc. while the sun belt continues to grow each and every year.

Edited August 21, 2010 by ntmeangreen11

[eulesseagle]

Realignment basically comes down to two very main points.....(1) who has the political pull and (2) who has the money. UNT has neither. Never really had major political influence and never had any money for athletics as evidenced by the number of major head coaches NT has hired. Other than Fry what major college head coach has NT ever hired?

I hate to say this but better get used to playing in the Sun Belt for a long time. Going to the games are fun and exciting no matter what conference we are in. Heck, as a kid I always thought the "Roo's" of Austin College was as exciting as football got. To me, for a while, that was major college football.

[Got5onIt]

Why would CUSA add another Texas school?? Why would CUSA add another Texas school from the DFW area??6

[wardly]

With all the conference shifting continuing and the MWC potentially adding Houston in the next couple days, that means CUSA will have to expand. It will also have to be a western team. Logically looking at it, even if I wasn't a UNT fan, it seems like it would come down to us and LT.

Personally, I'm a lot more optimistic now, and will be ecstatic if the MWC takes two CUSA west teams. Although they might stay at ten at that point, I doubt they would want to scrap the title game. NMSU is too far west, and if UTEP bolts it's a win-win as far as cutting down travel expenses goes.

Does the new stadium and facilities and basketball success make us more attractive than LT, or will CUSA go another route(Temple, MT, WKU?)

I just don't see how they can't look at how much we have invested in our program and improved overall in all sports even though we have regressed considerably on the football field. I'll be praying to the football gods tonight, but we may very well be on the verge of having a new stadium and a schedule with SMU, Tulsa, Houston(OOC), Indiana(OOC), Tulane, USM, Rice etc coming to Denton in 2011. You can't tell me we won't sell out most of those games. All around Denton anyone and everyone I talk to is ready for that stadium to open and is going to be at the first game, I really wonder how difficult tickets are going to be to get.

As far as I am concerned, LT can sink in their ship they've been floating on for the past few years. Their fans are pure trash. It's simply unbelievable to read their comments about their program on their board. I just do not see where that arrogance comes from. I know Louisiana is probably the lowest educated of all the southern states(and that is saying A LOT) but since when does low education lead to arrogance and the mentality that their s*** doesn't stink? I really hope if neither of us gets a CUSA invite they're not welcomed back to the sun belt and get to fill their schedule with the likes of Montana Cal Poly TSU/UTSA Idaho SJSU NMSU etc. while the sun belt continues to grow each and every year.

i think that mt. west will probably let utah st. in once byu goes independent. also, it appears hawaii following byu's lead, which kills the wac. new mexico st moves back to belt,as does la.tech. idaho and san jose drop down. utep is happy in cusa, and if houston does get mt. west invite, i would expect uab to move to western/cusa division with fau moving to east/cusa. overall, the east/cusa members think they hace enough texas teams, and want to get back into florida market. fau is our size, and building new stadium. just an opioion.

[GrayEagle]

Realignment basically comes down to two very main points.....(1) who has the political pull and (2) who has the money. UNT has neither. Never really had major political influence and never had any money for athletics as evidenced by the number of major head coaches NT has hired. Other than Fry what major college head coach has NT ever hired?

I hate to say this but better get used to playing in the Sun Belt for a long time. Going to the games are fun and exciting no matter what conference we are in. Heck, as a kid I always thought the "Roo's" of Austin College was as exciting as football got. To me, for a while, that was major college football.

I hear ya about the two most important ingredients in selecting realignment teams. I would add a third in which we are also currently deficient, success on the field/attendance.

As to power, none of our competition is dripping with it. We are fortunate to have Lane Rawlins at this time. There are few men available with his NCAA credentials. Also, his hiring of Chuck Neinas, one of the more respected men in college sports won't hurt our political clout either. If they can't do it then we deserve to stay where we are.

It's also true that we don't have money but we are about to add a good deal to that thanks to our students. Our competition is not exactly rolling in dough either. Beginning next year, we could be at or near the top in total revenue among the major competitors for a vacant conference spot.

The third factor that we are fighting is more serious. We have been non-competitive in football for the past five years. If we had success during that time, as we did in the first half of the decade, then I believe we'd stand at the top of the list. What we are going to have to sell is potential. In spite of five losing seasons, our attendance has been on par with our competition. We appear to be on the verge of really turning this program around. Maybe enough of the presidents that will decide new members will be able to see that.

I've been around this program for more than sixty years and if anyone should be pessimistic about our chances it should be me. I've seen us never try so many times and fail a few times as well but this time I sense something different from our other efforts. There is a spirit now that hasn't existed before to make this effort a success. We haven't begun to reach our potential yet but at least an increasing sized group is trying. With our size and location we should be the leading candidate.

[adman]

. Other than Fry what major college head coach has NT ever hired?

I

Fry was a major college coach after the fact. His legacy really wasn't forged until he got to Iowa.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Fry was a major college coach after the fact. His legacy really wasn't forged until he got to Iowa.

I see what you're saying. Fry became a legendary coach after leaving North Texas. But he had already been head coach at one of the major conferences (SWC) for several years, had some success at SMU, and was very well known as a college coach in Texas. I can't think of another head coach we've ever hired right out of one of the major conferences.

[Huff]

The thing that most folks don't remember about Hayden Fry is that he was available to North Texas because he had just been fired by SMU. He had some good seasons there but his up and down seasons wore thin in Dallas so they let him go. We were tickled to pick him up. Maybe we should take a hard look at coaches who have been dismissed recently if we have an opening at the end of this season.

[Green Mean]

Why would CUSA add another Texas school?? Why would CUSA add another Texas school from the DFW area??6

This is why I have always been against the "we'll wait and see what happens" method. Schools in CUSA, MWC, and in some cases the WAC really don't have much to worry because conference wise they are better off than the SBC. CUSA already has plenty of Texas schools...adding NT just based on potential probably wouldn't do much for most of the CUSA brass. Why wouldn't they consider MT, NMSU, Troy before us? Heck right now I would say just because we are in Texas....CUSA would consider just about anybody else but us even with our committment to athletics the last few years. I just have a feeling that all of this is going to backfire on RV and NT athletics. I hope I am dead wrong but I just sense it.

[UNTflyer]

This is why I have always been against the "we'll wait and see what happens" method. Schools in CUSA, MWC, and in some cases the WAC really don't have much to worry because conference wise they are better off than the SBC. CUSA already has plenty of Texas schools...adding NT just based on potential probably wouldn't do much for most of the CUSA brass. Why wouldn't they consider MT, NMSU, Troy before us? Heck right now I would say just because we are in Texas....CUSA would consider just about anybody else but us even with our committment to athletics the last few years. I just have a feeling that all of this is going to backfire on RV and NT athletics. I hope I am dead wrong but I just sense it.

Check your PM on the "wait and see" strategy and how it worked out today.

[UNTLifer]

Check your PM on the "wait and see" strategy and how it worked out today.

Why is this such a secret that it isn't posted?

[Got5onIt]

At this point, the only change NT will be involved in probably includes absorbing schools from a dead WAC conference. CUSA will look for universities in other TV markets outside of Texas. Maybe if SMU went to the MWC, CUSA might consider us for DFW coverage. Ain't happening........

[GrandGreen]

Why would CUSA add another Texas school?? Why would CUSA add another Texas school from the DFW area??6

Beats,me, why would CUSA add a school in Ruston, Bowling Green, or Murfreesboro? Well in as much as the DFW metroplex has a larger population than some states, maybe one private school is not enough. I may be wrong but aren't Houston and Rice both in Houston?