For Those Who Think The Belt's Perception Is Changing

[FirefightnRick]

I dont recall anyone complaining about the Belt after NT beat the C-USA co- Champions in '02 in the N.O. Bowl, or after Troy routed Oklahoma St on an ESPN Thursday night game a couple years back, or after ULM beat Bama, or after ULL beat KState last year. Our conference had a down year this year even though our N.O. Bowl rep just destroyed the No. 2 MAC team a few nights ago on national TV. It will come back around and start to recover some lost respect and we will be the program to do it starting next season.

Rick

[GrayEagle]

It should, didn't realize that game was finalized and set. I thought there was a chance we opened at Alabama as well? or is that game on the 17th?

Actually that game isn't finalized yet. It will either be Tulsa or a conference opponent. Houston is a home game on the 10th. Alabama is finalized for the 17th and Indiana for the 24th. It appears that Tulsa's hangup is Oklahoma. Tulsa visits OU but the date hasn't be set yet. I'm sure that Tulsa would rather open with us on the 3rd and travel to Oklahoma on the 10th or sometime later rather than have to open with them.

[GrayEagle]

I have been on this board for many years, since 2001. Not once, have I seen anyone post, "Yes, the SBC is the best place for UNT for the rest of history. The SBC is better than CUSA or the MWC for our school." Not once. I have seen idiots say that we should go join the WAC because Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, and Nevada are bigger names than who we play in the Belt. No one argued that point, except that most people recognized that there was a great risk of those programs bolting the WAC to go to the MWC, which, just shockingly, happened.

Now, the SBC turned about to be a much better deal for UNT than the WAC would have, but no one is saying that the SBC is so good that we will just stay here. I will ask you again what advice you would give to the AD to have gotten that CUSA/MWC invite already or soon? Because it seems that the university and its AD have put into place quite a bit to entice such an invite, but it hasn't gotten here yet. Obviously, you must have the right ideas, though, since you always clamor to get out of the SBC.

In reality, this is our home for a long time. If that bothers you so much so that you perpetually post about the conference's woefulness, you should just stop following the program. You will be a great UT T-shirt fan--and have lots of fellow douches to keep you company.

I guess that it depends on your definition of a long time. On the latest Insider with Rick Villareal he revealed that our goal was two to three years more in the SBC.

We outsiders don't know if that can be met or not but what we do know is that this stadium needs to have large crowds to make the bond payments and we have a much larger investment in a coaching staff and other expenditures. We've been averaging less than 18K for home SBC games but larger to much larger crowds for OOC home games. A better conference would also give us another million or more in NCAA money. We have to try and I'm hoping that the money paid to Chuck Neinas will help us secure something better sooner. Much of it is up to us. If we can almost fill the new stadium for OOC games we stand a very good chance for the next expansion opening or to replace the team that fills the next opening.

[NT80]

I guess that it depends on your definition of a long time. On the latest Insider with Rick Villareal he revealed that our goal was two to three years more in the SBC.

We can't get out of the SunBelt fast enough for me. We have no meaningful conference rivals, we play far-off conference teams that local fans don't recognize, and the media both national and otherwise doesn't respect it. Otherwise it's OK.

[MeanMag]

Just Win baby.

We will not be considered better than the new WAC unless we actually do something as a conference. We don't just get better by default

NT03 is right. UNT is in no position to be calling the shots right now. If we were to have a different conference affiliation, we'd be the bottom feeder in whatever conference that might be.

Now, McCarney is here to change that. UNT is stepping up big time. If we don't start winning this conference, it won't matter what conference we want to be in.

[FloMoGrad]

Actually that game isn't finalized yet. It will either be Tulsa or a conference opponent. Houston is a home game on the 10th. Alabama is finalized for the 17th and Indiana for the 24th. It appears that Tulsa's hangup is Oklahoma. Tulsa visits OU but the date hasn't be set yet. I'm sure that Tulsa would rather open with us on the 3rd and travel to Oklahoma on the 10th or sometime later rather than have to open with them.

Thank you. So again, our first, finalized game, we know for sure, is Houston on 9/10/11.

I stand re-corrected, which negated the earlier correction. Off Setting Corrections, repeat the post.

[eppy4life]

I dont recall anyone complaining about the Belt after NT beat the C-USA co- Champions in '02 in the N.O. Bowl, or after Troy routed Oklahoma St on an ESPN Thursday night game a couple years back, or after ULM beat Bama, or after ULL beat KState last year. Our conference had a down year this year even though our N.O. Bowl rep just destroyed the No. 2 MAC team a few nights ago on national TV. It will come back around and start to recover some lost respect and we will be the program to do it starting next season.

Rick

I remember after winning the belt 4 straight years everyone wanting to get out while we could.

[FloMoGrad]

I remember after winning the belt 4 straight years everyone wanting to get out while we could.

I remember much the same.

[Green P1]

^{BACK THE BELT!!!!!}

or die

[NT80]

^{BACK THE BELT!!!!!}

or die

No. Think BIG, Act BIG, Become BIG!

Does anyone think going 12-0 in the SunBelt would land us in the Rose Bowl, aka TCU?

We may "technically" have access to BCS Bowls but we'll never get in from the SunBelt.

Edited December 22, 2010 by NT80

[FirefightnRick]

I remember after winning the belt 4 straight years everyone wanting to get out while we could.

Everyone? Really? That's funny because a little over two years later when we returned to New Orleans in March of 2007 for the NCAA by winning the Sunbelt in basketball, all of the 3,000 or so "EVERYONE" I was with seemed pretty damn appreciative that weekend in the Big Easy. I don't recall a single word of regret.

Rick

[Dr. Seuss]

No. Think BIG, Act BIG, Become BIG!

Does anyone think going 12-0 in the SunBelt would land us in the Rose Bowl, aka TCU?

We may "technically" have access to BCS Bowls but we'll never get in from the SunBelt.

That would mean we would beat bama next year, if NT wins then they would be a top 25 team but i dont know about BCS game To get in the BCS you have to be at least top 12 i believe, and i just dont see that happening...But one could just hope

[PlummMeanGreen]

A Top 25 finish of our SBC football champion would change many minds around here--including my own. The SBC will not be taken seriously from the football standpoint until that happens.

Not sure the 'Belt has the same consortium of voters who would push our Top 25 quest as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) seems to have for theirs with their own region's sportwriters who seems to be in their corner when they have a truly representative team.

GMG!

Edited December 22, 2010 by PlummMeanGreen

[KRAM1]

Sigh...we may or may not like the SBC, but we are part of that conference. Let's worry about winning the SBC championship. After that, seems to me that lots of opportunities may well fall into place for the Mean Green. I just want the Mean Green to kick some booty in the SBC on the football field like the men are doing in basketball, our golf teams, volleyball, soccer, diving, cross country, tennis, softball, etc., etc. Many of our teams are doing quite well. Now, let's get football and women's basketball up to speed and things should sort themselves out rather quickly.

Can't wait for that new stadium and the 2011 season to roll around.

GO MEAN GREEN!

[eppy4life]

Everyone? Really? That's funny because a little over two years later when we returned to New Orleans in March of 2007 for the NCAA by winning the Sunbelt in basketball, all of the 3,000 or so "EVERYONE" I was with seemed pretty damn appreciative that weekend in the Big Easy. I don't recall a single word of regret.

Rick

Of course after two years of not getting to play in bowl games fans would look back to the days of success and wish we were still there. What I meant was that while we were dominating the Sunbelt EVERYONE felt we were better than what the Belt had to offer (clearly if you looked at our record) and felt we should be in a better conference.

Please understand, I'm not complaining about being in the Belt, and I'm not saying that the Belt hasn't gotten a lot better, I'm simply saying that it is recognized as the worst conference in division 1 football (or whatever it's called now). Whether we beat up the WAC/MAC each year or not, the perception hasn't changed. Maybe it will someday, but I doubt it.

[rcade]

I'm not complaining about our home, I agree it's the best place for us right now. I'm simply trying to combat those who argue the greatness of the Belt.

Who argues the greatness of the Belt? The most that people say is that it might be better than the diminished WAC. No one is putting it above CUSA or the MWC.

[untjim1995]

Who argues the greatness of the Belt? The most that people say is that it might be better than the diminished WAC. No one is putting it above CUSA or the MWC.

Exactly. But, just like with anything, you can't be in the middle. You either must hate the Belt (like DaddyDumpsalot) or you love it (like FFR). I mean there is just no room for gray here. You can't make a point of well, I love UNT, so if the SBC is our home for a while, then we will make the best of it, even if I want to play other Texas schools in a conference that is FBS for the first time in about 50 years or against teams that casual fans know and that the DFW media MIGHT cover on the weekend. Instead, you get PMs from people that tell you that you are an idiot and you are the reason UNT sucks so bad, because you accept mediocrity by not bashing the poor SBC, even though none of the other conferences that we would love to join have publicly mentioned that we would be a good fit for them.

[eppy4life]

Exactly. But, just like with anything, you can't be in the middle.

Yes, you can. That's exactly where I stand. I don't hate the belt because, like I've said before, I believe it to be the best place for us right now. But I don't love the belt either and won't defend it's place amoung the football conferences.

I may have a job I don't love but understand that it's the best place for me right now. Same idea.

[Yellow Snow]

Including yesterday's New Orleans Bowl victory for Troy, the belt went 5-32 OOC this season for a .135 winning percentage. The wins came against 2-9 Bowling Green, FCS Austin Peay and Southeastern Lousiana, 4-8 UAB and Ohio. Only a single victory against a winning FBS team.

Put as much lipstick on this thing as you want, but that's pretty piss poor performance as a conference.

Without looking it up... i would guess the poor OOC record is a function of how many "cash" games SBC teams have to play. When Belt teams quit being sacrificial wins on top 10 team's schedules the conferences OOC record will improve.

What is the SBC's bowl record the past few years? To this outside observer, that is a more accurate measure of the conference. How does your champion do in the bowl?

[Yellow Snow]

Anything's better, perception wise, than where we currently sit. Bright side, only way to go is up!

What if we single-handedly pull this conference out of shortest dwarf status with wins over CUSA and Big Ten next year...Is this even possible? I know winning is possible, but can we change national perceptions in one season?

This might come off as disrespectful, but it isn’t meant to be… First off, I think that any conference not named the MAC would be better than the SBC as far as outside perception is concerned. It may not TRULY be better, but to the outside observer it would seem that way. If I was your AD and the WAC called, I’d sign on the dotted line as fast as somebody could hand me a pen. Even the teams left in that conference carry more “prestige” than any in the SBC. No offense intended, but it is what it is. The WAC won’t die without a fight, so I could see them going after UNT, Troy and maybe Western Kentucky... Toledo from the MAC… who knows… Like I said though, this perception isn’t necessarily reality, but it is what the average non SBC fan thinks.

To answer your question though…“Can you change the perception of UNT in one season?” No. Food for thought here:

Iowa State has played in the same number of bowl games since 2000 as these teams:

Kansas State

Virginia

Michigan State

Northwestern

Played in more bowl games since 2000 than these teams:

Colorado

Mississippi State

Stanford

Arizona

Kansas

Minnesota (we beat them last year in a bowl)

And only ONE less bowl game than:

Texas A&M

Missouri

South Carolina

California

Pittsburgh (we beat Pitt in one of their bowl appearances)

Having read all of that, what is your perception of Iowa State football? That is 10 plus years of data and I-State is STILL fighting a respect problem. It’s going to take time. A good start would be kicking everybody’s ass in the SBC and go from there.

[gruu]

Having read all of that, what is your perception of Iowa State football? That is 10 plus years of data and I-State is STILL fighting a respect problem. It’s going to take time. A good start would be kicking everybody’s ass in the SBC and go from there.

Agree...

[shaft]

2-0 in bowl games.

Yeah, I'd say the Belt's perception in changing.