Weird Ideas to Help UNT Football in the Long-Term

rcade · November 18, 2011

As a long-time, long-suffering fan of the Mean Green, I've often wondered what it will take for the football program to reach a status that you'd expect of a school our size in a coveted TV market. We've been punching below our weight since I arrived on campus in 1987, though I feel somewhat optimistic these days with Apogee Stadium and Coach McCarney. I think it's possible for UNT to become a respectable mid-major that gets enough high-profile OOC victories to make big teams fear to schedule us.

As I ponder what can be done to build the Mean Green, I've had a few off-the-wall ideas for ways that fans could have a direct impact on the program. I throw them out for consideration to see whether they're stupid.

1. Edit game video so that every player on the team has all of their best plays on YouTube, organized by player, right after each game. It promotes the player's accomplishments -- which don't get enough attention in the DFW media -- and the hope is that high school athletes considering UNT might see them. This is something that could be done on campus by RATV students.

2. Create a uniform fund so that every Pop Warner and YMCA league in Texas that wants a team called the Mean Green can get discounted or free uniforms with our shade of green and an official Mean Green logo. It's a minor bit of brand-building, but the kids who played as Mean Green will have a positive association with the real deal when they get older.

What are your crazy ideas for promoting the program?

Green P1 · November 18, 2011

I try to wear green at least 4 times a week.

SHOSS · November 18, 2011

As a long-time, long-suffering fan of the Mean Green, I've often wondered what it will take for the football program to reach a status that you'd expect of a school our size in a coveted TV market. We've been punching below our weight since I arrived on campus in 1987, though I feel somewhat optimistic these days with Apogee Stadium and Coach McCarney. I think it's possible for UNT to become a respectable mid-major that gets enough high-profile OOC victories to make big teams fear to schedule us.

As I ponder what can be done to build the Mean Green, I've had a few off-the-wall ideas for ways that fans could have a direct impact on the program. I throw them out for consideration to see whether they're stupid.

1. Edit game video so that every player on the team has all of their best plays on YouTube, organized by player, right after each game. It promotes the player's accomplishments -- which don't get enough attention in the DFW media -- and the hope is that high school athletes considering UNT might see them. This is something that could be done on campus by RATV students.

2. Create a uniform fund so that every Pop Warner and YMCA league in Texas that wants a team called the Mean Green can get discounted or free uniforms with our shade of green and an official Mean Green logo. It's a minor bit of brand-building, but the kids who played as Mean Green will have a positive association with the real deal when they get older.

What are your crazy ideas for promoting the program?

First Rule of Brainstorming is that there are no bad/stupid ideas...you may not think this after reading my post...

1. How about if we pay to host high school playoff games at Apogee Palace that will be on TV? You know, since nobody has paid us to have their games there...

2. I think the football team should really try to win a lot of games... Not just win them, but pound teams and win by 50... I think that would be a good Georgy...

3. We should allow drinking inside the stadium... that way everybody can keep the party going inside the stadium instead of drinking in the parking lot all game long... I was soooo put out by seeing the KA letters up on the hill by a full tent ALL GAME LONG. Maybe along with the free sunglasses, we have bring your favorite flask night or something like that.... Your most creative beer hat design...

4. The on campus spirit club should recruit the hottest girls on campus...like atleast 100 of them. Maybe even form an alliance with some university money funding such an alliance with the sororities on campus. Give them stuff like shirts and have them drive the campus spirit...INSIDE THE GAMES...

5. Give students a homework pass, or some minor grade pass, if they go to a game. So, at the end of the game when students are filing out, they hand them out. This gives them the option to turn this pass in in lieu of an assignment... Kind of like when you get a coupon for a free chalupa at Mavs games when they win and score 100+ points. If they get passes for all the home games, it turns into a test/major grade pass...

6. Hire the Denton Police department to shutdown tailgating after 5:00 outside the game. Make it illegal, like give them a ticket and/or haul them off to jail for either not going into the game or leaving...

That's all from me for now...

Edited November 18, 2011 by SHOSS

rcade · November 18, 2011

I try to wear green at least 4 times a week.

Now we're getting somewhere. Are we talking Forest Green, Emerald or Flying Worm Lime?

SHOSS · November 18, 2011

Now we're getting somewhere. Are we talking Forest Green, Emerald or Flying Worm Lime?

All shades of green are mean green... when I ask my 4 year old what color the leaves in a tree are, the correct answer is mean green.

H-towngreen · November 18, 2011

I'll throw out one of GMG.com's favorite ideas dating back 73 yrs ago.

BAND NIGHT!!!!

I actually don't like this idea. But it always comes up

Green Mean · November 18, 2011

Have great uniforms...I love the current green but I think a helmet is such an iconic part of the unform in my opinion. We NEED to have our eagle logo on the helmets...I don't understand RV's obsession of it saying "North Texas"...it won't help the average joe identify us any more or any less if it has it written out in my opinion.

Speaking of uniforms I suggest getting with Nike and have different uniforms every so often..theres a reason why all these other schools do it and its to sell jerseys and I'd love to have an alternative uniform that was a black uniform with green lettering...that would be awesome looking.

We need to reach out to other schools and districts of maybe partnering with them and inviting them to our athletic games. They said DISD had about a thousand kids for the womens game agains ORU and I think its a great think since its marketing to grade students who could be more prone to coming to UNT and have a sense of connection early on. Tho I'd suggest that we should do this for more men's games and even a football game.

Maybe we can reach out to local and even global big whigs and invite them in being a part of UNT like maybe on a board of directors, or some kind of consultant. Those are things that don't get a lot of pub but can open a lot of avenues to things such as outreach, funding, etc.

Other than this I don't know what else we can do other than the only thing that can solve just about all of our problems is to win win and win. We have a history and culture of losing and being irrelevant and the only way that changes if we win and win big. That will make more kids care about UNT, its sports teams and it will instill a sense of pride and that is how our fanbase will grow and the connection long after graduation will come back and benefit our school.

How about more advertising on TV? Lets put more and more commercials out there even if there aren't any sports games on and market our school...that will definitely help in showing people that we do infact exist and that we're doing a lot of great things. The other day I was watching something (can't remember) and I randomly saw a couple of commercials for East Carolina University...I was like hmm I wonder if that is something UNT can do.

Not sure how the TV deal works but I think whatever football and mens basketball games we can get on a local channel we need to make it happen. I think that could help immensely because it will give people access to our games that maybe don't or can't attend but still be connected and watch us. That could lead to more UNT awareness and more connection to people.

Zeke · November 19, 2011

I've always had an idea of a giant wall in our stadium that contained the high school helmet of every player on the team. It would be a pretty cool attraction.

pastorgrant · November 19, 2011

Lots of great ideas here. I especially like the Pop Warner jersey idea, and hosting HS football games.

bstnsportsfan3 · November 19, 2011

Naked Day....

everyone in the crowd is naked... EVERYONE!

greenjoe · November 19, 2011

These are really good ideas. Maybe not the naked day, but the rest are very good. Here's mine. not so much football as attendance.

Every student is eligible for a drawing at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Students must have come into Apogee by the end of the 1st quarter and they can win a semester's worth of tuition based on what they're taking this semester. No fees, no housing, just tuition. If they're graduating at the end of this semester, they win 2 season tickets to next year's games.

GO MEAN GREEN

Harry · November 19, 2011

I've always had an idea of a giant wall in our stadium that contained the high school helmet of every player on the team. It would be a pretty cool attraction.

Cool idea!

UNTflyer · November 19, 2011

- I think it would be great to give away sunglasses, like the kind our head coach wears.

- NO! That's a terrible idea! He has a medical condition! What are you, some kind of jerk?

Stan R · November 19, 2011

- I think it would be great to give away sunglasses, like the kind our head coach wears.

- NO! That's a terrible idea! He has a medical condition! What are you, some kind of jerk?

Nearly spit my drink on this one man!

GreenPepper · November 19, 2011

As a long-time, long-suffering fan of the Mean Green, I've often wondered what it will take for the football program to reach a status that you'd expect of a school our size in a coveted TV market. We've been punching below our weight since I arrived on campus in 1987, though I feel somewhat optimistic these days with Apogee Stadium and Coach McCarney. I think it's possible for UNT to become a respectable mid-major that gets enough high-profile OOC victories to make big teams fear to schedule us.

As I ponder what can be done to build the Mean Green, I've had a few off-the-wall ideas for ways that fans could have a direct impact on the program. I throw them out for consideration to see whether they're stupid.

1. Edit game video so that every player on the team has all of their best plays on YouTube, organized by player, right after each game. It promotes the player's accomplishments -- which don't get enough attention in the DFW media -- and the hope is that high school athletes considering UNT might see them. This is something that could be done on campus by RATV students.

2. Create a uniform fund so that every Pop Warner and YMCA league in Texas that wants a team called the Mean Green can get discounted or free uniforms with our shade of green and an official Mean Green logo. It's a minor bit of brand-building, but the kids who played as Mean Green will have a positive association with the real deal when they get older.

What are your crazy ideas for promoting the program?

The uniform fund ideas - is great, I'd kick in a fews $$$

Would like to see the Eagle on the Helmets (replacing "North Texas")

bleedgreen4ever · November 19, 2011

Win more games, get more people in the stadium, expand the stadium to at least 50k, and get the freaking city of Denton more involved (what a crappy city in regards to supporting local college athletics).

eulessismore · November 19, 2011

I would like to see at least some "regionally famous" musician or group, ideally one with a UNT connection, performing on "The Hill" at every home game, before evening games and after day games. This would do a couple of things (1.) create a focus for game day activities to counteract what seems like a more scattered tailgating scene-which is understandable and overall a good thing with more "room" for everyone, but doesn't create a "main attraction" that might make for more excitement, and (2.) make "The Hill", a truly unique piece of football geography, more of a community gathering spot than a "Hillgating" spot for those who can be there early enough to stake it out.

And just because I think someone may only be regionally famous doesn't mean it is necessarily so; one guy I would really like to see perform there would be Ray Wylie Hubbard, a UNT alum who has at times been more renowned in Europe than the United States. Heck, Brave Combo would probably be affordable and generate a lot of interest and excitement. It's hard to sit still when they're playing!

shaft · November 19, 2011

1. Build pedestrian walkway over 35 directly to the stadium.

2. Build a parking garage at the stadium/dorms

3. Lower parking costs to $20 at the stadium, $10 bucks at Fouts

4. More pedicaps to help people get to the game

4. Local musical act before each game

5. Regional music act at half time of each game

6. Random prizes for student ids/tickets scanned every quarter

7. Sell beer in the stadium until half time

8. Advertise on campus

-Every classroom should have a the schedule posted

-More signs on campus when its a game week

9. More local DFW advertising

-Billboards in Denton & Denton County

-Ads and Advitorial (pay them to talk about us)on every local sports radio and TV station

10.Win more games

mgfan · November 19, 2011

SMU (i know) sold groupons for 52% one ticket. Not a bad idea to get people into the stadium and experience a college fb game. Might bring them back. Plus in this economy families are always looking for discounts.