Okay, I just read that OU is opening...

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

...their 2012 season on the road at UTEP. F'ing, UTEP! (Sorry, Miner...I like UTEP as well).

But, dadgummit, we're hundreds of miles closer with a nice new stadium. I knew OU must be desperate for scheduling when I saw a few weeks back that Notre Dame was their only OOC for 2012.

How does playing UTEP in El Paso do anything for OU? In Dallas, they have a huge fanbase, and Denton is only a couple of hours south of their campus.

How did we get bypassed for El Paso? A good school, Miner, don't get me wrong...but, hundreds of miles further away for OU and their fans. Good lord, it seems like DFW is OU central sometimes.

...

OTHER THING: Then, in week two OU hosts Florida A&M. What am I missing here? We can't complain about wanting to schedule FCS schools. Bigger schools do it. Kansas State built up their program doing it. I'm telling you, it gives a team a chance at early success and seeing what is working or not before the bulk of the conference season heats up.

Somebody call Dr. Tanner Brock and get me a sedative!

Edited February 16, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[Green Mean]

Doesn't the Sun Bowl have like a 50K+ capacity tho?

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Yes. But, it's 12 hours from even DFW to El Paso. The cost to their fans in gas money and whatnot apparentlu doesn't get factored in.

Pete's pickle-peppered dragon! They could have strolled down 35 for a game and gone back home in a day. We could have sold standing room only tickets to those clown's fans and filled that place fuller than Tanner Brock's wallet!

I'm not saying RV didn't try because I don't know. I do know we could use another home game in 2012, and OU needed any game for their schedule.

Edited February 16, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[foutsrouts]

Home with OU would certainly beat LSU on the road. I sure hope 2012 isn't yet etched in stone, because that schedule is as bad as we've had in a long time.

[Coffee and TV]

Because all of the OU fans wouldn't have fit into Apogee Stadium. It would look more like a home game to them than for us.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Because all of the OU fans wouldn't have fit into Apogee Stadium. It would look more like a home game to them than for us.

HIGHLY doubtful.

OU's visitor section would be sold out at Apogee. Maybe they would get some spots in the wingzone and they may be able to buy some tickets off Stubhub or something, but I would venture to say that the crowd would easily be 2/3 Mean Green fans, if not more.

[forevereagle]

The cost to their fans in gas money and whatnot apparentlu doesn't get factored in.

It's a schedule for people, Dan.

[MeanGreenDan]

Home with OU would certainly beat LSU on the road. I sure hope 2012 isn't yet etched in stone, because that schedule is as bad as we've had in a long time.

Be careful, last time I tried to make the same comment I had people telling me I wasn't a real fan...

[UNTcrazy727]

We are not ready to host a school like OU. Why would we want to host a school that would probably bring more fans than us and kick our butts? No thanks.

Let's start getting the Virginas and Arizonas of the world before we start bringing in the OUs and UTs.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

We are not ready to host a school like OU. Why would we want to host a school that would probably bring more fans than us and kick our butts? No thanks.

Let's start getting the Virginas and Arizonas of the world before we start bringing in the OUs and UTs.

Um...because a sellout at our stadium with OU guarantees more gate money than we'd get from a Virginia or Arizona. And, likely, the game broadcast regionally by a national carrier.

For better or worse, people in the DFW area are interested in OU. Virginia and Arizona, not so much.

Couldn't Chuck Neinas, OU's old pal and the Big 12 commissioner, have helped here? We paid him to write a report that says "We're A-OK!"

Just surprised enough to see OU opening on the road, but at a non-AQ to boot. And, like us, not a particularly powerful non-AQ.

Edited February 16, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

HIGHLY doubtful.

OU's visitor section would be sold out at Apogee. Maybe they would get some spots in the wingzone and they may be able to buy some tickets off Stubhub or something, but I would venture to say that the crowd would easily be 2/3 Mean Green fans, if not more.

Maybe. Many would likely put them on eBay to sell to the downtrodden Sooner fans in the area.

[UNTcrazy727]

Um...because a sellout at our stadium with OU guarantees more gate money than we'd get from a Virginia or Arizona. And, likely, the game broadcast regionally by a national carrier.

For better or worse, people in the DFW area are interested in OU. Virginia and Arizona, not so much.

Couldn't Chuck Neinas, OU's old pal and the Big 12 commissioner, have helped here? We paid him to write a report that says "We're A-OK!"

Just surprised enough to see OU opening on the road, but at a non-AQ to boot. And, like us, not a particularly powerful non-AQ.

We have to start winning games against known teams that people care about. Yeah, it would be a million times better if we beat OU instead of an Arizona, but lets be honest with ourselves, that's not happening anytime soon. Getting our butts handed to us by OU in our own stadium while OU fans do their own chants like its a home game will only reinforce the belief that UNT is a bad program. The game being on TV would only make it worse. It's not worth the extra few thousand we'd pick up in ticket sales. We have to pick our battles carefully and playing a national power that's less than 2 hours away is not one we're ready for.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

"Oklahoma is about our fans," Stull said. "Everyone is concerned about our attendance, making money. Those are huge issues to keep an eye on. We've dropped off in season-ticket sales, we've dropped off in attendance, and (Price) wants to get them back."

Wow. From UTEP's AD: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19976002?source=most_viewed

It's like, "We know we can't draw them it. We know OU will do it."

I agree, and just think we were a closer option.

From one of their fans:

Longtime season-ticket holder Kurt Paxon sounded as if he couldn't wait for Sept. 1.

"Sometimes these opening-the-season teams, you need to get out a map and look them up on the Internet," he said. "This is a great opportunity to see a perennial powerhouse in our backyard. When we've taken on Big 12 teams in the past, we've always risen to the occasion.

"People who've been going to games remember us playing Texas close (in 2008). We should have beaten Texas Tech (a 2006 overtime loss). It brings out the best in the Miners.

"I'm glad the Miners are able to bring somebody like this to El Paso. It puts us in the national spotlight."

Yes. Yes it does. Congrats to UTEP, Bob Stull, and everyone over there who made it happen. They saw a big school with scheduling need, gave them a two-for-one with the one up front.

It can be done.

FIU is hosting Big East's Louisville this year.

Troy is hosting Mississippi State.

ULM is hosting Baylor.

Rice is hosting, and opening, with UCLA.

SMU is hosting Texas A&M.

Tulane is hosting Rutgers and Ole Miss.

UCF is hosting Missouri.

Ball State is hosting South Florida.

Buffalo is hosting Pitt.

Central Michigan is hosting Michigan State.

Northern Illinois is hosting Kansas.

Temple is hosting Maryland.

Toledo is hosting Cincinnati.

Western Michigan is hosting Connecticut.

Fresno State is hosting Colorado.

Nevada is hosting South Florida (South Florida...helping the little guys twice in a year)

UNLV is hosting, and opening, with Minnesota, then will have Washington State in a couple weeks after that.

New Mexico State is hosting BYU.

San Jose State is hosting BYU.

Texas State is hosting Texas Tech.

It happens. There were big schools with scheduling needs late, too. I hate to complain...ah, screw it...I love to complain! It's the offseason. Fire away!

[Coffee and TV]

Maybe. Many would likely put them on eBay to sell to the downtrodden Sooner fans in the area.

Exactly.

And OU already has a game every year in DFW for their fans anyways. It's nationally televised, and has 45k fans in Crimson during the State Fair. What's another game in DFW against a cupcake like us gonna do for them?

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

We have to start winning games against known teams that people care about. Yeah, it would be a million times better if we beat OU instead of an Arizona, but lets be honest with ourselves, that's not happening anytime soon. Getting our butts handed to us by OU in our own stadium while OU fans do their own chants like its a home game will only reinforce the belief that UNT is a bad program. The game being on TV would only make it worse. It's not worth the extra few thousand we'd pick up in ticket sales. We have to pick our battles carefully and playing a national power that's less than 2 hours away is not one we're ready for.

And, UTEP is winning and "ready" for OU? That's an argument that not even the UTEP AD is making. He gets to the heart of the matter: UTEP needs butts in the seats - OU being at his school's stadium will provide them.

Win or lose? I doubt that's even on Bob Stull's radar with this game. This is money and exposure for the school.

Edited February 16, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[buff64]

And Texas Tech is crying because they were not given a bye week in the middle of the conference scheldue. If you look at there scheldue you will notice ,they really have the first three weeks off then a bye week.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Exactly.

And OU already has a game every year in DFW for their fans anyways. It's nationally televised, and has 45k fans in Crimson during the State Fair. What's another game in DFW against a cupcake like us gonna do for them?

True. I hadn't factored in that many times in the recent future, Texas has already been a cupcake game for OU in the DFW area. Good point. Why run roughshod over two Texas teams around DFW? There's nothing left to prove, I suppose.

[gangrene]

I'd like to see us host Washington State next year (I know, they're booked solid) or in 2013. It'd be Leach's first trip back to the Lone Star state and Wazzu is very beatable right now.

[Eagle1855]

I'd like to see us host Washington State next year (I know, they're booked solid) or in 2013. It'd be Leach's first trip back to the Lone Star state and Wazzu is very beatable right now.

You know what would be even better than worrying about catching teams when they are beatable? Being good.

[greenminer]

It might be useful to look at the numbers UTEP brought in when they hosted UT (2010, I believe). Demand for tickets was insanely high and, if I am remembering right, they gave first priority to those that had season tickets.

It's a simple marketing ploy. This has the looks of a second go-round.

[Eastwood Eagle]

Getting our butts handed to us by OU in our own stadium while OU fans do their own chants like its a home game will only reinforce the belief that UNT is a bad program.

That sounds awful and I hope that never happens.

Seriously in theory it sounds cool to play OU at home, but come on, think about it...

[rjmunthe]

I'm quite sure that UNT would control the amount of OU fans there were. It'd be like the UH game.

[FirefightnRick]

I don't see what the fuss is here? After all, we're hosting Texas Southern for cryin out loud?

Rick

[foutsrouts]

I'm quite sure that UNT would control the amount of OU fans there were. It'd be like the UH game.

Not so sure that it would be like the UH game, since the Coogs don't generally travel any better than we do, but I feel confident that we would be in the majority. If we could dump the LSU trip and manuever the schedule around to where we hosted FSU for that 1/8/12 game that WVU cancelled on them, I'd be very happy. Not likely to happen at this point but why not dream.

[drex]

The numbers just don't work to host Oklahoma. Their guarantee price would be huge and we don't have the seats to sell to make it profitable. Given that a huge portion of our stadium is for students, who pay no gate ticket price, how can we even consider an OU? Some of the schools that were listed must be paying in terms of a two or three for one for some the big boys to consider such a series. For us to sell game day tickets for OU the ticket price would be astronomical, given the limited number of seats available to sell.