Tech Rivals Site Sez All UNT Has To Offer is ..........

[MeanGreen61]

Budget and student body size

Louisiana Tech official in interview. Off the Tech board.

Please excuse the sloppy notes below. I tried to type an liste to JFord's interview at the same time.

per JFord:

Meeting went as well as expected. No surprises for MWC or CUSA, no disappointments either.

Market or bust for the Alliance? JF: No one is indicating from Tech or media circles around CUSA that the conference expansion is only "media market" driven. FIU gets no coverage in Miami, North Texas gets more media coverage outside DFW than in DFW itself. Shocking that a team like FIU does not have all its football games on radio (i.e. network), they can not find a Miami radio station that will cover all 12 football games.

JF: Budget and student body are only reasons UTSA, North Texas, and FIU are being considered. Ford doesn't believe CUSA/MWC is only going after TV markets only.

What goes on during these visits? JF: lunch with President, BVDV at beginning; met with Dr. Reneau; tours of the facilities; presentation of Q4E progress and plan for future; talk specifics on TV contracts; Tech talks about how well they did on TV; officials back on the plane. Bradshaw may have been on the plane from Dallas to Ruston, but cannot be confirmed. Officials were out of Ruston by 4 pm.

When Tech has been courting CUSA as long as it has, there is not much more for Alliance officials to find out.

Ten years after the initial rejection by CUSA, LA Tech is in a much better position (facilities look much better). If worst case scenario occurs (no invite to CUSA) what happens? JF: Sun Belt. Staying in the WAC is not an option. It's either CUSA or Sun Belt.

JF: A move to CUSA may not remain in the next two weeks. LA Tech is the last visit the CUSA officials will make. When expansion is going down, you want to be the last school they visit.

Any other thing outside of market size that could be bad for Tech? JF: The budget, nowhere near as high as it should be compared to CUSA. Tech has proven that it can do more with less.

Edited April 11, 2012 by MeanGreen61

[golfingomez]

Recap:

All UNT has to offer is a bigger market, bigger budget and a bigger built in fan base....

Riiiiiiiiight... Because those are small unimportant things...

[techdawg88]

JFord isn't a Tech official, he runs the LaTech Rivals board

[MeanGreen61]

JFord isn't a Tech official, he runs the LaTech Rivals board

My bad.......Tech semi-officlal.

[drex]

Silliness prompted by desperation.

[Harry]

Let's just leave this alone. Let's just wish Tech good luck. That is all.

[UNT90]

The fact that they had to send a private jet should tell you everything you need to know.

They may get in, but I like our situation a whole lot better.

[GrandGreen]

What I would like to know from one of the very enthusiastic La Tech fans is what has La Tech got to offer? If all NT and others have on La Tech is student body and budget, what does La Tech have on anybody? In comparison to NT, my only guess would be a slightly better football program. Other than that maybe central geography to CUSA. They tout their academic prowess but don't have the metrics to back it up as if that makes any difference anyway.

La Tech has always done a lot with a little and I certainly can appreciate that. But foolish statements like the one in the thread starter, are why most are turned off by the school. Other than budget and size, NT has great advantages in facilities, a better overall athletic program, a market that is vastly bigger even if La Tech includes all of Northern La. and most of all a hell of a lot more potential.

Edited April 12, 2012 by GrandGreen

[PlummMeanGreen]

In my 25 years in the tech school recruiting (sales) business the worse possible thing you can do is put down another competitor because it usually drives said potential client straight to that competitor. You state your case (or positive benefits) and let the one(s) deciding make the final decision. I can't believe that a responsible official at any university would start making comments about another school. With the Alliance, I think our past NCAA D1 history and legacy will be a plus maybe moreso than it ever has before because if you look at all the other candidates, I count exactly "zero" whose own NCAA D1 history comes even close to North Texas beginning in the 1950's.

Having said the aforementioned from my quarter a century in education sales, I think LaTech (upon further review and "non smack board" thinking) would still be a great addition to this Alliance, but from all I've gathered from several sources, and reading numerous messasge boards on the subject, I really think Alliance officials mostly paid the Tech'sters a visit more out of courtesy than being serious about adding them this go around. (Hope I'm wrong and that UNT/La Tech get official invites in the next few weeks).

Said this before, but I think Bulldog faithful have put way too much of their value and stock based on (mostly) one season (as in this last football season and bowl appearance). Comparing UNT and La Tech when the modern era of the NCAA began in the 1950's and into the next several decades after the 50's is not fair to the Tech'sters and I'd wager that their old timers and older alums would know exactly where I'm coming from with that.

Also, I think many of us would like to see the study (or even just a link) whereas the La Tech official suggests that North Texas receives more attention outside DFW than inside the DFW Metroplex. I think a statement like that if it were truly made comes from the "grasping for straws" department.

Yet..............with almost 700,000 in Denton County (northern & fastest growing part of the Metroplex), 120,000 inside Denton proper, an enrollment within reach of 40,000 and one campus-based publication saying there are 209,000 DFW UNT exes, I (somewhat) think we get more than our share of attention inside the Metroplex with just our own constituency. Any addition attention beyond our own enourmous DFW numbers is merely icing on the cake. And why not start with 10,000,000 potential listeners in our Mean Green Radio Network audience radar for starters?

NOTE: "Only" a 1% audience from that number would be 100,000 listeners.

http://www.meangreen...00&ATCLID=68062

Just sayin'...

GMG!

Edited April 12, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanMag]

I hope La Tech Gets in. I don't think we are their competitor. They might be competing with UTSA or Texas State or FIU, but not with us.

[techdawg88]

If UTEP leaves to go to the MWC then CUSA will need 5 teams to get back to 12 and I think all of us will get in

[UNTexas]

If UTEP leaves to go to the MWC then CUSA will need 5 teams to get back to 12 and I think all of us will get in

The qoute from the other guy is silly and you are probably right. UNT, La Tech, FIU, UTSA and Charlotte are under consideration?

[techdawg88]

The qoute from the other guy is silly and you are probably right. UNT, La Tech, FIU, UTSA and Charlotte are under consideration?

Yes and those are the 5 I think that will backload CUSA. Except for that guys tweet I've yet to see anything that says Middle Tennessee is an option

Edited April 12, 2012 by techdawg88

[shaft]

I'll preface this with I would love for UNT to be in the same conference with LA Tech. They'd be a good rival; half days drive, regional relevance, higher profile, etc. etc.

But the real question is what Tech done since getting passed over for 12th spot in CUSA 7 years ago?

UNT passed a new athletic fee, built a new stadium, upgraded its football coach, been the NCAA BB tournament twice, built a new business building, and increased student enrollment.

LA Tech has launched a capital campaign to further themselves for UL-M, which is a pretty low standard, but what have they built?

[MeanMag]

I'll preface this with I would love for UNT to be in the same conference with LA Tech. They'd be a good rival; half days drive, regional relevance, higher profile, etc. etc.

But the real question is what Tech done since getting passed over for 12th spot in CUSA 7 years ago?

UNT passed a new athletic fee, built a new stadium, upgraded its football coach, been the NCAA BB tournament twice, built a new business building, and increased student enrollment.

LA Tech has launched a capital campaign to further themselves for UL-M, which is a pretty low standard, but what have they built?

That's why I say, tech is not fighting us for this spot. We are in. They are fighting utsa, fiu, Mtsu, Charlotte etc. to be in the same conference as us.

[Dwayne From Minden]

The fact that they had to send a private jet should tell you everything you need to know.

They may get in, but I like our situation a whole lot better.

What sends the better message -

A school seeking the new membership sending the private plane of the school's biggest donor to your door step to pick you up and then making a quick stop in Dallas to pick up school's most visible alumnus and flying you direct to the school...

Or sending the suits two tickets to fly in on a commercial airline that is a 45 minute car ride from campus?

[meangreendork]

What sends the better message -

A school seeking the new membership sending the private plane of the school's biggest donor to your door step to pick you up and then making a quick stop in Dallas to pick up school's most visible alumnus and flying you direct to the school...

Or sending the suits two tickets to fly in on a commercial airline that is a 45 minute car ride from campus?

Marketing doesn't matter nearly as much as product does.

[greenjoe]

I think Dwayne makes a good point. Who wouldn't be impressed with a private jet and joking on the ride with Terry Bradshaw. And if that's all the "suits" are looking for then La Tech will show off well.

However, if the suits are looking for a school with a major airport 30 minutes away to get teams, not executives, in and out quickly, a stadium on I-35, the 5th or 6th biggest television market in the country and brand new modern facilities and venues, well, I hope the "suits" know the difference between smoke and mirrors and the real deal.

PS...If you want to fly your private jet from Ruston to Denton, land it on the 6,700 foot Denton Municipal Airport runway (1,700 ft. longer than the airport in Ruston). Use our new FAA control tower and know that after you land you're only about 2 minutes from Apogee Stadium.

GO MEAN GREEN

[All About UNT]

I think Dwayne makes a good point. Who wouldn't be impressed with a private jet and joking on the ride with Terry Bradshaw. And if that's all the "suits" are looking for then La Tech will show off well.

However, if the suits are looking for a school with a major airport 30 minutes away to get teams, not executives, in and out quickly, a stadium on I-35, the 5th or 6th biggest television market in the country and brand new modern facilities and venues, well, I hope the "suits" know the difference between smoke and mirrors and the real deal.

PS...If you want to fly your private jet from Ruston to Denton, land it on the 6,700 foot Denton Municipal Airport runway (1,700 ft. longer than the airport in Ruston). Use our new FAA control tower and know that after you land you're only about 2 minutes from Apogee Stadium.

GO MEAN GREEN

So now it has come to this...

VS.

[Stix]

Hmmm - the "Alliance"... what's just down 35W across the county line? That's right, it's Alliance Airport! I see some potential here for a sponsor...

[THOR]

So now it has come to this...

VS.

you know size matters...

[UNTFan23]

you know size matters...

[shaft]

Don't be an ass and wrong.

Like it or not LA Tech has a higher college football profile than any of the Merger/Alliance expansion candidates including UNT. But as we found out when CUSA added UTEP for the 12th spot, profile isn't everything.

And let not compare anyone to ULM. Monroe is one of the worst program in FBS and by far the worst team in the Sun Belt. We should be embarrassed to be in conference with the War Hawks, they are the only team in the Belt that hasn't been able to go .500 in the past 11 years.

[GrandGreen]

Don't be an ass and wrong.

Like it or not LA Tech has a higher college football profile than any of the Merger/Alliance expansion candidates including UNT. But as we found out when CUSA added UTEP for the 12th spot, profile isn't everything.

And let not compare anyone to ULM. Monroe is one of the worst program in FBS and by far the worst team in the Sun Belt. We should be embarrassed to be in conference with the War Hawks, they are the only team in the Belt that hasn't been able to go .500 in the past 11 years.

Yes, many may be embarrassed every time ULM beats NT; which has been far too often given their resources.

[glick1980]

Don't be an ass and wrong.

Like it or not LA Tech has a higher college football profile than any of the Merger/Alliance expansion candidates including UNT. But as we found out when CUSA added UTEP for the 12th spot, profile isn't everything.

And let not compare anyone to ULM. Monroe is one of the worst program in FBS and by far the worst team in the Sun Belt. We should be embarrassed to be in conference with the War Hawks, they are the only team in the Belt that hasn't been able to go .500 in the past 11 years.

I agree with everything you said about ULM and disagree with everything you said about Tech. They have been to three bowl games in 20 years. Their fans think they have some kind of great profile but it isn't true. Don't buy what they are selling. Minus the Todd Dodge years, we have been every bit as good if not better than Tech has been since our return to FBS. Prior to that, we were much better and they were division 2.