Future Schedule Possibilities

Eastwood Eagle · September 19, 2012

It's been empirically proven that our largest crowds come agaist other Texas teams. Our attendance isn't at a point when we can discard a game that would be a good draw because we don't want them to get a leg up. Add one more Texas team to our schedule can only help our attendance. Students and alumni like games against schools their friends went to.

This "leg up" argument is so abstract and vague. What exactly does it mean giving them a leg up? Do people really think that Texas State will pass us by because they are on our schedule? There is no logic in an affirmative answer to that question.

For our attendance and building lasting rivalries that fans on both sides can get excited about the answer is playing schools right down the road from us in Texas. We work with these people, we live with these people, we drink with these people we spend Christmas with these people. Now lets beat them in football.

There is absolutely no wrong in playing Texas State now that they are a FBS team.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Eastwood Eagle

CurveItAround · September 19, 2012

It's been said before, but I really wish we could start a tradition of scheduling one of the service schools each year. The Army and Navy games were great and had good attendance. And that Navy game was just CRAZY!!!

As you probably already know, we have 4 games upcoming with Army in 2016/2017/2018/2019. As you say, it would be great to have the service adademies on the schedule from time to time if you can pull it off. Maybe after the army series ends, have something set up with Navy for a home/home, then Air Force, then Army again. It would be cool if you could have a rotating home/home with them. That way you play each of them twice every 6 years. Not sure if it would be possible, but would be a cool tradition.

ValleyBoy · September 19, 2012

I would not schedule the same non conference team each and every year. I feel it would be best try and schedule a 2 game home/away with one of the other state teams then schedule another one of them. Over eight years you would have a two game home/away series with Houston, SMU, TCU, and UTSA.

Baby Arm! · September 19, 2012

For our attendance and building lasting rivalries that fans on both sides can get excited about the answer is playing schools right down the road from us in Texas. We work with these people, we live with these people, we drink with these people we spend Christmas with these people. Now lets beat them in football.

There is absolutely no wrong in playing Texas State now that they are a FBS team.

Well Stated.

I can see our fan base gettin much more excited by Texas State than Ball St (or any other MAC team)

ntmeangreen11 · September 19, 2012

no no see your don't understand.....north Texas was "paying their dues" all those years by spending the huge sum of 2 million dollars to add crappy metal bleachers to an already worn and dated stadium and hiring high school coaches on the cheap and deserved a leg up from all the other Texas D1-A teams

TxState is taking the easy way out by investing in two very nice renovations of their stadium that will last for the long term, selling it out for their first game at home in D1-A, beating UH on the road for their first ever D1-A game, and hiring an experienced D1-A head coach and other short cuts like that

UTSA is worse drawing 60K fans to their first game ever as a program....winning it, playing in a domed stadium THEY DON'T own (as if anyone gives a damn about that), going 6-6 their first year ever to play the game, averaging well over 30K fans for the season, going 3-0 so far this season, and hiring a coach with a MNC ring

see those teams have not "paid their dues" like north Texas did so they are not worthy

You never seem to answer this question: Where did your hate for all things North Texas come from? Who in the world would spend their free time on these forums looking for any topic relevant to UNT to troll UNT fans?

You need a girlfriend bro, your trolling clearly only works on a couple people nowadays.

ADLER · September 19, 2012

I'm on the record advocating a home & home series with Texas State. Schedule it opposite the UTSA game so we play one at home, the other on the road each year. Would give us an annual recruiting and media presence in central Texas of which we currently have none. It's a great roadtrip for fans. The Austin/San Marcos/New Braunfels/San Antonio corridor offers LOTS to do for fans. From a personal standpoint, Being in NB it would give me at least one easy road game to attend.

I'm with Baby Arm on this. Make this an annual rivalry, and even try to schedule the road games at Texas State during Wurstfest.

I would go so far as for each college to include free admission for students of the visiting school. That would boost attendance, still make money from parking and concessions, and forge a stronger school unity as the students travel to support their schools.

wardly · September 19, 2012

For the next year or so we will have only 12 CUSA football programs. ODU has to move up, and UNCC has to get started. I don't know what the time line is, but someone from the Western Division must move to the Eastern Division for a few years. My guess is that "someone" will be La. Tech.,as I doubt Tulane wants to go.

Eastwood Eagle · September 19, 2012

No way. Plus why would you want to schedule the game when the hotels are already full?

I agree with a previous poster, no need to play them, it only helps them - which is not in our best interest. I don't have much against them, I am just for us.

Playing a school that will help our attendance does not help us? Please elaborate on this.

Why should we play UTSA, Rice, Tulsa, UTEP or basically the whole CUSA because it will "only help them."

Edited September 19, 2012 by Eastwood Eagle

meaniegreenie · September 19, 2012

It would be cool if you could have a rotating home/home with them. That way you play each of them twice every 6 years. Not sure if it would be possible, but would be a cool tradition.

Yeah, this is what I was really meaning. Just like it became custom for ND-Navy, maybe we could get a UNT-<Svcs> setup. Granted we don't have the history of a ND, but it could still be something to try.

Eastwood Eagle · September 19, 2012

I think they would help us more than Indiana, Colorado or Vanderbilt. Like I said earlier, we interact with Texas State people daily and playing them in football will allow us to build rivalries- which sadly we do not have. We will not build a rivalry with Indiana, Vanderbilt or the like by doing a random 1 for 1 and there is no long term benefit in that. We will build a rivalry by playing OOC games with Texas schools on a regular basis- like we are thankfully about to do with SMU and I hope we can do w/ UH.

Rivalries put butts in the seat.

I think we are on an upward trend where we will consistently beat Texas State so we should not worry about a potential loss or them taking recruits from us.

Eastwood Eagle · September 20, 2012

I think an additional rival would not hurt.

Eastwood Eagle · September 20, 2012

Yeah given. Like I said I'm glad we finally have SMU on the schedule. Hopefully both schools will see it in their best interest to schedule each other more often.

For selfish reasons I hope we put UH on the schedule more as well.

CurveItAround · September 20, 2012

Well, I for one would not mind scheduling them because 1) I do believe they provide some recognition amongst our alumni and students. Most know someone/work with someone that went there/goes there and 2) I believe we will beat them more times than not.

I think the reason that teams like TTech, Houston, SMU, etc... choose to play home/home with us is that their fans/alumni know who we are, Tech/Houston want a DFW game, and THEY THINK THEY WILL PROBABLY WIN. Once they stop winning most/all of the time, they stop scheduling the series, especially if they don't perceive us to be on the same level. They are not doing us a favor, they are in it for themselves, just like we will be if we decide to schedule TXST. As long as we perceive that we are getting at least as much or more than we are giving, then it is a no brainer. If they start beating us with regularity, then we got bigger problems. Schedule a 4 game series and see how it goes.

I know people will, but I don't see how anyone can complain (other than wishing we had 6 home games) with our schedule over the next few years. It looks as good as it ever has. All that is left to do is the team perform and the fans support it. There are no excuses left.

Edited September 20, 2012 by CurveItAround

UNT90 · September 20, 2012

Just a comment on the rivalry aspect, that is what joining CUSA is supposed to do. I don't know why we need to search the D1 move-ups for a rival

Agree, lets try to think a little bigger.

CurveItAround · September 20, 2012

Agree, lets try to think a little bigger.

I don't see any reason to think that our administration is not thinking bigger as you say. Let's prove that we are ready by posting some W's against good competition and then move up to the next level. SMU thought they wanted tougher competition and got it by putting Baylor and A$M on their schedule this year. TCU in coming years. As soon as they got waxed, those same fans that were screaming that they needed to play the big boys were completely demoralized and complaining about why did the AD schedule the teams, their coach sucks, their team is terrible, etc... No thanks.

It's a process. Things seem to be headed in a nice direction, let's prove that we belong in our new digs and take care of business before we start worrying about what we don't have. We will get there.

Edited September 20, 2012 by CurveItAround

Eastwood Eagle · September 20, 2012

I can't wait until we demoralize SMU.

Seriously, ponyfans.com will go in to shut down mode when we beat them.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Eastwood Eagle

GrandGreen · September 20, 2012

It's been empirically proven that our largest crowds come agaist other Texas teams. Our attendance isn't at a point when we can discard a game that would be a good draw because we don't want them to get a leg up. Add one more Texas team to our schedule can only help our attendance. Students and alumni like games against schools their friends went to.

You are assuming that NT can't get a better home and away series than TSSM. I have been to a lot of SWT and NT games that didn't draw flies. Who knows once they are both in the FB division, but there is no guarantee this game would be a big draw. In fact, if NT progresses the way we hope, there will be people complaining about scheduling TSSM.

Because I live here and we get absolutely ZERO attention in this part of the state. No print media, No TV, No radio, Nada. We don't exist in Central Texas. I hear more about whomever is playing Texas State and UTSA every week then I ever hear of North Texas. Your CUSA = more coverage argument is fautly. I never see coverage of SMU or Houston either. They are currently in CUSA and they are out of sight, out of mind.

My "CUSA more coverage" argument is not faulty, NT will definitely get more coverage and even in your area. UTSA is a CUSA member or did I dream that? Being from Central Texas, I am somewhat familiar with the coverage. It is basically, depending on what part of Central Texas you are referring to, about limited to UT and UT and then A&M and Baylor. TSSM will get coverage in San Antonio and Austin about equivalent to what NT gets in the DMN.

Edited September 20, 2012 by GrandGreen

GrandGreen · September 20, 2012

Fair enough, but when the shoe was on the other foot and we were asking for series against teams like SMU, Houston, Texas Tech, etc... (and participated in, just maybe not as often as we wanted) why do we see that differently than putting TXST on the calendar. Isn't it the same basic proposition, just in reverse?

Personally, my preference, like others have already mentioned, would be to pay for a regional FCS team to come to Apogee early in the season, but don't have the visibility to know if the program is in the financial position to do it.

Yes, it is basically the same, that is the point. Those schools play NT when it benefits them and NT will do like wise. Assuming that NT has 4 oc games in CUSA, and wants to maintain a balanced schedule and still play an away guarantee like is planned for years ahead, then it will have a max of two away and home series a year.

If TSSM is the best they can schedules, than they should do that. Army and SMU are already scheduled and they are much more desirable than TSSM. So would be Houston, ULL or any school from a power conference that would be willing to play a even series.

TSSM has the same priorities, they won't have problems scheduling at least till they get good. Why should they want to play NT when most fb teams in the state would be preferred over NT.

Mean Green 93-98 · September 20, 2012

I'm not necessarily opposed to playing Texas State. But I don't see it being a huge attendance boost, or it really doing that much for our program in any way. When we were in the Southland, we played them and a bunch of teams just like them every single week.

Harry · September 20, 2012

I'm not necessarily opposed to playing Texas State. But I don't see it being a huge attendance boost, or it really doing that much for our program in any way. When we were in the Southland, we played them and a bunch of teams just like them every single week.

That's not really fair, Texas State has made a lot of improvements - as have we - since those days.

Eastwood Eagle · September 20, 2012

+1 Harry.

I think people who argue for State on the schedule recognize they come after UH, SMU, Baylor, etc... but before random schools that we might schedule.

At least that is my opinion.

foutsrouts · September 20, 2012

That's not really fair, Texas State has made a lot of improvements - as have we - since those days.

I have to agree. I drove through there a couple of weeks ago for the first time in a few years, and I was very impressed. I did spend a nice Summer semester at SWTSU years back, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I would have definitely preferred them in CUSA over UTSA. Oh well.

foutsrouts · September 20, 2012

+1 Harry.

I think people who argue for State on the schedule recognize they come after UH, SMU, Baylor, etc... but before random schools that we might schedule.

At least that is my opinion.

I'm also agree with that. A locked up series with Baylor and/or Houston would be great.

CurveItAround · September 20, 2012

I'm also agree with that. A locked up series with Baylor and/or Houston would be great.

Agree with this, it does not not have to be txst, but would be nice to regional team with good recognizability. We know that we are supposed to have 4 OOC games each year. What if we look at each of the 4 games and look at what we want to accomplish with each. Here is one possible approach:

1. Seems like we are committed to 1 money game on the road each year.

2. Local home/home series with meaningful/recognizable FBS program, upcoming with SMU, could also rotate TTech, Baylor, Houston here. Would be nice to keep at least one of them on the schedule each year.

3. Home/home series with random FBS program, current Indiana series, upcoming Army series. Provides variety. Target lower tier top 5, MWC, or nBE.

4. FCS buy game or home/home series with regional FBS program (i.e. SBC, possibly MAC) where we should have upper hand. This is supposed to be our reliable W on the OOC schedule.

If we look at each of the available slots with an eye on what we are trying to accompish with our OOC schedule it can add a little clarity. Ideally, the buy game remains competitive and we actually start knocking teams off in this slot and the program gets to a point we can do home/home here or maybe neutral site with top 25 type, then the other three slots provide various levels of winnable games.

This just represents a possibility, we could always deviate a little, but you get the general idea.

Edited September 20, 2012 by CurveItAround