Sorry To Start Your Day With This, But

UNTLifer · August 29, 2003

pisses me off. On top of that, it is from a faculty member and alumnus. I still wish some or our alumni/faculty members/Denton residents that support this project would submit letters.

A bad idea

The University of North Texas regents have approved using $3,675,000 from the university’s reserve funds to pay for an athletics complex that will cost at least $7.4 million, a million more than previous recent estimates and certain to increase.

At first the athletics complex was to be paid for mostly by private funds. Then the regents voted to lend the project $1 million on condition that the university raise $3 million in private money. That failed. So now the university’s reserve funds are being used. That is mismanagement of the university’s funds.

There are many reasons the athletics expansion is a bad idea, particularly with university funds. History has shown that North Texas never will be successful in big-time football. Competition in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for money, fans and media attention is too great. Alumni, mostly musicians, journalists and educators, are not interested in supporting big-time athletics at North Texas and do not have the money to support it if they did. Failure to raise the $3 million proves that.

North Texas is desperately in need of money for academic purposes. The university needs to raise a lot of private money for those needs.

North Texas does not need big-time athletics. It has more students now (more than 30,000) than it can handle. It already has national reputations in many fields, such as music, journalism, education and business. Big-time football won’t help.

Keith Shelton, alumnus

and faculty member for more than 20 years,

Denton

Eagle9297 · August 29, 2003

I really hate seeing this. But for a very long time this has been TRUE. And without our continued support it will be.

Going to the games is important. Traveling well is important. On field success is important. But money makes the world go round. Please give to the program. And not just athletics. The fact is to rise to the level we all want to will take a great deal of cash. GIVE!

CAV · August 29, 2003

He works in the journalism department. Enough said! Fortunately, the Keith Shelton's on campus are a dying breed, but to Mean Green fans they can't die off soon enough.

I applaud the Board of Regents it's about time this University did something for Athletics.

With new state retirement regulations going in soon a lot of old NTSU old timers are dropping out of this place like flies this month. I hope we see a couple of old timers from Journalism go by the wayside.

His UNT email is shelton@unt.edu

Edited August 29, 2003 by CAV

mhow2 · August 29, 2003

All I have to say is "Frank that guy!!!!" and if it were up to me I would fire is arse. If you can't support the place you work for then don't work there.

BowlJinx · August 29, 2003

Unfortunately, faculty like him are NOT a dying breed...not by a longshot.

I work with a lot of faculty, and more of them agree with this line of thinking then disagree with it.

However, buck up everyone. That is pretty common at most universities. Most of your faculty typically could care less about athletics, and hate the idea that their little corner of academia is not viewed as important as athletic is.

catman12 · August 29, 2003

Is the football program not one of the only revenue generating programs at UNT? Why should they have to build all their facilities with "private" funds while all the money they bring in is spent on Performing Arts Centers and other projects around campus.

I just think it is about time the athletics department gets a major upgrade in facilities. Isn't this the reason we play teams like OU and UT every year...for the money? Or maybe all this money is needed to pay the athletic expenses incurred each season. I really don't know the University finances all that well.

It sucks to see people that don't support improving the facilities on campus whether it is new science buildings, performing arts centers, or athletic complexes. All help build a better UNT!!!

FirefightnRick · August 29, 2003

He works in the journalism department

There you are!

Remember though that 64 faculty prof's at Tt signed a letter stating they did not want the Bobster on campus. It's at a&m, it's at tU and everywhere in between.

Rick

CAV · August 29, 2003

Unfortunately, faculty like him are NOT a dying breed...not by a longshot.
I work with a lot of faculty, and more of them agree with this line of thinking then disagree with it.

I also work with a lot of faculty and several are season ticket holders who support Athetics, but if the faculty wants to draw a line in the sand about this then I'm ready to go to war. By the time we are finished they will be a dying breed.

Stan R · August 29, 2003

I think the DentonRC needs a dedicated column titled "angry anti-atlethics commentary". Guest writers would include, Anti-Athletics faculty members, Anti-UNT facilities Denia residents, and Anti Everything SFASGA pro albino writers. That way, we wouldn't have to go searching in the "letters to the editor" section. It would be a dedicated section for us to link to.

Green Jackal · August 29, 2003

UNT already has national reputations in many fields, such as music, journalism, education and business.

UNT also has a national reputation as the worst athletic facilities in D1-A.

DallasGreen · August 29, 2003

At my son's graduation from UT some science speaker soliciting research funds(like UT needs more $) said something like in 10 years no one will remember who won the Big XII, but they will know the research their $ brought in. The big difference at UT was all the graduates gave him a big round of boooos when he said that. Then he suggested a state income tax to support research funding and the parents booed!!!

GangGreen · August 29, 2003

At my son's graduation from UT some science speaker soliciting research funds(like UT needs more $) said something like in 10 years no one will remember who won the Big XII, but they will know the research their $ brought in. The big difference at UT was all the graduates gave him a big round of boooos when he said that. Then he suggested a state income tax to support research funding and the parents booed!!!

Yep, ten years from now I will remember the day that they were able split a nose hair on the african water gnat....

MeanGreenNation · August 29, 2003

DO NOT POST PEOPLES PERSONAL INFO. NO.

Edited August 29, 2003 by Cerebus

Debo · August 29, 2003

Tell me this quote isn't total BS:

"Alumni, mostly musicians, journalists and educators"

The education dept is big, I'll concede that but the other 2? Last time I checked neither one was exactly overflowing the brim with students. That's not to say the these depts are bad, quite the opposite, but they do not comprise a majority of the student population. A journalism prof with his facts wrong, how ironic.

PerryG2480 · August 29, 2003

Has anyone sent a "friendly" e-mail to this guy yet? <_

IronMan4 · August 29, 2003

Has anyone sent a "friendly" e-mail to this guy yet?

I shot him a little hello.

Greenblood94 · August 29, 2003

I just think it is about time the athletics department gets a major upgrade in facilities. Isn't this the reason we play teams like OU and UT every year...for the money? Or maybe all this money is needed to pay the athletic expenses incurred each season. I really don't know the University finances all that well.

The money North Texas gets from playing the likes of UT and OU helps them meet Athletic Department expenses each year. The student fees would be even higher without "payday" games like tomorrow's contest in Norman.

As Cerebus has pointed out in previous posts, NT needs to get into a situation where we are not relying on these type of games to finance the athletic budget, but are gaining enough revenue from season ticket sales, attendance, etc., to offset this method of revenue generation.

History has shown that North Texas never will be successful in big-time football. Competition in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for money, fans and media attention is too great. Alumni, mostly musicians, journalists and educators, are not interested in supporting big-time athletics at North Texas and do not have the money to support it if they did. Failure to raise the $3 million proves that.

I had several classes with Mr. Shelton during my days at NT, as Journalism was my minor. While I am disappointed with his stance on the role of "big-time football" at NT, I cannot argue with some of the things he points out, such as the prevailing attitude alumni have held in the past regarding athletics. However, I would submit to Mr. Shelton that, if the past two years have taught us anything, it's that attitudes towards athletics are changing, from the administration on down to alumni.

I don't remember seeing a concerted effort to raise the $3M for the Athletics Center, but I do remember another fundraising effort for academic purposes that Athletic Department officials cited as the reason such fundraising for athletics wouldn't have worked, since they didn't want to hit people up for money twice in a row.

It is my fervent hope (and I hopefully am not alone) that this renewed interest in the football program will translate into financial support, so that recent moves by the BOR will not be necessary for future growth and expansion of Athletic Department facilities. However, I AM glad that the BOR has seen fit to break with the tradition of its predecessors and assist the Athletic Department in this endeavor. I believe that future monies to be gained by such a venture will "repay" the money spent by the BOR, as well as help the same people of Denton who appear to oppose the BOR's actions.

Greenblood94 · August 29, 2003

Geez! I can't believe this guy. Check out the line below! Anybody want to paper his house with green TP??
and one more thing why is this guy worried about whre money is going if he is in the Journ. department? They get all kind of money for there program.

Now there's an intelligent response...

MGN, Mr. Shelton is a respected member of the faculty of North Texas. You may disagree with what he says, but why not stay on the high road and debate the issue with him intelligently, instead of sinking to a lower level??? In my opinion, you are crossing the line.

Edited August 29, 2003 by Greenblood94

FirefightnRick · August 29, 2003

Since the DRC doesn't print responses to non resdents I thought someone in Denton should respond to this letter this in this way.

Alumni, mostly musicians, journalists and educators, are not interested in supporting big-time athletics at North Texas and do not have the money to support it if they did.

If what this professor says in the above paragraph is true then why is the University of North Texas WASTING precious time, money and resources offering degrees in fields that do not help it's graduates earn even a meager, much less a comfortable living in which they can't even afford an $8 dollar football ticket, EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO?

Rick