What should be a realistic goal 5 year goal for North Texas Athletics?

Harry · April 5, 2013

Top 50 in FB and Basketball? top 75?

20- 25k average attendance in FB -- 6k basketball?

10 k Mean Green Club members?

Signature win or upset of higher ranked program?

Recruiting uptick?

New facility improvements?

If you dont set goals you probably won't ever get there! let us know your thoughts!

wardly · April 5, 2013

Goals shoud be realistic and obtainable with a little "pie in the sky". The key is to set realistic goals,whatever they may be.

untjim1995 · April 5, 2013

I like this thread a lot because we really do need to define SOMETHING that should be attainable for our football and basketball teams. For me, I'd like to see the following:

1.) In football, compete for bowl games that are aligned with our conference. IOW, get to a point where you are winning 8 games or more.

2.) In football, win a CUSA Division title.

3.) In football, get to a point where your recruiting rankings are competitive with all of the upper end non-AQs.

4.) In football, average 25k or more per home game.

5.) in basketball, have in place a coach that can get you close to the top of your divsion each year.

6.) In basketball, make a postseason tournament 5 years from now.

7.) In basketball, average 4k per home game in 5 years

Note, that in hoops, most of these were already happening, but I'm looking at what I HOPE will again be possible in 5 years. We have fallen that far abck in just one year.

For both, I want to see better names for OOC opponents at Apogee and the Super Pit.

That's my realistic list of hopes for where I think we could be in 2018.

LongJim · April 5, 2013

I think a five year goal of top 30-40 in football, a top 30 in basketball, and average of 80% of capacity at each venue is reasonable and even expected. I would add a bowl berth in there as well, and yeah--big uptick in MG membership. Increasing every year.

The goal should be championships. Work toward that with recruiting and performance, and the other things happen.

SilverEagle · April 5, 2013

Goals shoud be realistic and obtainable with a little "pie in the sky". The key is to set realistic goals,whatever they may be.

To me, the two most important goals (besides winning more games) should be an increase in attendance and an increase in MGC membership. How do you go about setting realistic goals for those for North Texas? Do we base it on student population? Average attendance for the last five/ten years? Alumni population in the metroplex? Or maybe population density in the Denton County area?

One of the biggest increases in 2011 attendance in the old Sunbelt was LaLa and Ark St. LaLa went from about 17K to 29K. What is their student population? What is the population density of the Lafayette area? Is that jump/increase in numbers a realistic goal for us?

From my point of view, a school with our student/alumni population should sell out a 30K stadium just about every year.

Wag Tag · April 5, 2013

Football:

Average 7- 8 win seasons and be competitive with all OCC (eg K- State game)

25 - 28,000 av attendence

State of the Art training and weight room facility

Hire a Quarterback Coach ( young guy with great success at the college level)

Indoor practice facility:

Basketball:

Top 3 in conference ( mens and womens)

5,000 attendence

Baseball:

A great facility 1500 capacity

Top 4 in conference, competitive OCC

letsgiveacheer · April 5, 2013

In year five, I will be looking forward to year six.

letsgiveacheer · April 5, 2013

In year five, I will be looking forward to year six.

Joking aside, this is a good thread and begs the question, does our athletic department actually have a five year strategic plan and if so, is it available to all to see?

UNT90 · April 5, 2013

Why have goals when there is absolutely no consequences for not achieving them?

I'm all for the current plan of just hoping somehow, in some major program, something good happens.

greenminer · April 5, 2013

Why have goals when there is absolutely no consequences for not achieving them?
I'm all for the current plan of just hoping somehow, in some major program, something good happens.

I'm counting your woe-is-UNT posts.

I think your point will come across after 30 more. Another 100 and the AD might take action. You need to keep spreading them out, too. Kind of like leave-no-child-behind, but with GMG.com threads instead of kids.

Harry · April 5, 2013

To me, the two most important goals (besides winning more games) should be an increase in attendance and an increase in MGC membership. How do you go about setting realistic goals for those for North Texas? Do we base it on student population? Average attendance for the last five/ten years? Alumni population in the metroplex? Or maybe population density in the Denton County area?

One of the biggest increases in 2011 attendance in the old Sunbelt was LaLa and Ark St. LaLa went from about 17K to 29K. What is their student population? What is the population density of the Lafayette area? Is that jump/increase in numbers a realistic goal for us?

From my point of view, a school with our student/alumni population should sell out a 30K stadium just about every year.

If you use these as the parameters - which I don't have a problem with at all - you HAVE to include scheduling as part of the criteria. These other schools have benefited greatly from bringing in name opponents to their stadiums in terms of attendance and season ticket sales. C-USA will help this tremendously but you have to get some non conference opponents in Apogee as well.

MeanGreenTexan · April 5, 2013

Realistic goals:

Football - have a winning record at the end of the season. Every year.

Basketball - have a winning record at the end of the season. Every year.

Achieve these two goals (as a bare minimum), and attendance/recruiting/MGC memberships/donations/etc... will fall into place.

Harry · April 5, 2013

Why have goals when there is absolutely no consequences for not achieving them?
I'm all for the current plan of just hoping somehow, in some major program, something good happens.

You have goals because without them you never achieve anything... you have to have a vision of where you need the program to be. Then depending on how you do you can start to introduce accountability. And that's not just for the administration or the AD but also the students, faculty, alumni and fans.

Eagle61 · April 5, 2013

I'm counting your woe-is-UNT posts.

I think your point will come across after 30 more. Another 100 and the AD might take action. You need to keep spreading them out, too. Kind of like leave-no-child-behind, but with GMG.com threads instead of kids.

You can always count on UNTnegative to chime in. Why 30 more? What would that bring the total? Go for volume. Maybe there is an Auto-gloom app that will post the usual posts to all threads.

UNT90 · April 5, 2013

You have goals because without them you never achieve anything... you have to have a vision of where you need the program to be. Then depending on how you do you can start to introduce accountability. And that's not just for the administration or the AD but also the students, faculty, alumni and fans.

You know as much as anyone that fans goals are rarely met at UNT. I choose to not have any, because with goals come expectations, with expectations come disappointment, with disappointment comes wanting a change in the status quo, when that change doesn't happen comes anger, when the realization that anger doesn't matter comes apathy.

I'm in the anger phase fighting really hard to avoid the apathy phase. No expectations is the only way I can get away from the anger. 10-2, great, 2-10, oh well, I'm still tailgating.

Broken record post 134 with many more to come.,

PlummMeanGreen · April 5, 2013

To me, the two most important goals (besides winning more games) should be an increase in attendance and an increase in MGC membership. How do you go about setting realistic goals for those for North Texas? Do we base it on student population? Average attendance for the last five/ten years? Alumni population in the metroplex? Or maybe population density in the Denton County area?

One of the biggest increases in 2011 attendance in the old Sunbelt was LaLa and Ark St. LaLa went from about 17K to 29K. What is their student population? What is the population density of the Lafayette area? Is that jump/increase in numbers a realistic goal for us?

From my point of view, a school with our student/alumni population should sell out a 30K stadium just about every year.

Be careful, Bill, you are bordering dangerously of being blasphemous.

UTSA's attendance successes? Check out their athletic department marketing staff which are quite numerous. Sure they gave away a few tickets but within their athletic department's marketing department they seem to have a whole bunch of foot soldiers who are getting the job done for their home game attendance. While some at North Texas pray that we have a good crowd show up on Game Day at Apogee Stadium at UTSA they put foots into their prayers.

GMG!

Edited April 5, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

Stan R · April 5, 2013

Football:

Stateof the Art training and weight room facility

What? Don't we already have a state of the art training and weight room facility? What else could we possibly need in this area?

Eagle61 · April 5, 2013

Be careful, Bill, you are bordering dangerously of being blasphemous.

UTSA's attendance successes? Check out their athletic department marketing staff which are quite numerous. Sure they gave away a few tickets but within their athletic department's marketing department they seem to have a whole bunch of foot soldiers who are getting the job done for their home game attendance. While some at North Texas pray that we have a good crowd show up on Game Day at Apogee Stadium at UTSA they put foots into their prayers.

GMG!

I talked to a girl at a basketball game who works in our administration who had worked in Texas State's admin and we discussed our attendance and lack thereof. She said that at Texas State they would close the residence hall's cafeterias on weekend game days. The meal ticket was good at the consession stands. Hungry? Go to the game.

On a side note, the admin and athletic dept.(coaches) reserve 3 rows of seats for the basketball games and never fill them. I sit in those seats, never had anyone show up with a ticket. Best seats in the house. She was using some of the admin seats that night, about 3 years ago.

greenjoe · April 5, 2013

I would like to see NT eligible for a bowl in at least 4 of 5 years. I think 6-7 win seasons should be a norm.

I'd like NT to have an average attendance of 25K. Year in. Year out. That is very attainable.

And, with our 25K average, we won't have to play games where we are usually overmatched to get a pay check.

Our basketball teams should at least flirt with top 25-30 4 of 5 years.

Our fans should rally to buy season tickets and join the Mean Green Club without being bagered to do so.

SilverEagle · April 5, 2013

I would like to see NT eligible for a bowl in at least 4 of 5 years. I think 6-7 win seasons should be a norm.

I'd like NT to have an average attendance of 25K. Year in. Year out. That is very attainable.

And, with our 25K average, we won't have to play games where we are usually overmatched to get a pay check.

Our basketball teams should at least flirt with top 25-30 4 of 5 years.

Our fans should rally to buy season tickets and join the Mean Green Club without being bagered to do so.

Well we all agree on "should".....the challenge has always been how to get there.

UNT90 · April 5, 2013

Well we all agree on "should".....the challenge has always been how to get there.

W

I

N

emmitt01 · April 6, 2013

It's interesting that several people have talked about goal setting. I've been doing a lot of reading lately about leadership and what makes for a successful organization. WITHOUT FAIL every book or article tells you that you must have a plan, both short term and long term, and that it must be PUBLIC. That is what you have never seen from this administration...and probably never will.

What is our season ticket goal for 2013? 2014? Where do we stand now? Nobody can get that information.

How many people are in the MGC? When you hear that membership is up 20% or 30% what does that mean?

Anyone remember the first (and last) quarterly meeting? That was the beginning and end of transparency.

How can you expect your share holders (us) to buy into a plan that you don't clearly articulate? How can your employees be motivated to go above and beyond when no standard has been PUBLICLY set? Keeping your promotions director, your MGC coordinator, etc answerable to just one man breeds complacency and insular thinking.

The usual suspects will inevitably chalk this up to "negativity". All of us should be asking ourselves, though, has our athletic "game plan" produced results comparable to the potential and resources of North Texas that we all love to tout? Has "business as usual" placed us in the position that we seek?

I think any 5 year goal (or 1 year goal or 10 year goal) is simply an exercise in futility until a true plan is in place.

NT03 · April 6, 2013

To FIRE everyone !!!

greenminer · April 6, 2013

It's interesting that several people have talked about goal setting. I've been doing a lot of reading lately about leadership and what makes for a successful organization. WITHOUT FAIL every book or article tells you that you must have a plan, both short term and long term, and that it must be PUBLIC. That is what you have never seen from this administration...and probably never will.
What is our season ticket goal for 2013? 2014? Where do we stand now? Nobody can get that information.
How many people are in the MGC? When you hear that membership is up 20% or 30% what does that mean?
Anyone remember the first (and last) quarterly meeting? That was the beginning and end of transparency.
How can you expect your share holders (us) to buy into a plan that you don't clearly articulate? How can your employees be motivated to go above and beyond when no standard has been PUBLICLY set? Keeping your promotions director, your MGC coordinator, etc answerable to just one man breeds complacency and insular thinking.
The usual suspects will inevitably chalk this up to "negativity". All of us should be asking ourselves, though, has our athletic "game plan" produced results comparable to the potential and resources of North Texas that we all love to tout? Has "business as usual" placed us in the position that we seek?
I think any 5 year goal (or 1 year goal or 10 year goal) is simply an exercise in futility until a true plan is in place.

And all this you can find at other FBS programs?

Is the Master Plan (regarding facilities) the only public info we have?

emmitt01 · April 6, 2013

And all this you can find at other FBS programs?

Is the Master Plan (regarding facilities) the only public info we have?

Well, as many of the more shall we say...ummm apologetic...amongst us will tell you, we are not other FBS programs. And they would be right. We exist in a major metropolitan area, have a very large student and alumni base to draw from...and yet still look to that next panacea to put us on the right track. It was getting out of 1AA. Then it was winning a conference title or making it to a bowl game. Then getting out of Fouts. Then getting out of the Sun Belt. Then....you get the point.

What we have never seen, though, is a straightforward "this is where we stand and this is where we want to go" message coming out of the offices on Bonnie Brae. I'm not talking about posting it on the athletics website or even sending out a group email (our preferred form or promotions right now). The "quarterly meeting" idea was ingenious...and then abandoned. If you invited just MGC members to a private meeting and told them "we currently have 6,000* season ticket holders, we want to reach 6,500 by the end of summer" or "attendance of 24,000* would allow us to get out of one of those Iowa games" then I think you'd see not only a stronger effort on the part of many to sell friends/family/strangers on tickets but you'd also see a lot greater faith from many of us. The President doesn't do the State of the Union because he needs an extra speaking engagement. Stock reports aren't sent out to share holders because companies enjoy paying postage.

As it stands every inquiry about where we stand in terms of ticket numbers, MGC membership or promotional plans are met with deflection. Why is that? If the numbers aren't impressive what will be accomplished by keeping them a guarded secret. If they ARE impressive even less will be accomplished by keeping that under wraps. I'm of the opinion that a sheltered, unquestioned mode of operations is what is desired...and more importantly, accepted.

*These are hypothetical numbers because, well, nobody knows the real ones

Edited April 6, 2013 by emmitt01