What's your connection and why do you follow UNT?

[UNT90]

I wasn't the most motivated high school student. My dad smartly decided JC was the best move for my immature butt after high school. I went, but was still an unmotivated student despite getting good grades. I had other thoughts and another career in mind, which I started at 19.

When I was 22, I finally decided it was time to get serious about school. I moved to Denton, actually stayed in McConnell Hall for a year (thank god it was an upperclassmen dorm at the time) and started attending EVERY basketball and most football games.

Traveled to UT for the infamous robbery in 1988 and traveled to Manhattan, KN for the infamous K. St. streak breaking loss.

Traveled to Monroe for the come from 11 down with 1:30 to play for the win basketball game in 1988.

Graduated in 1990 and pretty much got on with life. Work didn't allow for going to games very often, but I paid attention from afar. Went to a couple of games in the bowl years, but they were always away games (OU, Arkansas, etc...).

A confluence of events brought me back into the fold. First was the hire of Todd Dodge. He may be the worst coach to ever walk the sidelines of this program, but at the time he grabbed my attention. Because he grabbed my attention, I went to the internet to try and find info about the program. That's how I found Harry's gym of a website. It was the first time I was ever able to get in depth info on the Mean Green.

I then changed jobs in 2008, which gave me a much more normal schedule. I bought football season tickets for the first time and met a couple of other first time season ticket holders as we arrived at the game at the same time and parked beside each other completely by happenstance in the old Fouts festival parking... 3 games in a row. I kid you not. We figured someone must be trying to tell us something and began coordinating our arrival time so we could tailgate together. Then we started tailgating with KingDL, who already had a large group going and the rest is history.

We all now tailgate together in the blue lot and have added lots of new tailgating friends. I have seen a lot of bad football over the years, and attended one gloriously fun time in Hot Springs in 2012. Really enjoying this football season and hope that it is an indication that we have turned the corner from a very dark football period in UNT history.

[SilverEagle]

Growing up in a small town west of Denton, most of my teachers, and almost all of my band directors, were North Texas graduates. Started out at a JC and transferred to NT. Early contact with NT was attending homecoming games in the 60's with my HS band. It was my first time to see D-1 football players (Bobby Smith, John Love, Vidal Carlin, Carl (Spider) Lockhart, Steve Ramsey etc etc) up close. AND it was a double treat because I got to see the Maurice McAdow-led North Texas band several times. During the same time frame whilst in HS, I got the opportunity to see a couple of TCU Games (vs Florida State and A$M), and I was very unimpressed with TCU....and their band.

Right after I started attending NT, my mother was visited by her dear old friend,(Blanche) from Church who lived in Dallas (Highland Park). She asked me where I was going to school and I said NT. To my surprise she said that she had attended North Texas in the very early 20's. Blanche was one of these upper crust socialite-types who sounded exactly like Billie Burke (the good witch) in Wizard of Oz. She said that she had been involved in a scandal while she attended NT......this really got my attention. She said that some boys, in preparing for their annual rivalry game with Hardin Simmons had gone and stolen their school flag, and wanted sweet little Blanche to hide it for them. She agreed, but shortly afterward Dr. Bruce called a school assembly at the main auditorium to talk about this SCANDALOUS behavior. She said he walked back and forth across the stage like some "fire and brimstone Baptist preacher" berating the student body and demanding that this "scandalous deed be undone". Like any good "fire and brimstone preacher" he was so effective that Blanche was just sure that he was preaching to her. After the assembly, she told the boys to take the contraband somewhere else, because she was just sure that Dr. Bruce knew she was involved.

So there you have it. North Texas scandal 20's style. It's also a little window into how the administrationd (at that time) felt about rivalry's and the "normal" hi jinks involved with them.

Never could become immersed in campus life because I commuted and worked two jobs (I didn't believe in student loans). Began attending games much more regularly after graduation......and full employment.

[MeanGreenTexan]

College was completely foreign to me and my family growing up. No one had been to college, ever. My dad was absent from my young life and my step-father travelled all the time on business, so it was pretty much just me and my twin sisters who were 8 years younger than me. School was not quite as important as being the "man of the house", but I was blessed with enough smarts and drive to go to college. I visited UT several times in high school (friends' older siblings attended) and fell in love. I visited UNT my Jr yr of HS, and really enjoyed my visit. I also visited Tech and wondered why the school was even there and how anyone would want to attend. Lastly, I visited Midwestern St in Wichita, and decided I would go there before Tech. But it was really between UT and UNT. Those were the only 2 schools I applied to. UT accepted me provisionally. And I was about to go, but I could not bring myself to be that far away from my family. UNT fit perfectly. My freshman year was fall of 2000.

I still rooted hard for the Longhorns and would much rather watch a UT game on TV than a UNT game in person. I went to the Baylor game at Fouts in 2000 and did not go back to a NT football game until 2002 in Austin. I was in Orange. It felt kinda weird. UT pounded UNT in the first half, but strangely, I was impressed with the defense. I was jeering the inferior team just like everyone else in the crowd. During the second half, I was sitting quietly while everyone else around me was getting frustrated with UT's inability to move the ball on the UNT defense. My athletic allegiance shifted that day. Later that year, I attended the 'goalpost game'. Hooked ever since. Never made it to a NO Bowl though

However, my love for my University began much earlier than that. My best friend to this day was the guy I was randomly paired to dorm with at Clark Hall. I got plugged into several different organizations while I was on campus: Intramurals, Campus Crusade for Christ, Club soccer, and the inaugural Eagle Camp. I met a special lady in 2001. We were friends for 5 years before realizing we loved each other & got married. Graduated in Dec. '05.

I, like 90, had no idea about this site until I was searching for information on Dickey's last recruiting class in spring '06. I lurked for a while and was energized because of the Dodge hire. I decided to sign up and post every once in a while

I love the Mean Green, but I love The University of North Texas even more.

[DCB]

Thought That I was going to Rutgers, TCU, or Michigan, found out my senior year that my parents would not be assisting me as they assisted my sister. Thank god I had also applied to UNT as well. Fell in love with Denton. Met my best friends in my life here. Graduated in Dec. 2008, started in 1997 (my decade of "education"). I stayed due to Diet Coke.

[strikes]

Current student. Been in college for about 8 years figuring out what I wanted to do. Finally figured it out, UNT was my first choice. This is my first year as a university student coming from a long career of community college. I imagine I am older than your average student but dahd gummit, I love football and I am going to live the university life and root for my team! I am well aware that I walked into one of the best mean green seasons to come along in a good while and I couldn't be more thankful. How awesome is that? The year I start going to North Texas will be victory year!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

When I was a child, I would sit underneath a tree on campus and make paper airplanes.

[Boomer23]

Dad passed away after my sophomore year of high school. When the college hunt began, I knew I needed somewhere affordable and still close to home for Mom. I was really interested in the arts. I was primarily focused on music, theater and film. North Texas had it all.

I went to a private high school that didn't rank students, and thus I didn't get into UNT when I first applied. I was determined to get into the school since it fit my criteria. I appealed and pleaded my case and was accepted based on various teacher recommendations.

It wasn't until I announced that I was going to North Texas that some of my Dad's friends asked if I was only going there because my Dad went there. At the time, I hadn't put together that UNT was formerly NTSU where he'd graduated. Dad chose NTSU because after his Dad passed, he wanted to stay close to home for his Mom.

I didn't know much about my Father's time at NTSU, but when going through his things, I discovered his mini NTSU diploma in his wallet. Throughout my time at school and to this day I still carry his mini diploma in my wallet.

My younger brother wanted to get a little farther away from home and started school at UTSA, but then transferred to UNT to also study RTVF.

It was never planned, but my brother and I both graduated from every school our Dad did. Just worked out that way. The craziest part didn't come until my senior year at NT. I never knew what my Dad did in his time at NTSU. I took to the archives and found a photo of him cutting radio for a KNTU broadcast. All three of us had studied RTVF.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Boomer23

[elPRESIDENTE]

I went to Collin County Community College my first 2 years…2000-2002. I supported myself by DJing high school promos, weddings, bar mitzvahs and other parties. I chose UNT in 2002 cause it was close to Dallas and I could make a living DJing on the weekends and study during the week. I can honestly say that those 2 years at UNT were the best times of my life. I attended 2 Bowl games in New Orleans. I joined a fraternity and those guys are some of my closest friends. I also joined numerous Hispanic organizations and contributed my time to helping out the community.

One thing that makes UNT great is that if you see somebody wearing a Mean Green shirt in Dallas or Fort Worth…chances are that they actually attended North Texas. I'm so sick of these posers who can easily buy a UT or OU t-shirt and call themselves a fan. I always get the last laugh when they tell me they never attended one class from that university.

I've attended at least one game a year since graduating in 2004 with a BBA in Marketing and I've never been let down (except for the score board) with the passion our fans have.

I display my UNT pride in my office and everybody is starting to notice that the Mean Green is not a laughing matter anymore.

NORTH!!!

[UNTLifer]

Current student. Been in college for about 8 years figuring out what I wanted to do. Finally figured it out, UNT was my first choice. This is my first year as a university student coming from a long career of community college. I imagine I am older than your average student but dahd gummit, I love football and I am going to live the university life and root for my team! I am well aware that I walked into one of the best mean green seasons to come along in a good while and I couldn't be more thankful. How awesome is that? The year I start going to North Texas will be victory year!

It's all you fault!!!!

[UNTLifer]

Well, my family moved to Denton when my Dad took a faculty position at NTSU in the mid 60's, and I was born shortly thereafter. I ran around campus as a youngster, atttended all the football games at Fouts and the basketball games in the Men's Gym and the Super Pit. I guess I never knew any better, but North Texas was my school and my team. Some of the highlights of growing up then. I got to be on the field for practices and run all over during the games at Fouts.

After attending public school in Denton, I never really even considered going off to school when North Texas was right here. Spent 8 years at NT to get my degree after wasting two years majoring in beer and girls, straight A's I might proudly add, I sat out for a year and a half and then came back and really focused on finishing up. I have moved away from Denton, but come in for every home game I can attend. I am fiercely loyal to North Texas and this is our time.

That is the Cliff Notes version.

[Green92]

Two time grad, BS in 1992 and MS in 2003. I can't imagine life without bleeding green.

[meangreener]

Well...to start...lived in Keller around 2006, heard nothing but good things about UNT back then. Everyone always talked about how it was the weird cool school and they had Todd Dodge as coach (a big deal.) When I moved to Houston, I kept wanting to go here to get away...funny part is, when we moved to Keller I remember wanting to move to Denton because I liked the name. I was an antisocial freshman my first year...then I joined organizations, made a lot of friends, and found my niche. I forever will love the low-key arrogance and pride people here have. We know we're better than everyone else, but we don't brag incessantly about it. It's pretty great. I went from one green shirt freshman year to about 20 now. Haha. My girlfriend followed me here, loves this place, and we plan to get married and become season ticket holders and boosters after we graduate. Couldn't imagine it any other way.

Struggled at UNT to start, was only a kinda fan freshman year...then got into school, found friends, have been to every game since and bleed green since sophomore year. My family left me to go to Connecticut, and asked if I wanted to transfer...love UNT so much. Heading to grad school here in the Spring. Best decision of my life. I realized last year this was my place. I'm home on the library mall and in Denton. My dream is to be a professor here at UNT. It's my life. Call it pathetic, but this is my home and my home being the best damn higher learning institute in Texas is OK by me...hope I'm here for as long as my family life will allow me. There isn't a single person I wouldn't recommend this place to. There's something for everyone. That's what separates us from everyone else.

Go Mean Green. I'll forever be thankful for this school.

Edited November 18, 2013 by meangreener

[rws69]

Dad was from Minnesota and went to Univ. of Minnesota before moving to California. Mom grew up in El Paso and went to what is now UTEP for three years before her family moved to Los Angeles. She graduated from UCLA. Folks met and married before war, and I was first of four kids born after WWII, while Dad served as pilot for USN.

For me, kindergarten and first grade in California, second through fourth grade (two houses, two schools) in Phoenix, fifth through start of eighth (two houses, three schools) in Lubbock, and rest of eighth through high school in Richardson (one school building, one house). While a lot of my HS classmates headed west to Tech, I had already spent more than three years in Lubbock. As a kid, I saw my first live football game at Tech - I think against Oregon State.

Dad had a business connection with Tom Harpool, and we were invited to a NT game at Fouts in 1959 or 1960 when I was still in junior high. Between a budget covering four kids and having moved enough already, going to college at a state school close to home was an easy decision. With a change in majors halfway through, I graduated from NTSU in five years. I attended every home plus three road football games and nearly all home basketball games from 1964 - 1969.

Between no sports communication from the alumni association and the fall to a lower division, I lost track of and interest in UNT sports for most of the next 35 years while living in Dallas and Richardson. My employer moved headquarters to Lewisville in early 2006, and we moved from Richardson to Flower Mound a month earlier. Having been a Cowboy season ticket holder for 19 years before JJ bought the club and a Mavericks season ticket holder for ten, our interest in pro sports developed an inverse relationship with player salaries and ticket prices. I thought to myself, why not reconnect with UNT now that we are so close.

So we are now in our sixth year of football ticket season holders and this year went from frequent ticket buyer to season tickets for basketball.

[NTEdgex2]

My first visit to NTSU was as a high school junior to attend a journalism conference. My journalism sponsor was an NT grad. Loved the campus with all the trees. (I lived in Abilene and attended AHS. Trees were a novelty.) We moved to Irving the summer before my senior year which was a good thing or I might have ended up at Tx Tech like a lot of other Abilene kids. I had decided I wanted to be another Baba Wawa and major in journalism and minor in RTVF. I visited UT Austin for another journalism convention and during a q & a session in the RTVF dept. was told that students didn't get any hands on experience until their senior year. (Too many students.) That made my decision to attend NT extremely easy. In those days you were hands on the equipment in the RTVF dept. from freshman day one. I was privileged to be in Bill Mercer's announcing class where I made a B. The only student in the class who made an A was an older guy who had been on air in radio for several years before going for his degree. I was also a news announcer for KNTU during it's infancy. I ended up majoring in RTVF and minoring in Journalism. Coming from West Texas I was a football fanatic, but had trouble finding anyone to go to games with me. (Gotta' remember this was the early 70s!) I did go to some games in the Pit and remember the place being packed and loud. I also met my future husband in front of Willis Library.

After graduating, I didn't pay much attention to the teams, just checked out scores in the paper. My "reconnection" to the Mean Green came when my daughter decided to attend UNT. We had made several trips to campus for dance competitions and she liked the campus and the diverse student body. I never tried to influence her in her choice of college, but I was so proud when she made the decision to attend UNT that I cried. We started attending some football games while she was a freshman and got season tickets when you could still get them on the student side of Fouts. I think we've been to every home game and several away since 2002 and we got to go to NO in 02 and 04. My husband and I were able to go to Hot Springs twice and had a blast. We are MGC members and have had football and basketball season tickets for several years now. We welcomed what will hopefully be our third generation North Texas grad in October. My new granddaughter attended the Idaho and Ball State games this fall before she was born (along with Mom of course!) The Mean Green have become my obsession. My school, my team, I bleed green!

GMG!