If you owned the Mean Green spirit store

[forevereagle]

not really...we are all under the green umbrella....we are "North Texas" people

Ok, then it is like using the Xbox logo, still under the Microsoft name, but would cause brand confusion.

[3XL]

Ok, then it is like using the Xbox logo, still under the Microsoft name, but would cause brand confusion.

not really...in college football

If you see a clover leaf or a fighting leprechaun or a ND does it cause brand confusion?

If you see a tar-heeled foot or a NC does it cause brand confusion?

If you see a covered wagon or OU does it cause brand confusion?

To me it would not be total chaos or confusing at all...just an additional mark & more money for our school.

Edited January 31, 2014 by 3XL

[UNTFan23]

not really...in college football

If you see a clover leaf or a fighting leprechaun or a ND does it cause brand confusion?

If you see a tar-heeled foot or a NC does it cause brand confusion?

If you see a covered wagon or OU does it casual brand confusion?

To me it would not be total chaos or confusing at all...just an additional mark & more money for our school.

I can't recall seeing someone with the covered wagon on OU merch. It's out there but I doubt it's what most people buy. It's pretty obvious given the huge selection of 'OU' shirts versus the covered wagon which most people identify with given the selection of merch.

Same with UNC. I believe there is more merch. out there with the 'NC' logo than their mascot or that foot thing they sometimes use. To me the 'NC' is far more identifiable to the university than their goat or ram or whatever it is. If their mascot didn't wear a UNC hat and be powder blue I might not know which school he represents.

Notre Dame merch. generally has either 'Notre Dame' spelled out or they use their 'ND' logo. You will almost never see just the clover leaf by itself as people might just think someone is just Irish and not associated with the school. If there is a clover leaf it has something else on the merch. to signify it has to do with Notre Dame.

I like how you gave examples of schools with extremely strong brand identification that has been consistent through the years. Sadly, North Texas has changed its branding far too many times and therefore you can't go back in time and trace the progression of that branding to where we are today.

[CMJ]

I can't recall seeing someone with the covered wagon on OU merch. It's out there but I doubt it's what most people buy. It's pretty obvious given the huge selection of 'OU' shirts versus the covered wagon which most people identify with given the selection of merch.

Same with UNC. I believe there is more merch. out there with the 'NC' logo than their mascot or that foot thing they sometimes use. To me the 'NC' is far more identifiable to the university than their goat or ram or whatever it is. If their mascot didn't wear a UNC hat and be powder blue I might not know which school he represents.

Notre Dame merch. generally has either 'Notre Dame' spelled out or they use their 'ND' logo. You will almost never see just the clover leaf by itself as people might just think someone is just Irish and not associated with the school. If there is a clover leaf it has something else on the merch. to signify it has to do with Notre Dame.

I like how you gave examples of schools with extremely strong brand identification that has been consistent through the years. Sadly, North Texas has changed its branding far too many times and therefore you can't go back in time and trace the progression of that branding to where we are today.

I don't know...UNC and Notre Dame each have several different things associate them with. Like, I actually think of the boxing Irishman logo before I even think of their ND one. Several schools have multiple, widely used, logos.

Edited January 31, 2014 by CMJ

[SilverEagle]

That might have happened before the university tightened down the screws on what gets sold. I think I remember a thread many years ago where Lids (or someone else) sold some merch that wasn't approved and it eventually got pulled. Right now everything sold on their site is using the current logos we use today. No interlocking logos to be found.

Did you completely ignore the part about "selling like hotcakes?". Yes, the University probably clamped down. But the University communication/branding department is a bunch of unimaginative bureaucrats. Much like ones who tried to tell the Talons for years that the NT battle flag was an illegal copy of the official flag of Texas.

Edited January 31, 2014 by SilverEagle

[FirefightnRick]

Love the interlocked NT, especially the one without the star, but I like that too. We have a long history using an interlocked NT, but someone at North Texas named Lee Jackson hates it.

And I've made this suggestion here at least a dozen times now, and here it goes again.

If the university and its athletic department wanted to really bump their merchandise, expand it's product line and increase availability it would dump the CLC contract, which is renewed annually, and go private licensing. This would allow the university to branch out to more manufacturers and get more products at affordable prices on the shelves and available to customers by simplifying the licensing process. One of our local manufacturers pointed out to SilverEagle and I that Sam Houston St. did this years ago, so it can be done. I've suggested this idea to RV, Paul Batchelder, members of the URCM dept and to anyone who would listen, so they know its a possibility.

One of the many items I'd like to see offered is a green neon clock with the SOW on it. I've spoted a pretty sweet generic green neon clock for sale for $79, regular $150. I'm thinking of doing what I usually do and purchase it and make my own conversion.

Rick

Edited January 31, 2014 by FirefightnRick

[3XL]

I can't recall seeing someone with the covered wagon on OU merch. It's out there but I doubt it's what most people buy. It's pretty obvious given the huge selection of 'OU' shirts versus the covered wagon which most people identify with given the selection of merch.

Same with UNC. I believe there is more merch. out there with the 'NC' logo than their mascot or that foot thing they sometimes use. To me the 'NC' is far more identifiable to the university than their goat or ram or whatever it is. If their mascot didn't wear a UNC hat and be powder blue I might not know which school he represents.

Notre Dame merch. generally has either 'Notre Dame' spelled out or they use their 'ND' logo. You will almost never see just the clover leaf by itself as people might just think someone is just Irish and not associated with the school. If there is a clover leaf it has something else on the merch. to signify it has to do with Notre Dame.

I like how you gave examples of schools with extremely strong brand identification that has been consistent through the years. Sadly, North Texas has changed its branding far too many times and therefore you can't go back in time and trace the progression of that branding to where we are today.

I kinda already qualified why I used North Carolina & Notre Dame as examples to follow...but will list again for UNTFan23.

- both "Top 10" for collegiate merchandising

- both similar in name to University of North Texas

Why not? Why not look to the biggest, the best & the brightest for inspiration? Why reinvent the wheel?

Let's talk OU....may not have a wagon everywhere....but tons of shirts will simply say "Sooners" or "Oklahoma". Seems like every North Texas hat, shirt, key chain or car emblem has our "mechanical diving eagle". If it only said "Mean Green" or "North Texas" sometimes...that would be refreshing.

ok then...let's talk Baylor...small private...12K undergrads...not in the top 75. They have done a terrific job branding. May last year, at Rally House, I was blown away by the assoment of cool Baylor gear. Kept thinking to myself "freaking Baylor has way more meaner & greener gear than our Mean Green". Please note that I did not have any "brand confusion" when I saw a "bear head" or "a bear paw" or "Baylor" or "Sic'em" or "BU".

To be bigger...we need to think bigger...brand bigger!

(expand the brand)

I don't see a down side to adding a traditional collegiate mark to expand our brand and gain additional revenue.

Edited January 31, 2014 by 3XL

[ragpicker]

Bring back the old, OLD Scrappy and maybe we could bring back some old, old fans. He was such an icon. Perhaps someone could put up his image. Being old, old myself, I don't know how.

[GRN-WHT]

Most other schools the public can purchase the exact gear that players and coaches wear. Here, the athletic department and retail stores purchase blanks from Nike and put on whichever logo they want.

For example, the Nike coaches gear and player warmups all have "North Texas Football" embroidered on. Those items aren't available to the public. Then the bookstore and Voertman's will have gear with multiple variations of the UNT logo.

It's time we get Nike on board to mass produce UNT gear, so the fans can buy the same items the players and staff wear, like most other schools.

[Boomer23]

I think we need to sell Green Funyuns.

[Christopher Walker]

This thread has me craving hotcakes.

Tangent: I tried one of the new food trucks around town, The Waffle Wagon, tonight at the ESSC.

Dude.... So good.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Most other schools the public can purchase the exact gear that players and coaches wear. Here, the athletic department and retail stores purchase blanks from Nike and put on whichever logo they want.

For example, the Nike coaches gear and player warmups all have "North Texas Football" embroidered on. Those items aren't available to the public. Then the bookstore and Voertman's will have gear with multiple variations of the UNT logo.

It's time we get Nike on board to mass produce UNT gear, so the fans can buy the same items the players and staff wear, like most other schools.

Yes! Best answer.

These poor stores around the West O' Plex can't get rid of most their 'dated' TCU stuff starting with the Sams Club on Bryan Irvin Road in SW FW. Coach Gary "we want TCU to be DFW's team" (my arse) Patterson should have left town when he could have now that his school is in the Big 12 which for the Froggies seems to be shaping up to be the re-incarnation of the old Southwest Conference which was hardly Frog-Friendly their last quarter century in that now defunct league. Uh...just sayin' ? ? ? ? ?

Edited January 31, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[Censored by Laurie]

Tangent: I tried one of the new food trucks around town, The Waffle Wagon, tonight at the ESSC.

Dude.... So good.

Owned and operated by a good friend of mine. Spread the waffle gospel, my man.

[CMJ]

Yes! Best answer.

These poor stores around the West O' Plex can't get rid of most their 'dated' TCU stuff starting with the Sams Club on Bryan Irvin Road in SW FW. Coach Gary "we want TCU to be DFW's team" (my arse) Patterson should have left town when he could have now that his school is in the Big 12 which for the Froggies seems to be shaping up to be the re-incarnation of the old Southwest Conference which was hardly Frog-Friendly their last quarter century in that now defunct league. Uh...just sayin' ? ? ? ? ?

Way too early to bury TCU. Remember, just a few years ago Baylor was a joke that would never compete in the Big XII.

[DT 90]

ok then...let's talk Baylor...small private...12K undergrads...not in the top 75. They have done a terrific job branding. May last year, at Rally House, I was blown away by the assoment of cool Baylor gear. Kept thinking to myself "freaking Baylor has way more meaner & greener gear than our Mean Green". Please note that I did not have any "brand confusion" when I saw a "bear head" or "a bear paw" or "Baylor" or "Sic'em" or "BU".

Oh dear God, you don't know half the hell I live with here in Waco.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Way too early to bury TCU. Remember, just a few years ago Baylor was a joke that would never compete in the Big XII.

Haven't buried them, just don't care for the school if you can read between the lines and that based on the way they've treated our school most years. For starters, they dropped us off their schedule in the 50's when we were the first school in the SW and South to integrate with Abner Haynes and Leon King. An old timer (now dead) once on the payroll up there told me that and I suppose I believed him, too.

Then................(a repeat of this except to newbies now posting) but for over 30 years TCU would not schedule UNT starting with the Abner Haynes era all the way thru the Hayden Fry era. Doesn't take much imagination as to why. Just my .02 on the subject of TCU.

GMG!

Edited January 31, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[SilverEagle]

Lest anyone think I'm operating from old experiences in my disdain for our branding department or just anyone in our administration, let me share a recent experience. My neighbor across the street is a TCU grad. Her boyfriend is a Texas Tech grad, and recently he put up a "house divided Tech/TCU flag ourside her home. He told me that he acquired the flag at the TCU bookstore (like NT run by Barnes and Noble), and he added that he thought that he saw some TCU/NT house divided flags the last time he was there.

Well, since my son is married to a TCU grad, I thought that that might be a nice gift to give them. So I called the TCU bookstore to see if they had any TCU/NT house divided flags in stock. The very helpful woman on the other end of the phone said no they didn't. She said that I could get a TCU/OU, TCU/OSU, TCU/Texas (and Tech) and a TCU/A$M flag. I commented that I was surprised that they didn't have more calls for the TCU/NT flags and she said that they did get a lot of request for that combination. I then asked why they didn't stock them. Her response? "because North Texas refused to sign off on letting us have the flags made".

There it is folks. An opportunity to have our logo flying outside homes in Fort Worth and our short sighted administration prevented it.

Typical........

Edited January 31, 2014 by SilverEagle

[DT 90]

Speaking of branding issues......http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-aggies/20140129-seahawks-12th-man-only-alive-because-of-complicated-agreement-with-texas-am.ece

Edited January 31, 2014 by DT 90

[Cerebus]

That might have happened before the university tightened down the screws on what gets sold. I think I remember a thread many years ago where Lids (or someone else) sold some merch that wasn't approved and it eventually got pulled.

They also sold the ANGRY EAGLE cap which I lament losing to this day.

[Harry]

Lest anyone think I'm operating from old experiences in my disdain for our branding department or just anyone in our administration, let me share a recent experience. My neighbor across the street is a TCU grad. Her boyfriend is a Texas Tech grad, and recently he put up a "house divided Tech/TCU flag ourside her home. He told me that he acquired the flag at the TCU bookstore (like NT run by Barnes and Noble), and he added that he thought that he saw some TCU/NT house divided flags the last time he was there.

Well, since my son is married to a TCU grad, I thought that that might be a nice gift to give them. So I called the TCU bookstore to see if they had any TCU/NT house divided flags in stock. The very helpful woman on the other end of the phone said no they didn't. She said that I could get a TCU/OU, TCU/OSU, TCU/Texas (and Tech) and a TCU/A$M flag. I commented that I was surprised that they didn't have more calls for the TCU/NT flags and she said that they did get a lot of request for that combination. I then asked why they didn't stock them. Her response? "because North Texas refused to sign off on letting us have the flags made".

There it is folks. An opportunity to have our logo flying outside homes in Fort Worth and our short sighted administration prevented it.

Typical........

I would really like to have someone from UNT address this issue. Very frustrating!

[DT 90]

Lest anyone think I'm operating from old experiences in my disdain for our branding department or just anyone in our administration, let me share a recent experience. My neighbor across the street is a TCU grad. Her boyfriend is a Texas Tech grad, and recently he put up a "house divided Tech/TCU flag ourside her home. He told me that he acquired the flag at the TCU bookstore (like NT run by Barnes and Noble), and he added that he thought that he saw some TCU/NT house divided flags the last time he was there.

Well, since my son is married to a TCU grad, I thought that that might be a nice gift to give them. So I called the TCU bookstore to see if they had any TCU/NT house divided flags in stock. The very helpful woman on the other end of the phone said no they didn't. She said that I could get a TCU/OU, TCU/OSU, TCU/Texas (and Tech) and a TCU/A$M flag. I commented that I was surprised that they didn't have more calls for the TCU/NT flags and she said that they did get a lot of request for that combination. I then asked why they didn't stock them. Her response? "because North Texas refused to sign off on letting us have the flags made".

There it is folks. An opportunity to have our logo flying outside homes in Fort Worth and our short sighted administration prevented it.

Typical........

I got mine (UNT/ATM) from here: http://www.housedividedflags.com/product_p/unt-green-dye-sub-left.htm

[kj86]

I wonder about any of the various places that sell college gear and their merchandising. Do you think anyone walks past one of these stores and wonders, "Hmm, I wonder if they have any UT, OU, A&M stuff in there?". No, no, no, no, never, never, no, no, never! Everyone knows if they have anything, they have those schools. If these places were smart, they'd put the NT, TCU, UH, SMU stuff in the window or at the front of the store, so people would know they have it. I have a personal rule,..if I can't see your NT stuff from outside, I'm not going in.

[Marty]

I would really like to have someone from UNT address this issue. Very frustrating!

Ask RV on the next podcast.

[ragpicker]

I will not give up on old Scrappy. He was our Kansas Jayhawk, our Peruna. our Horney Toad etc. He was unique and he was all ours. God help us If he is not resurrected for our future will surely be filled with frustration, heartbreak, terrible wailing and the gnashing of teeth.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I will not give up on old Scrappy. He was our Kansas Jayhawk, our Peruna. our Horney Toad etc. He was unique and he was all ours. God help us If he is not resurrected for our future will surely be filled with frustration, heartbreak, terrible wailing and the gnashing of teeth.

Did you know that KU has updated their Jayhawk over the years?