Let us not forget...

[Harry]

With all of the post season angst, disappointment about basketball and losing an assistant I thought it would be timely to revisit where we were a little over a month ago....

I still maintain we are entering a Golden era of UNT athletics and our win and attendance in the Heart of Dallas Bowl was a great milestone. As Mac said this only the beginning. A couple of reasons for my optimism:

- reports indicate Mac's new deal will take him through 2018. The idea that Mac will be here (God willing) building this thing for another 5 years is just outstanding. We could not be in better hands and I get excited thinking of where he could take us.

- We have a new president (Neal Smatresk) who is on the ground running, Smatresk has been very clear in the fact he supports athletics and is a big fan who will attend games and be involved. This is huge for the future of UNT athletics.

- We have a Board of Regents led by Brint Ryan who understands and supports the importance of building our athletic and academic programs. I maintain their experiences in Dallas with the bowl game, the outstanding attendance and lighting of the Dallas skyline with "UNT" is only going to deepen their resolve in terms of support.

- Baseball is on the horizon. May not be 2015 but it will be 2016 if not. No longer will we have to go through incredibly long off seasons after football, recruiting and spring training is over. The blueprints for the facility at Eagle Point in a word are beautiful.

- In about two years there will be a new Hotel and Convention Center with restaurant located at the top of the Hill. Fans, visitors will be able to come into town and walk to the stadium for games. Convention groups will be able to attend games and more eyes will get to view the Eagle Village than ever before.

- We open our home 2014 football schedule against a LONGTIME rival SMU... this will be a HUGE game and I will go on the record here right now, unless we just crap the bed against Tejas, we will break the all time Apogee attendance record in this game.

- They are now building a new student union which will be state of the art - some say the nicest of its kind - for $140 million. Suffice it to say this is the biggest construction project in the history of the University. It is set up to be usable by 45K students...which is where they project enrollment to be in the future years. There is a new law school, pharmacy school, engineering school, the list goes on....this is without a doubt the biggest growth period in terms of facilities and programs that the University has ever experienced.

So for those of you who have your dobber down with this cold, dreary weather and our lack of success on the hardwoods -- let's keep things in perspective. there's a lot to be VERY excited about now and in the future if you are a North Texas fan. GMG!

[SilverEagle]

My dobber is always down during the winter.....especially a very cold and dreary one like this year. But you're right about the (potential) culture change coming.

BUT as I have pointed out many times WE CAN'T RELY TOTALLY ON MAC. We need to draw our inspiration from him. But there needs to be many more people from the alumni family and ESPECIALLY from the athletic administration that needs to wake up and emulate Mac.

Otherwise, if anything should happen to Mac the University might fall back into the Dr. Matthews-like funk that happened when Hayden Fry left.

Edited February 12, 2014 by SilverEagle

[meangreendork]

I gotta chime in about the new Union. It totally blows the old one apart. Bigger, better layouts, more seating, more student areas, more office and work areas for support staff, more restaurant space and a list of other great improvements.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I gotta chime in about the new Union. It totally blows the old one apart. Bigger, better layouts, more seating, more student areas, more office and work areas for support staff, more restaurant space and a list of other great improvements.

Whoa! Is it already open? Seems like only a few months ago they started demo...

[Harry]

I gotta chime in about the new Union. It totally blows the old one apart. Bigger, better layouts, more seating, more student areas, more office and work areas for support staff, more restaurant space and a list of other great improvements.

I hear you. For $140 million I would expect it to be pretty nice.

But I mention the Union as a point to be made to Silver Eagle and others in terms of the culture and perception of UNT.

As a parent with kids closely nearing college age who interacts with other parents in the same boat -- I can tell you the perception of UNT as a college destination has radically changed since back when Firefightn Rick and I were getting our sheepskin.

It's not the same UNT that they possibly attended or visited or heard about back in the 80 or even 90's.. it's becoming a serious consideration for many. Not UT or A&M but not too far behind either.

So when you talk about the new Union, and the new business building and the new stadium and the new dorms etc.. these are all pieces that ultimately can change the perception of where we stand in the food chain. Athletic success is another real big piece of that. After almost a decade of futility in football we are finally trending up.

[UNTFan23]

- In about two years there will be a new Hotel and Convention Center with restaurant located at the top of the Hill. Fans, visitors will be able to come into town and walk to the stadium for games. Convention groups will be able to attend games and more eyes will get to view the Eagle Village than ever before.

My understanding is that the convention center will have shared parking with NT, meaning the red/blue lot will be used as overflow for larger events. I'm not sure it would be a good thing to have both a game and an event in the convention on the same weekend.

[JRock]

Well said Harry. GMG.

[KenTuck]

New Union?! I was at NTSU when they were building the current one which

was then state of the art.

[FirefightnRick]

Agree Harry.

Rick

[UNT90]

New Union?! I was at NTSU when they were building the current one which

was then state of the art.

Dude, you're old!

Welcome to the club.

[emmitt01]

I can tell you the perception of UNT as a college destination has radically changed since back when Firefightn Rick and I were getting our sheepskin.

Yep...and now they use latex.

[DeepGreen]

New Union?! I was at NTSU when they were building the current one which

was then state of the art.

Cry me a river! I was at NTSU in the mid/late '60's before either of those were built! The old UB or Union Building, as we called it, was not much compared to the palaces you and future students enjoyed or will enjoy.

[Ben Gooding]

The union is currently just infrastructure. It has been completely stripped. I'll take a pic of it and post it the next time I walk by it for the satellite fans. The layout of what is to come is going to be outstanding. Nice to see progress though. The campus is going to be fantastic once all done. They are also doing construction on one of the halls that is expected to be done very soon.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Ben Gooding

[Green P1]

Yes! Look away from what I've done to basketball. Look at those shiny things over there. Look at them. Don't look at basketball. Quit looking at basketball!

RV

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Yep...and now they use latex.

I lol'd.

[PlanoGreen]

I'd prefer it if both sports looked promising for the future

[Rudy]

My understanding is that the convention center will have shared parking with NT, meaning the red/blue lot will be used as overflow for larger events. I'm not sure it would be a good thing to have both a game and an event in the convention on the same weekend.

As long as we get our tailgating space...

[ragpicker]

I hear you. For $140 million I would expect it to be pretty nice.

But I mention the Union as a point to be made to Silver Eagle and others in terms of the culture and perception of UNT.

As a parent with kids closely nearing college age who interacts with other parents in the same boat -- I can tell you the perception of UNT as a college destination has radically changed since back when Firefightn Rick and I were getting our sheepskin.

It's not the same UNT that they possibly attended or visited or heard about back in the 80 or even 90's.. it's becoming a serious consideration for many. Not UT or A&M but not too far behind either.

So when you talk about the new Union, and the new business building and the new stadium and the new dorms etc.. these are all pieces that ultimately can change the perception of where we stand in the food chain. Athletic success is another real big piece of that. After almost a decade of futility in football we are finally trending up.

With all of the post season angst, disappointment about basketball and losing an assistant I thought it would be timely to revisit where we were a little over a month ago....

I still maintain we are entering a Golden era of UNT athletics and our win and attendance in the Heart of Dallas Bowl was a great milestone. As Mac said this only the beginning. A couple of reasons for my optimism:

- reports indicate Mac's new deal will take him through 2018. The idea that Mac will be here (God willing) building this thing for another 5 years is just outstanding. We could not be in better hands and I get excited thinking of where he could take us.

- We have a new president (Neal Smatresk) who is on the ground running, Smatresk has been very clear in the fact he supports athletics and is a big fan who will attend games and be involved. This is huge for the future of UNT athletics.

- We have a Board of Regents led by Brint Ryan who understands and supports the importance of building our athletic and academic programs. I maintain their experiences in Dallas with the bowl game, the outstanding attendance and lighting of the Dallas skyline with "UNT" is only going to deepen their resolve in terms of support.

- Baseball is on the horizon. May not be 2015 but it will be 2016 if not. No longer will we have to go through incredibly long off seasons after football, recruiting and spring training is over. The blueprints for the facility at Eagle Point in a word are beautiful.

- In about two years there will be a new Hotel and Convention Center with restaurant located at the top of the Hill. Fans, visitors will be able to come into town and walk to the stadium for games. Convention groups will be able to attend games and more eyes will get to view the Eagle Village than ever before.

- We open our home 2014 football schedule against a LONGTIME rival SMU... this will be a HUGE game and I will go on the record here right now, unless we just crap the bed against Tejas, we will break the all time Apogee attendance record in this game.

- They are now building a new student union which will be state of the art - some say the nicest of its kind - for $140 million. Suffice it to say this is the biggest construction project in the history of the University. It is set up to be usable by 45K students...which is where they project enrollment to be in the future years. There is a new law school, pharmacy school, engineering school, the list goes on....this is without a doubt the biggest growth period in terms of facilities and programs that the University has ever experienced.

So for those of you who have your dobber down with this cold, dreary weather and our lack of success on the hardwoods -- let's keep things in perspective. there's a lot to be VERY excited about now and in the future if you are a North Texas fan. GMG!

Your point about the Union is well taken, Harry. I have always believed that the heart was cut out of student life on this campus when the old OLD UB (thats what we called it) was demolished and replaced with what was basically a bus station. That building, in my opinion, was intentionally designed to stifle and discourage student interaction that had been so vibrant in the old building. I will always blame the stuffy old pedagogues in the administration back then for that tragedy. For those of you that don't remember the old union , ask some old grads and you will hear tales of a campus that was so alive and fun that you may find it hard to believe. Here's hoping the new union resurrects those days and creates a renaissance of things past.

[GrayEagle]

OK, I win. My first year at North Texas there was no UB/Student Union. One did open the following year, however, where the Administration Building now stands and we thought we were in heaven. It had a huge lounge called the Howdy Room where there were dances, post office, two places to eat, trophy room, and I believe the bookstore. There was a slab out back for dancing, roller skating, ROTC ceremonies, etc. We had concerts by the One O'Clock Lab Band and other groups. There were pre-game pep rallies on the front steps. It certainly wasn't as elegant but much homier than its successor.

[UNT90]

Cry me a river! I was at NTSU in the mid/late '60's before either of those were built! The old UB or Union Building, as we called it, was not much compared to the palaces you and future students enjoyed or will enjoy.

Uphill?

Both ways?

[southsideguy]

I hear you. For $140 million I would expect it to be pretty nice.

But I mention the Union as a point to be made to Silver Eagle and others in terms of the culture and perception of UNT.

As a parent with kids closely nearing college age who interacts with other parents in the same boat -- I can tell you the perception of UNT as a college destination has radically changed since back when Firefightn Rick and I were getting our sheepskin.

It's not the same UNT that they possibly attended or visited or heard about back in the 80 or even 90's.. it's becoming a serious consideration for many. Not UT or A&M but not too far behind either.

So when you talk about the new Union, and the new business building and the new stadium and the new dorms etc.. these are all pieces that ultimately can change the perception of where we stand in the food chain. Athletic success is another real big piece of that. After almost a decade of futility in football we are finally trending up.

NTSU was my first choice, i did not consider am or ut.

[IslandEagle]

NTSU was my first choice, i did not consider am or ut.

I considered UT (didn't want to go to school in my home town...even though I was an avid Horns supporter in those days...but now I bleed green), Texas Tech (Lubbock...enough said), Southwest Texas State (as it was called in those days....too rinky dink then) and North Texas (which I quickly fell in love with). Went to Denton and never looked back.

[Graddean]

In the early 60's at NTSC, there was dancing on the slab behind the UB. The music was played by the Fesser and His Aces. Most important, can you still get the coffee cake at the current Union?

[SilverEagle]

OK, I win. My first year at North Texas there was no UB/Student Union. One did open the following year, however, where the Administration Building now stands and we thought we were in heaven. It had a huge lounge called the Howdy Room where there were dances, post office, two places to eat, trophy room, and I believe the bookstore. There was a slab out back for dancing, roller skating, ROTC ceremonies, etc. We had concerts by the One O'Clock Lab Band and other groups. There were pre-game pep rallies on the front steps. It certainly wasn't as elegant but much homier than its successor.

That's interesting. I used to think that the Lab Band did not exist until around 1959....and that it had evolved out of "Fresser Graham's" band.

[MEANGREENCOACH2]

Had a little run in last night with a UNT student at sports authority. So if you haven't been to sports authority in Denton lately UNT athletics is up to one entire rack of clothing wear! (still disappointing) So we were checking out and the cashier looked of collegiate age so i made a simple statement of "you think there will ever be a larger selection of UNT apparel" He came back with the statement "NEVER they are terrible." I then made a statement that UNT won the Heart of Dallas bowl this year. His comeback was well OU won the Sugar Bowl. All i said was Apple and Oranges.

So i calculated that obviously he was not a UNT student. So i attempted to try and brighten the mood and say atleast there is not a Texas Tech selection (trying to find something maybe we agree on). He then said yeah but atleast there is a large selection of OU merchandise.

So i then calculated he went to OU. So i asked him if he graduated from OU. He response was "no i go to UNT." WHAT THE HELL so i was immediately angry and long story short. I told him he can take HIS SOONER a$$ back to Oklahoma.