Rivalries and Conference USA

10Eagle10 · July 26, 2014

- At this week’s Media Day, FIU fifth-year senior center, Donald Senat, and North Texas senior linebacker, Derek Akunne, each correctly named all the current football-playing Conference USA schools. They were the only two who successfully accomplished this

- When Houston left C-USA after 2012, it also left Rice’s schedule. Jordan Taylor and Malcolm Hill will miss playing the school 10 to 15 minutes away (and were shocked FIU and the University of Miami don’t play).

They’d like to build something with North Texas, which handed 2013 C-USA champion Rice its only conference loss last year, but Taylor said, “I don’t know if they’d consider us a rival.”

- “Let’s get some rivalries going,” North Texas coach Dan McCarney said. “If we need to get some [darn] trophies to play for, let’s get some trophies to play for. I’ll help, I’ll be on the committee for that. I used to take the Cy Hawk Trophy with me into the bathroom when we won that thing at Iowa State [over Iowa]."

My thoughts:

I'd like to consider Rice a rival. They're on the top of my list for budding rivalries.

Proud of Derek for getting it right and knowing the competition.

Seems like Mac's on board for getting some rivalry games and *giggle* [darn] trophies. Let's make it happen!

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/25/4255507/with-stability-in-conference-usa.html#storylink=cpy

Edited July 26, 2014 by 10Eagle10

Harry · July 26, 2014

I agree Rice would make a good rival for us. Traveling to Houston will be fun this season. A lot of Texas destination games for us this season with Houston San Antonio and El Paso.

Mean Green 93-98 · July 26, 2014

I like Rice for a rival, but I don't see it becoming a venomous rivalry. We'll probably have to be content with a friendly rivalry.

Christopher Walker · July 26, 2014

I don't know about you guys, but I'd loooooooovvvvvvve Rice as our primary rival.

greenminer · July 26, 2014

Why do UNT fans have this notion that you pick and create rivalries?

jdennis82 · July 26, 2014

I agree that rivalries are needed in the conference and assigning rivals formally with the creation of Trophies and Nicknames may be helpful but I think two other components must accompany the effort if it's going to succeed and be worthwhile...

1. Fan Travel - Emphasize travel to these road games to a greater degree than others. Simplify the process of planning the road trip for fans as much as possible. Have an official "fan hotel" and organize a travel caravan departure from Denton. The goal: Make it so that if a fan/student is choosing one road game to attend, it's the rivalry game. Invading another team's stadium and pulling out a victory will undoubtedly create animosity between fan bases (see UTSA @ Apogee in 2013).

2. Game Scheduling - CUSA must commit to making sure the games are played annually, late in the year. Not only does this increase the likelihood that the game's outcome has an easily identifiable impact on the success of the season but it would also create an attendance draw late in the year for seasons when times are tough on the field (which translates to the gate as the season wears on). 3. Trophy

Edited July 26, 2014 by jdennis82

UNT 90 Grad · July 26, 2014

I wonder if Safeway would be interested in sponsoring a trophy.

NT03 · July 26, 2014

Why do UNT fans have this notion that you pick and create rivalries?

This

Ben Gooding · July 26, 2014

Fans fuel any rivalry. State v Michigan, Fsu v Fla, Duke v Carolina, OU v UT, AU v Bama, etc. If the fans from these universities quit caring (which would never happen) there wouldn't be a rivalry. This holds more truth in professional sports.

Christopher Walker · July 26, 2014

To be clear, I don't think we as fans could directly create a rivalry.

We can do trophy suggestions like the flag talk this time last year, but rivalries develop on game days.

I'm saying that if 5-10 years from now the cards fell that Rice was our main rival and it was completely reciprocated, I'd be stoked for that.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Christopher Walker

jdennis82 · July 26, 2014

To be clear, I don't think we as fans could directly create a rivalry.
We can do trophy suggestions like the flag talk this time last year, but rivalries develop on game days.
I'm saying that if 5-10 years from now the cards fell that Rice was our main rival and it was completely reciprocated, I'd be stoked for that.

I largely agree.

What creates a rivalry?

“We just didn’t play Mean Green football and lost to a soft, unphysical, below-average football team,” Y’Barbo said. “I have no doubt in my mind that we are the better team, but we weren’t today. It’s embarrassing what we did out there.”

http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20131124-football-unt-loses-shot-at-west-title.ece

Ask the team what conference game they've circled on the schedule and I bet it's UTSA.

Jason Howeth · July 28, 2014

Sports are too PC these days. Imagine if we had a Richard Sherman on the team who flat out didn't care what people thought and told them about it. Specifically telling Rice and SMU what he thought of their game. Rice is a great opponent every year and not one to be looked over. I would love to get something going with them, but I think our tie with SMU will have a greater chance. Plus we could say that our rival being in a "better" conference gives us leverage to move up.

All that being said, I loathe the name "Safeway Bowl," if you can eve call it a bowl. I understand the origins of the name, but it's just boring. Wikipedia doesn't even have word of it, and there's not trophy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_college_football_rivalry_games

Jason Howeth · July 28, 2014

That also being said, there's this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safeway_Bowl

Digi368 · July 28, 2014

Like it or not, I'm fairly certain that UTSA and UNT will end up as each other's main rival. If you look at it from an outsider's perspective it actually makes a ton of sense. Both teams are already involved in a huge recruiting battle stemming from last year. UTSA beats UNT in Apogee and prevents them from moving on to the championship game. Shots are fired by the players after the game. You really can't write a better opening story than that.

meangreenthirteen · July 28, 2014

Why do UNT fans have this notion that you pick and create rivalries?

I pick the Cleveland Browns as our rival.

MeanGreenTexan · July 28, 2014

LA Tech's mom:

So ugly.

Legend500 · July 28, 2014

As far as potential and actual rivalries go:

We have 2-3 "natural" rivals - SMU, TCU and either Baylor or TTU.

We have 1 "special case" rival - UTEP, being the only other non-SWC (while it was around) Texas school.

5 "historical" rivals (teams we've played the most) - NMSU, Tulsa, UTEP, Memphis & Cincy.

...and 4 potential "they're a lot like us" rivals - UTSA, TxSt, MTSU & FIU.

I don't like the "they passed us/they're too young rivals" because that would include everyone in the state except Texas, A&M, Baylor and TCU.

GreenTexan13 · July 28, 2014

Rice makes sense as becoming a rival. A fellow Texas school and fairly close as well. But UTSA feels like more of a chance as being rival then Rice to be honest. We all have that bitter taste in our mouths when those four letters from San Antonio are said.

Jason Howeth · July 28, 2014

Rice makes sense as becoming a rival. A fellow Texas school and fairly close as well. But UTSA feels like more of a chance as being rival then Rice to be honest. We all have that bitter taste in our mouths when those four letters from San Antonio are said.

Rice has the bitter taste in their mouths for us. Chances are Rice thinks we're rivals, too.

Or maybe I'm delusional.

malonish · July 28, 2014

You guys will make a good series with us SMOOers. A rivalry of locality is still a rivalry.

GreenTexan13 · July 28, 2014

Rice has the bitter taste in their mouths for us. Chances are Rice thinks we're rivals, too.

Or maybe I'm delusional.

Good point Jason. But Rice still surpassed us last season for the conference championship. Rice and SMU seemed to always be the big rivals in the conference until 2012 though. I think it is appropriate to say NT could take that that spot SMU left.

untjim1995 · July 28, 2014

As far as potential and actual rivalries go:
We have 2-3 "natural" rivals - SMU, TCU and either Baylor or TTU.
We have 1 "special case" rival - UTEP, being the only other non-SWC (while it was around) Texas school.
5 "historical" rivals (teams we've played the most) - NMSU, Tulsa, UTEP, Memphis & Cincy.

...and 4 potential "they're a lot like us" rivals - UTSA, TxSt, MTSU & FIU.
I don't like the "they passed us/they're too young rivals" because that would include everyone in the state except Texas, A&M, Baylor and TCU.

No offense, but this first set of rivals isn't even close to being true. Hell, the best rivalry setup we could have had was with Texas Tech and they bolted after we won 2 of the 5 games in the series and literally fumbled away a win in the final game in Lubbock of that series or we would have won all three games played at Jones Stadium. They quickly replaced us with SMU for the next decade on their schedule and never lost to them. Now, they get TCU in FW and Baylor int he Metroplex every year. But the three private schools you mentioned don't give a rats ass about us. Maybe SMU will care after we start this upcoming series, but I fear them buying it out if we beat them a couple of times. Both SMU fans and TCU fans have complained loudly in the past about playing us because they feel like its a lose-lose situation for them. Baylor feels the same way.

The historical rivals are really just Texas State and NMSU, neither of whom our fans give a rats ass about.

To me, MUTS, was the only team I looked forward to playing in the early SBC years, but that rivalry never really developed because neither team was ever really good at the same time. Now, MUTS is a nice team to continue playing year-in and year-out in CUSA, similar to playing Marshall.

BUt the real possible CUSA rivals are those teams in our division--teams like UTSA, UTEP, Rice, La Tech, and USM. UTSA and La Tech are the two that really stand out to me as the teams that could easily turn into decent rivalry games, due to proximity, recruiting, and being state schools.

ColoradoEagle · July 29, 2014

I'm just glad we're finally in a conference, and especially a division, where a rivalry with a respectable team is a possibility. Can't say how indifferent I was to go back to Denton and watch a game against someone like ULM, South Alabama, or Troy. Even in an off scheduling year, we have Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech coming in. Add SMU, and that's half the home schedule this year filled with potential rivals.

jdennis82 · August 9, 2014

I agree. I have been a supporter of Mac and his coach speak, but it is time to have some confidence and swagger. he brings up 4-28, with no indication that its gonna turn into 5-28, 6-28...
I am tired of hearing about 9 starters. Are we going to win or what? Stop being safe and coming with the maybes.
I agree that the woe is me is old. You just went 9-4. I dont expect bragging, but the delivery needs to be a little more aggressive. People do not respond to begging. Its a sign of weakness.
Time to go out on a limb. Dont guarantee victories, but you gotta create some buzz. You dont beg people to come to a party. You promote it like its the event of the year.
SMU just had a losing season and we just went bowling. Fire a shot. Get this rivalry started.

This post got me thinking about Mac's hope to create rivalries within CUSA. Maybe Mac should take a note from some more charismatic coaches around the country and "fire a shot" in the media to kick start things.

Dabo Sweeny and Steve Spurier went at each other in animated, highly publicized fashion just weeks ago...

"The Clemson-South Carolina rivalry has been spiced up considerably in recent years with some of the verbal volleys between Spurrier and Swinney."

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/11248172/dabo-swinney-steve-spurrier-clash-pluto-status-planet

Most in this thread have run from the thought of UTSA as a rival but if Mac publicly simply said something like "we aim for payback in San Antonio..." or for a local rival SMU "we will no longer concede the metroplex to another football program," I think an attitude of rivalry among fans would develop/heighten.

Sometimes, it's necessary to verbally write a check and be prepared to deal with the consequences.