UNT lost another Sun Belt conference game to Louisiana Monroe tonight 35-23 but for once it really didn’t matter. The real story tonight is the fact that UNT’s student body voted for a key increase in the athletic fee which should lead to a brand new - and much needed - football stadium and event complex.

The passing of this referendum means that UNT will have a brand new stadium which ultimately benefits the students, alumni, fans and the entire Denton community. A new Mean Green stadium will benefit the athletic department by allowing them to recruit better athletes, schedule better opponents, increase season ticket sales and provide a better game day experience. In our quest to better ourselves you have to think that other more geographically aligned conferences like Conference USA have to pay attention.

The new stadium was the missing piece of the puzzle from a facility standpoint. The state of the art Darrell Dickey athletic center was also a piece, and the land on the Eagle Point property now is home to the Waranch tennis facility, dorms and a dining complex. The Liberty Christian purchase has provided UNT a perfect home for women’s sports, something that was long overdue. UNT’s basketball facility the Super Pit has always been a top notch facility and remains so. Just look around campus, the amount of new academic buildings, dorms and construction are astounding. We are not a commuter school anymore, we are not just a good music school, we are not to be taken lightly – we mean business.

But this vote is so much more than the tangible items. Terms like unity and commitment come to my mind. The fact that our student body had the foresight to vote in this fee during such perilous financial times moves me tremendously. It gives us such tremendous hope for the future of North Texas athletics that our student are engaged and understand what is at stake here. To quote our former President Dr. Norval Pohl, who realized that athletics can be a window “through which we can showcase the quality of our university. “ Current President Dr. Gretchen Bataille stated today, “[The UNT students] understand that a strong athletics program is key to a vibrant alumni community and the continued growth of UNT’s image.”

I watched with my own eyes the collaboration of our students and alumni on the GoMeanGreen.com forums in the months leading up to this vote, and it was a sight to behold. Young and old were discussing and yes sometimes debating their opinions and differences but in the end shared a common bond, their love for their school.

This vote and the subsequent stadium that will be built send a clear message to the world, that we have a football program which we believe in and support and it is here to stay. We will use our football program to showcase the entire University and its many outstanding programs and people. We’re not just showing up to the games and hoping for the best anymore. We now expect to win and are supporting our programs with the tools necessary to succeed.

I feel good for the former players who toiled here in sub par facilities for many years and did their best to represent the school on the field of play. They as much as anyone else here deserve credit. Someday, our former players will get the chance to step into that stadium as former lettermen and be recognized for their contributions in making it happen.

I tip my hat bow down to the student government representatives like Jeff Kline and Derrick Murray and the entire athletic department for their yeoman efforts in making this a reality. From a Mean Green fan for many years, I salute you all and am truly grateful.

GoMeanGreen.com has been a rollercoaster ride for me, starting back in 1995 when UNT was a fledgling D-I program. I have experienced many highs and lows and seen many good fans come and go. There have been difficult times and also moments of joy and exhilaration. I have to put this successful vote at the very top of the list, ahead of the 2002 New Orleans Bowl win and the building of our awesome athletic center. It is by far, the most significant accomplishment that this athletic program has seen in its history. What makes this even more significant is it was actually the UNT students that made it happen.

Being a Mean Green fan is unique, and it’s certainly not the easy road - especially during this season - but I truly believe the payoff is huge. We are not UT and probably never will be. We are our own unique system with many outstanding alumni, administrators, faculty, friends and students. Too many of them have yet to truly connect or reconnect with UNT. I believe this stadium project will allow us to open our doors wider than we ever have before. Inside the doors are so many things that we can be so proud of, that have remained hidden for far too long.

There is still work to be done and much of it rests on the shoulders of our alumni and the athletic department’s ability to fundraise and develop key corporate sponsors in what are difficult financial times. There are still achievable goals however and the passing of this referendum make it much more plausible than ever before. Potential donors and sponsors will see this financial commitment of the students as security in their investment. This is a university of 35,000 students located in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. I just have to think that will attract alumni/donors who want to be reconnect with a school that helped them become successful and of course investors in the corporate community who want to be part of the growth.

So ignore the results of the football game tonight. Who cares about beating an ULM anyway (what is an ULM by the way?). Just a minor speed bump baby. As I’ve stated many times, we just don’t have the horses yet and that won’t change this season. A new stadium will help us get the players we need to turn this ship around and I remain confident that Coach Dodge will get it done. Tonight, let’s celebrate a true victory for our beloved University of North Texas.

GoMeanGreen!

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