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Made Fort Worth to Vicksburg in 5 hours 45 minutes. Gas is 3.02 a gallon. Rick

I took a break to enjoy the victory. Maybe you should too.

How pathetic. Really ....our goal is to make the postseason in BB once every 6 years. Reallly ?

Glad to here you are going to be in New Orleans. I will have Ernie K. with me and we might try to look you up so you can personally tell him that as a regent who has written 2+ million in checks over the last few years that he doesn't give a rats rear end about athletics or winning. Or maybe you can tell that to former Chair C. Dan Smith, he will be there also and is a seven figure donor..... Just sayin.

Let's alumni all give at a level well within our comfort levels and not give a freakin' dime to the music program, the library system, Denton public transportation, the fitness center, the dining halls or the book stores, because we don't use those services. But the students? Screw 'em. Let's soak 'em for every miserable high interest loan dime they've got. If they or their parents don't like it? Screw 'em in the back door and send 'em down to Sam Houston State. This isn't a public service institution of higher learning we're running here! As for athletics making the university a better university, I challenge anyone here to list for me in order, where they would want their child to go if the kid were offered full rides to the following options: Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar (no athletics), MIT (Division III), Harvard (FCS, not playoff eligible), Texas (BIG ASS $BILLION FBS), UNT (The hometown fave). I'm with Thor on wherever he posted his little thing. I really enjoy what I get for my time and money at UNT. I never want to be a Texas or and Alabama. I like funding scholarships and watching our athletes graduate and go on to lucrative careers (and sometimes even become paying sponsors of this message board). I like knowing RV on a first name basis. I like having the means to get club seats at Apogee. I like knowing my fellow tailgaters, sharing beers and various charred carcasses of creatures who once roamed the earth. We're a university first and foremost. A place that educates, and sends young adults into productive lives in the world, not a semi-pro sports franchise that acts as a check cashing service for a bunch of 18-year-old kids who just hope to lead a middle school honors band someday. If we really want this thing to grow to a point where we can expect to go to bowls and the NCAAs every year, that responsibility really should lie on the alumni, not the student body. Alumni can choose whether to give and how much to give. Forcing a unilateral fee on students, and insisting that it increase at a maximum level year after year after year without any input beyond a vote of students five years ago who knew they would never be subject to any fee is akin to most of the things that guys on the AM dial scream about every morning during drive-time. (I voted for the fee and paid it for one whopping semester)

It's about protecting Benford and therefore protecting RV, the most un-fireable man in America. I'm surprised he does as much as he does for the program, frankly, as its clear that no matter what he does, he won't lose his job.

Several for North Texas in this article. ODDS AND ENDS > Week 2 Game Balls: After giving up 20 points and 395 yards in the first half, things looked bleak for the Mean Green. But the UNT defense did a 180 in the final two quarters, holding Ball State to just 101 second-half yards and seven points. That was enough to allow the UNT offense to outscore Ball State 31-7 from the second quarter on in UNT's 34-27 comeback victory. Helping the UNT cause was five takeaways (three of them fumble recoveries), the last of which was an interception that ended Ball State's last drive to try to tie the game. Not surprisingly, the best defender on the field was senior LB Zach Orr (11 tackles, TFL, FF, FR), arguably the state's most under-the-radar star player. My Power Poll ballot This is what I turned into the DCTF offices for the Week 3 edition of the Power Poll. 1. Texas A&M 2. Baylor 3. Texas Tech 4. TCU 5. Rice 6. Texas 7. North Texas 8. Houston 9. UTSA 10. UTEP 11. SMU 12. Texas State The rationale for my order: Go toe-to-toe with the two-time defending champs, and you deserve the No. 1 spot in Texas. Texas Tech is creeping up on Baylor, if only because the Bears were off and Tech somewhat controlled TCU. Those Frogs are fourth, for now, but I considered placing Rice ahead of them. Texas is another loss away from dropping even more. North Texas's comeback over Ball State impressed me enough to move to seventh, maybe the highest I've ever put the Mean Green. Houston's win at Temple looks a little less sweet after Temple lost to the mighty Fordham Rams. UTSA and UTEP play this weekend, so that should settle their placement. I moved SMU to 11 and dropped Texas State to 12th; I think SMU is the better team, even if Texas State is playing up to its potential more than SMU is. > Leftovers … Very happy to see North Texas storm back to beat Ball State. I thought UNT underachieved last year, but with a 2-1 start, UNT appears to be playing up to its potential. The Mean Green are now one game ahead of DCTF's predicted five wins, and one predicted loss (at Louisiana Tech, which looks like a shell of its 2013 team) could now become a win. Third-year coach Dan McCarney needs a bowl this year, because with 13 seniors on his opening-day depth chart, next year could bring a dropoff. READ MORE http://www.texasfootball.com/college-news/view/180520

Blah blah blah... We need to win a conference championship... blah blah blah....

In each criterion, the level is "at least." We have gone to three bowl games since the Abner Haynes team, and we are upset because the MINIMUM stated goal is at least every other year. I will admit I would like the BB goal to be a greater challenge. As far as the 11%budget increase is concerned, I can almost guarantee no academic area is getting a budget increase of that magnitude. Finally, I believe the goals were written on paper not on stone. It is simply a quantitative starting point for the athletic department

And a $30+ million budget which is above/on par with everyone else in CUSA. 90, I think you went to the wrong school. SMU seems the place for you.

So... what you're saying is... Halloween ideas aren't going to happen????

I came to the party late and I'm not sure what the bone of contention is... Is it compromising on the athletic fee? Is it mediocre goals? Is it the Board of Regents? Is it the Athletic Department? Look, I've got damn few years left on this earth and I like to see all athletics leap forward. But, there's been a lot of progress in the past few years and much of that was done sensibly. Have there been mistakes made by RV and the Athletic Department? You bet. Does the good outweigh the bad? It's no contest. So, why not put down the gun and let's enjoy orderly progress (as long as we continue to progress). You can still voice displeasure with hirings, attendance, lack of promotion, scheduling, etc. without constantly nagging. I don't know that the athletics fee would fall in this category but sometimes there are tradeoffs to get other things accomplished. Reducing one request in order to get another unrelated approval happens all of the time. As long as the athletics budget has increased so that we are competitive with our conference mates...I'm happy. That certainly appears to be the case. I also believe in setting realistic, achievable goals. When that goal is achieved then you set a higher obtainable mark. I believe that unobtainable goals defeat their purpose. However, making goals too easy accomplishes nothing. Every goal should be greater than, or at least equal to past accomplishments. I don't know what is expected of each sport but it seems that basketball got off easy. Contract consideration or not, give us a decent home non-conference schedule. Three NAIA teams is way beyond unacceptable. Why the disdain for the BOR? They only act on administration proposals and from what I've seen all have been favorable. They don't propose legislation, They don't say, "I'm sorry, but you didn't request enough". I have, and will continue to be a strong supporter of our Board of Regents. C. Dan Smith has done an outstanding job of getting approvals for athletics. Let's not piss off the group that has done nothing but help us. Lastly, I saw a post that gave me hope. UNT90 referred to attendance at the last game as the stadium being half-full rather than half-empty. He may be coming around.

So we have been to something like 6 bowl games in 100 years and when we now publish that we expect to go to bowls at least every other year, that is somehow too low of a goal?

When I read "post season play at least once every six years" I thought that seemed a little low too. So I did a little searching and found this: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/ncaa-tournament/history/tourneyrecords I don't know if this will offer any perspective or not but just glancing at it makes me feel a little better. I also think that some are looking at this as the North Texas Ten Commandments of Sports. It isn't. As we improve I'm confident the written expectations of the University will be re-written. But we couldn't just go in and say: "National title" go. As far as I know this is the FIRST time our University has even gone on record of having expectations. That alone should make you at least a little happy.

HIT 6 MY ASS...HIT GEORGIA!!! Saw a blog that they think this will be not much than a glorified scrimmage.

Want to be part of the solution? Today is a great day to make a donation to help your favorite UNT program. It is North Texas Giving Day through the Communities Foundation of Texas. Donations of $25 or more are eligible to receive matching funds if made between 7am and midnight today. Your gift to the UNT Foundation will go to UNT's General Scholarship Fund unless you indicate otherwise. Here is the link: The DonorBridge website

So, in 26 years we've made the basketball postseason 3 times translating to 1:8.7 years; and a 1:6 goal is a bad idea? That's an imporovement of 31%. Take away that 26th year and it's 1:12.5. Interestingly, we've been once in the past six years. Expenses are tied to revenue flow, so you aren't going to see an increase in actual Budget without increased revenues. The extra $800K from a student athletic fee increase isn't going to do squat. An 11.5% growth in revenue (thus budget) is pretty damn good. I know my company would take it.

Tha's because you're not 40.

Three. Million. Dollar. Increase.

God you are an idoit

I did. Concerned about future victories. Every year we don't raise the fee, we sacrifice on the field/court victories. If people don't get that, they don't understand college athletics. If I ran my tailgate the way the UNT administration runs athletics, I'd have a 2x2 canopy with holes in the roof, cold generic hot dogs, warm non-alcoholic Schaffer light, and an old transistor radio for entertainment.

Well said. Thank you for a rational approach.

UNT coaches, players, other coaches who have pulled upsets agree on five factors

You're comparing Harvard, Oxford, MIT, UT, and UNT....don't you think that's a bit extreme comparison. And for anybody that doesn't think athletics does not add to the image and profile of a university is delusional. Winning and commitment to athletics gets people interested and that is how you start building your fan base. You build your fan base and you'll have more people come to games and you'll have a more prideful student body and alumni base. With that they'll be much more prone to giving more back not only to athletics but the school. The correlation is there. There's a reason A&M raised that much money. When TX was the NC in 2006 their applications multiplied the following year, the money was greater. Same with OU when they won the NC in 2000, the level of giving astronomically increased after that. Obviously I'm not saying our teams have to win national championships to obtain this but athletics is a HUGE aspect of a large public university in the United States. It is what it is...that's just the reality. You not wanting to become a Texas or Alabama is exactly what the problem is with the UNT DNA. If we're not going to fight to strive higher then we'll always be little ol' North Texas. As for the givers I certainly believe there is a mutual partnership between the BOR, alumni/donors, and students. We're lagging in every area it appears but it all starts from the top. If the BOR is broken then everything trickling down will be broken as well. While we have made strides the last decade, bear in mind that all we've done is to finally get back to the break even line and right above water. We were so bad and such a laughing stock that it was almost as if it couldn't get any worse. Sorry for the longer post but I am in agreement with 90 for the most part. Yes there's been some strides but the school needs to be fighting to do a lot more. There's no reason why we can't be better. I just don't want to be in the top half of anything. I want to be the best and especially in CUSA, there is no reason why we can't be the leader of the pack and setting the standards at this point.

Exactly. How people can feel good about RV as our AD is just amazing to me. It's the helluva guy syndrome--he opened up tailgating, he knows my name, he shakes my hand...Think about this for a second, the AD knows your name because there aren't enough fans around to get confused. I guarantee you that Chris Del Conte down at little old TCU doesn't know people like RV does because they have a lot of fans. We have about 10k diehards. Has that risen under RV? No doubt. Has tailgating made a huge difference? Of course, but to give him major kudos for doing what moronic ADs from the past wouldn't do is very low bar, IMHO. But the diehards would've been double if we had continued to improve after 2004. Instead, we watched the whole thing hit the absolute rock bottom a program can reach. Luckily, Coach Mac appears to at least have an idea on how to rebuild the team on the field, even if his employer doesn't give him much help in promoting the games or bringing in better opponents to help the turnstiles, since its obvious now that people come to Denton to watch the other team play us. RV will be here until he retires. But for fans like me, I have invested 23 years in fandom here. The university has 5 years left to show me that winning in football and basketball matters to them finally. If we are still bad, then they lose me, just as they have lost so many others. I've given them enough time to convince me that revenue athletics matter here. It's more than building a stadium (finally) to replace the toilet you played in 30 years to long. It's more than paying the most you ever have in your history for a football coach. It's more than getting into your dream conference, even though it is a shell of what we dreamed it would be with SMU, UH, Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, and UCF all gone by next year. You show you are truly serious when you pay money to buyout bad hires--not when it is fiscally acceptable. Again, this place has until the end of the 2017 football season to show me that my fandom should continue. I will not be one of those guys who looks back and says I stuck with 3,4, or 5 decades worth of crap like others on this board have done. More power to those of you who have hung in there like that, but I'm just not willing to do that if the university doesn't show the same interest in winning that we all want as fans. The clock is ticking... Also, you better beat UTSA. I don't care if they have been more competitive lately than anyone expected. They have three years of existence to our 100 years. That's an ender, too, just as Brett Vito mentioned at the beginning of the season by naming it the "Suicide Watch Game".

This football season should determine RV's fate, but it won't because the BOR voted to give him a 5 year (or is it much more than 5 years??) extension right after a disaster of a basketball hire. So, that's a Todd Dodge hire, on top if a Shanice Stephens hire, capped off by a Tony Benford hire. Three of the worst hires in school history in the 3 major sports. Who gets an extension for that track record?? Anywhere but UNT?? I think not. At any other FBS school, RV and Benford would have been shown the door after that disaster of basketball season. Not here. Jury is still out on DMac, but if we fall apart this year, RV should be gone. You can't keep a guy who doesn't know how to pick the right coaches for your major programs, no matter how much you think he is a good guy, no matter what level of friendship he has managed to establish with you, and no matter what level of access you get for minimal giving (a HUGE problem with this AD, in my opinion). But the BOR has tied the success of our athletic program for the next 5 (or 10??) years to the neck of a guy who simply hasn't gotten it done on the field/court. You don't reward a track record like RV's, you punish it.

Necessary roughness time?

Right, in case any one doesn't understand, being in the top half of the conference at least half the time means being in the bottom half of conference half the time is acceptable. That's pretty much the definition of average. Now, about that student fee that wasn't raised...

If they are committing to being average in a below average conference, they should offer all season ticket holders and club level owners all their money back. I still want to puke, that is the most pathetic thing I have ever witnessed at UNT and I thought I had seen some sad things at North Texas. Like anyone wants to donate to a program that strides to be average in a below average conference. UNT shots foot off this time, Yup I am going to throw up

That is the saddest thing I ever saw. A commitment to be average in CUSA, you think they could have raised their sights a bit. I am really embarrassed of UNT now. Kind of makes me want to send my season tickets back. No commitment to excellence but instead to be mediocre, how in the hell do they expect anyone to ever donate to a program with those goals? I want to puke

Goals for football and basketball are to be average. And in basketball, giving 3 years to reach average, which would be Benford's 4th year in a 5 year contract. Coincidence? I think not. Bedford could win 5 games this year and still not lose his job. If there were a true commitment to athletics, the fee would have been raised (even though idiot GLTG says that it can't) and the goals would have been for much more than average. I really don't see a lot of good news from this, as it appears its business as usual. You know, don't offend those Who hate athletics too bad anD maybe they won't say bad things about you. Don't raise the student fee, which any school serious about being competitive would have done, because there may be a critical op-ed piece about it in the DRC or student paper. Here is the deal. We need to be increasing this at every opportunity so we can go back to the legislature and get them to take the stadium payoff stipulation off this fee, 2 things could happen otherwise. 1) Legislators could assume since we haven't raised the fee, $10 per hour is all we need or 2) One of the many anti-UNT athletic groups in Denton could atTempt to get the legislation ammended to cap the fee at $10, citing the fact that we haven't raised the fee as a clear indication that $10 is all we need. We should be pushing this fee up EVERY chance we get to show the legislators that it is sorely needed and with an eye to making it permanent. Hard to make a case for permanence when you don't even take advantage of the very small amount of latitude (compared to other state university's athletic fee) allotted by a legislature that put a choke hold on legislation that no one opposed... I swear to God, exactly what the F does Lee Jackson EVER do for athletics. Couldn't he have at least defended the freaking athletic fee? Jeez. We increased the athletic budget 11 percent this year. Big whoop. If we Wre serious, we would have found a way to increase it at least 20 percent, you know, like by raising the student fee. Same ole same ole in Denton. Strive for mediocrity. EDIT: And I guess that extra 3 million didn't make it out of the "special" committee. Great. If that was earmarked to help pay for a baseball stadium, it's clear that isn't happening if you think we get baseball by 2015, you are living a pipe dream.

That record against ranked opponents is by far the worst blotch in our record book. We've got to do something about that, and quick.

Great post !

Thanks for the level headed and well thought out response. I agree.

Could we not hold out for the extra $25k? We need a better negotiator.

Upon further review...

Or they may need to be better analysts. If your job is to know about FBS college football, then maybe you should know these things.

I majored in Art and I love athletics.

I don't want UNT to be Texas. At all. UNT never will be, you can just accept that. We are the liberal art public college in Texas...which means we won't ever have a 100,000 seat stadium. I had a friend who came to UNT wanting to major in art. He came here because football isn't very important and we have the best fine arts school in the state. I could care less if only 1/3rd of the student body attended football games. I just want us to win and to have acceptable attendance. But that subset of students will always be here because the people (a good majority, not all) who major in Music, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, etc won't support sports. This is just how this school is viewed among the state by young kids. That'll never go away. We should aim to emulate UH or Boise. 30K attendance consistently. Also, Mac won't be going anywhere. He's from the old mentality of loyalty. Like it or not, Mac will be here until he retires. You think other schools weren't throwing money at him at Iowa State? If UNT ever somehow became like UT or even Tech, UNT and Denton both would lose what attracts a good percentage of people to it. UNT and Denton is weird. Not weird in an Austin way, actually weird. I didn't attend A&M or Tech for a reason. (Can't get into UT unless you're top 10 percent.)

Here's a list of retailers: http://licensing.unt.edu/retail/resources-for-consumers/ There are a couple in Dallas. Give 'em a call.

It's funny you said the above. I just checked & it's the day "Central Texas celebrates Golden Margarita's". I'm trying to decide if it's frozen or on the rocks! I'd like to have something at the house- but it is a Thursday. Any comments? My house is just east of I10 & utsa is just west of I10. Sooo... about 10 minutes to the game! Now, back to beating the "dogs".

Goals and objectives must be reasonable and obtainable with a" little pie in the sky".Thats it.I got nothing else.

Don't think so. If I recall the student athletic fee is in force until the facility bonds are paid off. The trick is to always have something that is being paid off. This was beyond stupid, I have no idea way NT's fee was restricted unlike TSSM and UTSA who were enacted about the same time and automatically went to about the max allowed. The fee can be raised a max of 10% a year by the BOR until it gets to $20 an hour. I have no problem at all with not raising the fee until it is absolutely necessary.

How many out of how many UT t-shirt fans know what conference we're in? Or high school kids in Houston/Austin/San Antonio... I noticed that Followill was REALLY quick and stern when he corrected whoever that other jackwagon calling the Ball State game was whenever that guy let a "North Texas State" slip.

I don't see any problems with the football or other sports goals. We haven't been to a bowl game the last 8 years. If we can start going at least every other year, how is that not a vast improvement? The basketball goal, however, is written completely with Benford in mind, and it's sad to think that we're putting that low of expectations on what's been a bright spot while football has been so down.

Maybe you should grow up

You are kidding right?

Simply pathetic set of goals. This looks like a corporate plan were the objective is to insure bonuses for everyone. RV has it made, a 5 year contract at an University were complete mediocrity meets all objectives. What in the world is the BOR trying to achieve? I don't get it, now I understand why 6 wins in football is a stated goal.

Did you miss the budget increase?