Nice article and enlarge the photo to get an idea of the "olden days" of NT basketball at the Snake Pit (men's gym in more modern times)...

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...;ATCLID=1615154

As I wrote on my last banner for the last game at the old pit...."Ain't a team come to Denton who can ever forget 'bout them three month nights in the nasty ole pit.'

One of the greatest basketball atmospheres ever. I believe it was Drake coach Maury John that dubbed the facility the Snake Pit (either John or the Bradley coach whose name I can't recall).

John also had other great quotes. North Texas was known for its full-court press in those days. Maury John commented that "they started pressing us when we got off of the plane."

I really hope the game will be broadcast over the radio(/internet).

There was a long thread on this article a few months ago, but the men's gym was never commonly called the snake pit...it was just "the pit".

im excited...as a student who started here last year...im really looking forward to a throwback game and accually going inside the snake pit!

NT80, thanks for posting this. The pic and article are really cool. Has anybody volunteered to bring a snake to release at tip-off.

I'm thinking rubber snakes handed out to the Pit Crew.

Great Idea!

We should play 1 game each year in the Snake Pit!!!

No offense, letsgiveacheer, but in my day (1967-1971), we called it the Snake Pit.

okay, I looked but can't find it, why was it dubbed the "Snake Pit"?

They mentioned the Pit game during the football broadcast yesterday and said something about dressing retro for the event. One of the announcers mentioned he was thinking of sporting an early '70s John Lennon look (if I heard him correctly). I actually have some clothes from my NT days ('70-'74), but I can't fit into them! Getting old is a b*tch.

GMG!

I believe it was an opposing coach that dubbed it "a snake pit" because of the crowd frenzy and noise there. I think after that I read a biology prof or student later released a real snake at midcourt before a game and numerous fake snakes were thrown on the court during other rowdy games. It was before my time there but sounded like fun times.

Thanks, we were trying to figure that out the other night at dinner and couldn't come up with a reason.

I also am hoping that everyone wears a retro outfit for that place, but what era should we shoot for? 50's, 60's, early 70's? It's gonn be tough finding some bell bottom jeans?

Does anyone know of a place that has throw back clothes?

Also, I bought my tickets today, they are GENERAL ADMISSION, which means seating will be first come first serve. They are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.


Any help on info for the old clothes would be appreciated.

Rick

Is the Second Hand Rose still open in Denton? They used to have great costumes and other items for Halloween, etc... Or you could mug a hippie on Fry Street.

Loved this quote:

Second Hand Rose is still going strong at a new location. It is located in the same shopping center as Good Eats north of Denton on I-35 ( just south of the truck stops and on the east side of the freeway).

In 1969 or early 1970 I too made a banner that was hung from the rafters of the Pit or Men's Gym. I remember we played the Louisville Cardinals and the banner was good enough to get me an audience with the Dean of Men.

Explain.

This is yet another example of why we need someone to produce a nice, thin, faded looking t-shirt with a crackly faded flying worm logo on the front. People would buy them!

Agreed, but this was all pre-Flying Worm.

Although I would love a shirt like that with the Flying Worm, the concept can be done with any old logo really...or even just text.

Early '70s. That's the last time I was in there as a student.

GMG!

i know they wouldn't do it because they would lose money, but it would be AWESOME playing an OSU type team in the snake pit. It would be packed for sure and super loud...

I would love to have at least one marquee game each year that absolutely fills the Super Pit. Who cares if upper level seats to be given away, it would do wonders for launching this program.

I think it might be more plausable with a smaller opponent like a UTA, SFA, or Texas State. Those teams would still draw a near, if not, a sell-out crowd in the Snake Pit, but wouldn't be risking the potential for bigger profit at the Super Pit like an OSU or Baylor.

I'm really looking forward to Friday's game, but I wish it was against a serious oppenent. I'm sure those Cameron kids will find the atmosphere too distracting from their PSPs and Gameboys.

Don't expect much seating in the Snake Pit; some of the seats from the old photos are gone. Also, expect it to be loud (bad accoustics), uncomfortable (wooden seats), and hot. The score should be unpleasant too, for Cameron, as they lost to OU by 55 last Saturday.

We've absolutely annhilated Cameron the last 2 years. If the Snake Pit has a real intimidating effect on them, we should win this one by about 75.

I felt sorry for them last season... and felt sorry for some of our fans being such assholes to them.

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about... That was Texas A&M International.

And you were guilty by association.

The Cameron game was fun considering how bad we beat them...but only about 2,000 people thier in an empty super pit....but im hoping the SNAKE pit is rocking.....just dont bother knocking....wow that was cheesy!