DRC: Breaking news -- (updated) UNT schedules two-game series with Houston

wardly · June 6, 2017

Initially I thought trading Army for Houston was a step back, as we would get more national ink playing the Black Knights. However, after my meds kicked in I changed my mind. We don't need a flash of national press a game with Army will bring. We need more regional coverage in Texas, where we recruit, and Houston gives us more than Army does. I was just hoping that it would be more that just a 2 game series.Regarding Liberty, I don't have a clue why we are playing them. We would draw better at home playing a Texas team from the SLC rather than the Liberty Bells.

Aquila_Viridis · June 6, 2017

It's for the recruiting exposure to the highly coveted rural central Virginia area. :-)

MeanGreenHoops · June 7, 2017

22 hours ago, NTXCoog said:

No offense, but what team that will come to Apogee is going to sell season tickets? Season ticket sales tend to increase fastest when the biggest individual games are going to sell out. So what opponent is going to do that?

Your bigger draw Texas/border state teams (UT, aTm, OU, LSU) etc aren't coming to Apogee.

Your medium draw Texas teams (Tech, Baylor, etc) might sell out, but it's not guaranteed, and definitely not a pre-season guarantee that would drive season ticket sales. Fans would take a chance on getting them when individual seats go on sale or figure that if it is a sell out, scalper prices would be cheaper than season tickets. Maybe UNT could sell mini-season ticket packages to get those like UH did to get Louisville tickets last year.

Your medium draw non-Texas P5 teams (Oregon St, Okie St, Louisville) might not come to Apogee, and if they do, no guarantee of sell out because of unfamiliarity with them, even if they are average to above average P5. Not going to drive season ticket sales even if they bump that game up some.

Your low draw P5 teams (Indiana, Kansas, Virginia) are unlikely to sell out because of unfamiliarity and lack of traveling opponent's fans. Again maybe an increase in game sales, but not season ticket sales.

Again I say no offense. Houston has been in the same boat and while the situation has improved, is still in that boat although less than UNT because we have had more recent success on the field and with ticket sales. Washington State was announced yesterday as a future home and home with Houston. Washington St is not going to drive UH season ticket sales except maybe to prevent a drop in sales like having another FCS school might cause. Possible exception if Leach is still coaching there since he's very familiar to UH fans.

No offense taken. Those huge teams you mentioned OU Texas LSU might not be coming to Denton, (although the rumors are LSU thought about it) but that wasn't really what I meant we needed on season tickets. We don't need Ohio State here so people are worried about a sellout so they have to buy season ticket. I just meant someone exciting/interesting that would help sell season tickets.

It's just my opinion but I think Houston does very little to help sell season tickets. Almost all of your other examples (not Indiana) like Tech though would help sell season tickets just because they have increased in value. Not so much because of the worry of a sell out, just they are more attractive.

I appreciate the ADs efforts though, since we didn't see that before, and I'm sure scheduling ain't easy, but that's why he gets the big bucks.

TreeFiddy · June 7, 2017

So far WB has not done anything RV didn't do when it comes to scheduling.

Now, if he puts an end to the body bag games, that will be a huge accomplishment that the prior AD never could.

I don't think we can truly step forward as a program until we eliminate the bodybag games from the yearly calendar (both of them).

UNTLifer · June 7, 2017

You do realize that the schedule was pretty set years in advance by RV. He secured the long term deals with SMU and Army, threw in a payday game and a FCS school and let CUSA do the rest. At least Baker is trying to change this, and keep in mind, this won't happen overnight.

TreeFiddy · June 7, 2017

40 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

You do realize that the schedule was pretty set years in advance by RV. He secured the long term deals with SMU and Army, threw in a payday game and a FCS school and let CUSA do the rest. At least Baker is trying to change this, and keep in mind, this won't happen overnight.

RV secured a mid term deal with smoo with an option to extend. WB extended. RV secured a long term deal with Army. It appears WB is trying to undo the last half of the series. RV scheduled K-State, Indiana, Houston, etc... WB scheduled Tech, in a decade, and Houston, and Liberty.

Seems about a wash so far, but WB has not been here very long. All I said was he hasn't done much different that the guy before him so far. However, I am hopeful that the fact that we don't have a bodybag game on the calendar for 2022 and 2023 yet is a sign that we are moving away from the bodybag game, and that will be a huge feather in WB's cap imo if he is able to make that shift. If he is really serious about it, I think it would be a tremendous boost to come out and say it publicly and build some momentum around the idea only signing home/home series going forward (if it is in fact a goal).

NTXCoog · June 7, 2017

1 hour ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

No offense taken. Those huge teams you mentioned OU Texas LSU might not be coming to Denton, (although the rumors are LSU thought about it) but that wasn't really what I meant we needed on season tickets. We don't need Ohio State here so people are worried about a sellout so they have to buy season ticket. I just meant someone exciting/interesting that would help sell season tickets.

It's just my opinion but I think Houston does very little to help sell season tickets. Almost all of your other examples (not Indiana) like Tech though would help sell season tickets just because they have increased in value. Not so much because of the worry of a sell out, just they are more attractive.

Looking at Houston's experience as crowd sizes have increased, the name team bump in season ticket sales is negligible without the sell out. The fan who comes to 2-3 games a year without the big name still only comes to 2-3 games and the bigger name game is included. Possible exception is if he's already been considering season tickets, but again that's not usually a huge impact

The increase in that one game comes from opposing fans if local or a big travelling fan base and home fans who go to 0-1 game a year. Those aren't going to be season ticket buyers

UH didn't start seeing significant season ticket sales increases even with on field success and increased average attendance until the big game or multiple games per season started selling out

Agreed UH isn't going to bump season tickets sales. It will bump that one game

untjim1995 · June 7, 2017

Playing Houston at home is a good fit for getting casual fans to attend, even marginally interested fans to come with their buddies. Losing to them badly, which we did when we opened up the stadium, doesn't bring anyone back, as evidenced after that loss.

What would do wonders for us all the way around is to beat them. It would help with attention, coverage, and recruiting interest--in a bigger fashion than any of us really can guess. They are the top G5 program in this region of the country and were the top G5 program (and one of the best overall) in the country two years ago. TX HS Coaches, parents, and recruits KNOW about UH in this region of the country. The only thing they know about us is that we have usually sucked at football, while rarely giving it much support.

Andrew · June 7, 2017

On 6/5/2017 at 2:44 PM, GMG24 said:

I'll give @Andrew his props. Touché good sir.

I told y'all to be patient and wait and see. This will be great for the program. Series with Houston and Tech will draw solid crowds and help boost recruiting.