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I mean, who's "we"? As much as we (fans) might WANT SL to return to find his office lock changed and all his stuff on the lawn, that's probably not realistic. And I'm not sure if we have Seth or lose Seth, it's likely to change our prospects against Liberty or Missouri in any significant way. I mean, I happen to think his big issue is he hasn't shown he can get the right coaches or coordinators in position (after his initial staff). So I certainly don't trust our assistant coaches to go out there and suddenly light the world on fire. I'm not really sure firing a coach mid-season vs firing at the end makes much of a difference. Any "message" we'd be sending wouldn't travel so much as the next hallway. About the ONLY positive from dumping him early is it could potentially keep him from getting enough wins against a soft back-end schedule to keep his job, but hopefully we wouldn't keep him around with 4-5 wins if we got our asses handed to us against anybody decent. What will likely happen: We'll get our asses handed to us and I'll change my mind and threaten to start burning down the world on Saturday night. Then by mid-week, I'll be back to "meh. we'll just dump him at the end of the year and THIS TIME WE'LL SURELY GET IT RIGHT." And then I'll drink a bunch of cough syrup or something. Idk. Hard times.

Grad Asst: But what if they do something fancy like, not run up the middle? HC & DC: LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Enrollment size is irrelevant in realignment. The primary objective for conferences is providing compelling, entertaining content that appeals to the widest possible audience. If you have 50,000 students and go 4-8 that's not gonna cut it. I will concede that "markets" were a major piece of the puzzle in previous realignments, but there is one metric and one metric only that matters. Winning and winning big in football. SMU, while being a program on the rise, hasn't accomplished anything close to what the "promoted" AAC schools have done. A few weeks in the Top 25? Great. Several other G5 programs have done that in recent memory. We still haven't finished better than 3rd in the AAC-West. That's not enough to leapfrog the other schools despite a Top 60 USNWR ranking, $2.2 billion endowment, Dallas market, billionaire alums, etc. Sonny and his staff have this thing headed in the right direction, however. NIL, transfer portal, and vastly improved high school recruiting have allowed SMU to build a roster laden with P5 talent across the board. You have to hope that the talent and a veteran coaching staff will translate into getting over the "pretty good" hump and into the conversation of being the best G5 program in the country. He's gotten guys like Clark Hunt and David Miller to pour millions into facilities and staff salaries. As a private institution SMU doesn't have to disclose these figures but Sonny is north of $3m and Samples turned down OU and Texas for jobs last year with a promotion and raise to make him one of the highest paid Asst. Head Coaches/Recruiting Coordinators in the country. Programs that have moved up to the P5 table (Rutgers excluded) all won multiple conference champions, NY6 bowl games, and spent the lion's share of the multiple seasons ranked in the Top 25. No one cares that TCU has 9,000 undergrads. People cared that they were being talked about nationally and winning big games. Same goes for Cincy, UH, and UCF.

After this beat down, the biggest change will be that our record will be 1-3. Nothing else…

So Sun Belt suffocated you? What exactly did North Texas do to try to capitalize on consecutive championships? Build an indoor practice facility? Build new locker rooms, meeting rooms, weight room, clubhouse? Do a campaign to endow scholarships or coaching positions? Replace or upgrade an old not especially well maintained stadium? Sun Belt football started in 2001, not one champion from 2001 to 2010 used a championship and bowl appearance to fuel upgrades and fund-raising. That’s NOT the fault of the conference that blame rests squarely on chancellors and presidents who deemed football a distraction and annoyance and in the back of their mind every time some fan said we need to put more in they were thinking, “you’ve got a team, what else do you want?” Leadership and achievement starts in the CEO’s office, not the commissioners office.

It didn't last time, because everyone thought of markets. but it will from here on out, as alumni are "streaming potential" and markets matter much less in the cord cutting age. Look at who just made it to the Big12. Its 3 of the 4 biggest enrollment schools in the AAC. And yes I DO think that played. You can have some small private schools, but the Dukes,Vanderbilts and Wake Forrests of the world are there to round those conferences out, they are never building blocks.

I'm not selling SMU's cause in any way. I am simply pointing out that leaving the AAC for the MWC given the economic realities of exit fees, travel costs, horrible start times, etc. makes it astronomically dumb for SMU. Maybe those same dynamics don't apply to UNT. I genuinely don't know. I will say citing enrollment figures of 50,000 doesn't really move the needle a single bit in conference realignment. TCU got into the Big 12 with an undergrad enrollment of about 9,000. UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati didn't get invited to the Big 12 b/c of their enrollment numbers. They got in b/c each have played in a NY6 bowl and have won something significant on the national stage in recent years and have athletic budgets at the very top end of the G5 (including SMU). I just don't understand attendance smack directed towards SMU when we've got about 6,500 undergrads and roughly 50,000 living alumni in DFW. The fact that we had 23,500 for Abilene Christian and 29,200 for UNT is admirable IMO.

Sadly I think we have to stick with him for the rest of the year as we owe him too much money.

Agree. Anywhere we go (if we move at all) will be a gamble. Schools will say today they are staying put, then tomorrow they could change their mind. It’s all unstable. It almost reminds me of how the transfer portal is functioning. It’s just not my favorite time to be following NCAA sports with what’s coming down from Indianapolis & the NCAA rules committee. 🦅

SMU2006 hasn't said anything demeaning or antagonizing about our school in any posts, yet you guys feel the need to berate him/her. Let's be better than this. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with what they are posting, but keep it to the argument.

The line for this game is baffling to me. It is like they know something that we don't. And in my experience, they normally know something that I don't. It seems like a no-brainer to take the home team.

There was no reason for us to be in a bowl game last season playing them.

Nothing

I think most agree the only way it would make sense is if 3-4 CUSA West schools joined the MWC; otherwise, it would be foolish for North Texas to go it alone into that conference.

UNT 45 LaT 35 Sipping the green stuff this week. SL said the team was close. It all makes sense in two days. We establish the run behind Blair and play action our way into the end zone. GMG!

Just remember boys and girls, where that money comes from. Whether we want to buy out someone’s contract, or go to town and bring somebody great in here, it takes money and the money comes from you and me. It doesn’t really matter, keep a coach or fire a coach, the notion of waiting to support the program or waiting to buy season tickets won’t work. There is no pot of money in Wren’s office. It comes from you and me. Ante up.

I get the money aspect. Just getting rid of SL will not make this team better but I think it would send a message to the team, fans, and donors that we are serious about doing something. I think if we wait, it will make it worse.

Email is out. Season ticket holder gift is commemorative.....tickets? https://souvenirs.teamcpi.com/MeanGreen/en-US/home/ I feel so gaslit.

When we started 4-0 and Beat Arkansas we came home to a near sellout crowd against La Tech. (Maybe the largest crowd we’ve had). We were a few hundred away. And what did we do? We got beat. Didn’t capitalize. I say had we won, gone to 5-0. We would’ve been ranked. Then the crowds would’ve kept coming had we kept winning. That’s the “sleeping giant” that gets thrown around. But we’ve never crossed the line. Coastal Carolina is probably at their ceiling given their location, size etc. they don’t have the capacity we have. We just never fill our capacity because every time we get close, we crap the bed.

Coastal Carolina is ranked #16 in the nation in our OLD conference. They have been playing at the fbs level for 5 years. Conference is not the problem. Football is the problem and it doesn’t matter how many G5 conferences we run to, nothing will change unless the football does. We are turning into the perpetual divorcée who constantly looks for greener grass while never choosing to look within. Change for change sake. What if our next marriage is even worse than the present one? If we were kicking ass against CUSA already then I would be all for it but we aren’t taking care of business as is and I do not see how playing (potentially) better teams changes that.

ESPN gains an estimated 50% of the media value of the Big 12 with the addition of UT and OU to the SEC. Everything else is dependent on how that moves forward. AAC departures result in an estimated 20% media value loss in football and almost 50% value loss in basketball.

The transfer portal is the greatest equalizer for G5 programs. Also, finally the student-athlete has the leverage where for so long these kids get buried on the depth chart somewhere and feel like they don't want to lose a year of eligibility or sit out to play. Let the kids go where they want to go. If programs are run in a player-friendly environment you will be the beneficiary of the portal and not a victim of it.

You always bring up Benford and I'm confused on why. WB was hired in August of 2016. The decision to keep Benford for that year had already been made. At the end of the season, he made a change and hired McCasland. You're making assumptions because he took seven months to assess the program or because he didn't fire him midseason? He let him go the day after the season ended. I personally think mid season firings are the wrong way to go especially now with the portal but to be clear Benford had already been given another year when Baker came in.

Yep, we got 26k for a late season game against UTEP two years after having 8k at a late season game against UTEP. We can have swings from mid-to-low teens to mid-20s just by being good in certain years. Imagine if we could roll 4-5 winning years in a row instead of 2. We haven't played any team at Apogee that would actually move the needle on our attendance all by themselves. Years ranked by avg home attendance: 2018, 2017, 2019, 2013, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2015, 2020.

Series is close but SMU has been on the losing end a ton post-Death Penalty. I think its like 4 wins over TCU since 2000.

Michigan/Ohio State are conference games. SMU had won many more than 6 (TCU leads the series 43-39-7) games against TCU. Much more evenly matched programs.

I think you are wrong. Early in the season it is all about who the opponent is and you always got early season excitement (otherwise FCS opponents would draw 12 k). Later in the season however, many fans only come when the team is in the championship race (winning 6 will barely move the needle). Then however, they indeed do come. NTs sample size for that however is very small.

Sorry, I guess some explanation would help. A post was made that Coastal Carolina only drew about 17,500 fans to their home game against Kansas, and I posted that Charlotte only drew 14,500 in home game against Duke. We have proven in Fine's 2 great years at UNT that winning doesn't guarantee cheeks in the seats. A lot depends on who we play. A few years ago Indiana came to town and we beat them before a stadium about 2/3's full. At programs like LSU fans go to games regardless of who the Tigers are playing. At UNT and second tier programs such as ours a large number of fans come because of who the opponent is..

if?

Not sure what the contract wording is, but maybe we don't have to pay a buyout if WB never actually fires him. Move SL to a desk job role and put someone already on staff in his place.

Tickets today on the hubclub i used to get anyhow? This is weak. There have only been a few years out of the 20+ that I actually really liked the gifts... But this is up there with the 3d printed Apogee.

Just as long as WB doesn't fire SL after the next game, but let him coach the team for the rest of the season, like RV did with DD. Either let him go, or don't fire him until the season is over.

Help me understand the point you’re making. The point I was making was just that if we win we will fill our stadium.

Wholeheartedly agree. Catch 22 is supporting a terrible product, but as you said, one of the only ways it can get better is supporting financially.

Yeah, I agree. I wasn't saying it would change anything with the team this season by letting him go. I just felt like it would provide a solid message that the school means business. Probably won't, but just another frustrated fan over here. On another note, I was just looking at our records for the past 20 seasons and it is crazy how many 4 and 5 win seasons we had no matter what coach. I really don't know what the problem is here, obviously no one does.

It’s really not that hard to comprehend that losing to said school that kicks your ass on the reg, while you bring thousands to their stadium and then get dozens to come to yours, as you get said ass kicked, really doesnt help with recruiting or local coverage. But North Texas fans are a special breed. We think SMU is some kind of powerhouse that is just awesome to get to play. We then overload the entire staff and players with this intense dislike of a school that doesn’t give one rip about us and then said squad falls apart as soon as SMU starts beating us. But by all means, let’s keep this all going…it’s worked out awesome for us so far!!

I'm with Coach. Fix you helmet so that your effort counts. All that extra effort was worthless. I would have argued the poor spot cost us a first down.

Jeez, Arkstfan, not so loud 🤫or SMU might change their mind & prefer the MWC! 😆 (And who might take their place in the AAC if that happened)?😇 I think about 5 or 6 of us on GMG have wanted a MWC affiliation almost since its beginning. Of course, having 2 or 3 traveling partners would make it worthwhile. 🦅

I may not want to commemorate this 🏈🦅season for my trophy self😀

November needs to hurry up and get here!

The beginning of the Steve Ramsey era. "Sophomore quarterback Steve Ramsey led the Eagles in their opener by passing for three touchdowns and running for another. Fullback Vic Williams turned in 77 yards rushing on 11 carries....The Mean Green, led by Joe Greene and Johnny Mata, hobbled the Bulldogs and held them to 44 yards rushing and 72 passing while the Eagle offense rolled up a total of 333 yards." North Texas State University 31 - Drake 0 Freshman year. First time to Fouts. First date with future wife. Incredible game. Now that was a great day to be a fan of the Green and White!

I was there too. And you know, those uniforms look really good when you win the game. Just sayin.......

They are sending them to you to help with the ceremonial burning of your season tickets to protest the dumpster fire of a season.

I had to read the email a couple times to see if I was missing something, what’s the point of even doing a gift if that is what it will be

Not another failed 2-point conversion! I don't know how much more of this I can take.

Is Micken's sporting the next gen NFL helmet?

So what you're saying is all schools should only move into better conferences when they are good in their current conference even if there are solid financial, exposure, rivalry, recruiting reasons to move up? Just trying to make sure I understand your argument.