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Congratulations. Looking forward to seeing you guys on the hilltop.

I know that everyone is excited about the move to the American Athletic Conference, as well we all should be. It’s an upgrade from where we are now. But I keep seeing people who are hesitant to get excited because we just might lose SMU as a conference mate at some point. It’s one thing if they have a delusions of grandeur, it’s yet another if we share it and are actually afraid of losing a conference mate that isn’t even that important in the grand scheme of things. SMU is currently undefeated, having the best season they have had in the last two decades, and are ranked #21 hosting a team from New Orleans tonight in Tulane. A quick check of StubHub shows that you can sit on the 35 yard line about four rows up for $20 a ticket. I want you to imagine for a moment if North Texas was undefeated and currently ranked #21 hosting a team that is a regional rival; do you think the ticket availability would look the same? Why in the hell would we be worried about the Big XII or someone else snatching up “Dallas’ team” when it appears Dallas never got the memo to care? If they stay, great and it will be a fun rivalry. If they go, let’s not pretend we’re losing something special.

I have it on good authority that your sources are full of sh*t and these things don't get announced if they are not going to happen. People can bitch, moan and bluster all they want, but things like this are bigger than "big donors." You think the rest of AAC going to suddenly want UTEP or LA Tech over UNT?

This isn’t a money issue, I know that for a fact. Our AD has told all the major donors he is not a proponent of firing coaches in season. He also said this after Benford was not renewed. He thinks the stats show that nothing is gained by getting an interim coach. So the effort is better spent lining up the next coach and working on conference affiliation. People can clamor all the want but this is going to be what happens.

Damn, it's almost like Wren Baker is a really good athletic director and knows what he's doing.

Yes.

Seriously. Enough. Just because Seth isn't winning, don't blame his boss. Every single sport at UNT that is school-sponsored has won a championship in CUSA since Wren took over except for football. Is football the most "important"? Yes. But he has given us a new practice facility, top of the line uniforms, MASSIVELY improved the Apogee gameday experience. Stop blaming Wren Baker for extending Littrell after back-to-back 9 win seasons. Anyone in WB's shoes would've done the same thing. That was not a stain on his tenure here. Seth Littrell is going to be gone very soon. The team is only going to get worse if we fire Seth mid-season. They're going to lose regardless. It makes no sense financially or for team morale to can a head coach midway through a season. None of the candidates who we could hit a home run with are going to abandon their teams mid season. We all want better. We all expect better. I'm tired of seeing people saying Wren is a bad athletic director. He's one of, if not the best, among G5 ADs. There is absolutely no reason to assume he won't take care of the football program and get us steered straight in the very near future, but please can it with the "I'm not going to the game because of Wren Baker" garbo takes.

If we get the right guy in here next season....hit a few transfers....with the talent we already have. We could have a huge turn around next season. We could win 9-10 games...our last season in CUSA. That's not crazy. And then we hit the AAC with our new HC and build off that? This could be what we've been waiting for. Why couldn't it? The hard work is done. The buildings are built. The fans want to come. If we get the right guy. That's all we need. Wren....get us our guy and we will see this Giant wake up. We need 10 big things to happen to reach our potential....and we have 9 of them. Just need that 1.

A great day for The University of North Texas indeed and many thanks must be given to the UNT BOR, Dr. Smatresk, Wren Baker, Jared Mosely, our many generous donors, corporate sponsors and many countless others for helping to make this happen. Many schools aspire to be great but very few have the resources and commitment to make it happen. North Texas and the 6 new AAC additions all have this and in the end result that is why they were chosen over the others. We've worked hard over the years to be in this select group and we should be extremely proud of this accomplishment. We also have added a first class commissioner in Mike Aresco that is a proven winner and visionary leader. Simply put, he is a winner! The opportunity is fantastic and it will be very exciting to be a part of this conference! GO MEAN GREEN!

Wanted to drop this gem here for you guys.

I think that making a move to the AAC is great news for UNT! And UNT making a move to the AAC is great news for the AAC and it’s member institutions! As a former university fundraiser, it is highly likely that all VIP personnel at each institution have already been briefed on what is about to transpire and have at least for the most part given their support to these moves. This includes university administrators, board members and key donors. These SMU “big money donors” that may be raising concerns are not in that key group of donors that would have already given support to this move and are really the true big money donors. People sometimes think they are the big money donors, but in reality, they are not in the group of donors giving transformative gifts to a university or other cause. The key donors that SMU and the other member schools needed to have on board in support of this move are very likely already on board. Anyway, just my opinion based on experience. Excited for UNT!

Congrats my fellow Texans! I look forward to the continued rivalry. And beating the shit out of SMU. They dodged us last year, can’t do it anymore! We have fun times ahead.

WHERE ARE THE WREN BAKER HATERS LINE THEM UP SINGLE FILE SO I CAN LAUGH IN THEIR FACES INDIVIDUALLY

It has been confirmed that immediately after the announcement of North Texas acceptance into the AAC that the SMU pony mascot had a heart attack and died. The University announced that the pony would be replaced with a more appropriate member of the horse family that represents the attitude of its staff and students, an Ass. Among names not being considered for the new mascot was EPPY.

Something similar to this?

Littrell should have been gone long before now. What I'm seeing on the field tonight is just horrible. No discipline. No coaching. No care. Just a lot of quit. I'm done. Nothing about this is redeemable. Why won't Wren do his job and fire Littrell. I like Wren, but this is totally unacceptable. Now, I think Wren needs to go too. It is time for new leadership. I can no longer support any of this. If fans on here don;t like this opinion... to bad. I don't care anymore. IT NEEDS TO CHANGE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UTSA and SMU fans arguing on a North Texas site? I already love this

Just my take. 1. Entirely mismanaged the QB situation this year. You have Aune returning that had a pretty good 2020 season. Not great but not terrible. He has had all summer to work with his receivers building rapport and timing. He has quietly bided his time, shared the position last year with Bean who up and left for KU, so his expectation is that the job is his. Ruder shows up via the TP a couple of weeks prior to the beginning of the season and he "earns" the starting position. Here's the issue. All the work Aune put in is gone. The WR's now have to build timing, etc. with Ruder. The worst part is the results and what it has done to the QB's mentally. Ruder was thrown into the fire when he wasn't ready, failed, forced the issue and continued to fail only to get benched. Aune probably felt like the position was given away and all his hard work was wasted which can be tough mentally. Ruder fails, Aune is pressed back in to the starting spot and is a mess. This all falls at the feet of Littrell. The mismanagement of the QB room has ruined two QB's confidence and thus the offense. Plus, if I were Martin or Gilmore, I'm gone. Next year we will be lucky to have Aune or Ruder with Drummond as the backup and I am not sold on him. 2. Entirely mismanaged Bloesch. He should not be calling plays. I understand wanting to hold onto him, but make him AHC/OL but not OC. The play calling is stagnant and the OL has regressed. Another sign of SL's mismanagement. 3. Defense. I don't think Reff was that bad, but he wasn't given much to work with as SL really focused on offense when he arrived. Due to SL's lack of roster management and oversight of the entire program, he was left with no choice but to fire Reff, and then he put zero effort in finding an upgrade and we ended up with Bowen who has spent his career at that defensive juggernaut, KU. In desperation, he lures Bennett out of retirement to fix this mess. This all points to the inability to manage the program. We need a Mack Brown type HC. A great spokesman for the program, builds relationship, knows how to manage the entire program, hires strong coordinators and assistants to do the day to day coaching. SL looks like a coach at a dead end who can't figure out how to turn it around. His postgame quotes reinforce this when he basically says he doesn't know how to fix the problem.

For anyone interested, the 2 SMU boards are very mad and I LOVE IT!!!!

What a woe is me thread. Baylor sucked until they didn't. SMU sucked until they didn't. Houston sucked until they didn't. TCU sucked until they didn't. Like, if your genuine outlook is that UNT can't be successful and forever is a loser because of x,y, and z then I'm not even sure why you're here.

Thank you for the info @Harry and JD. Lots of exciting things on the horizon for the Mean Green Nation for sure. We will instantly be one of the top programs in men’s basketball, women’s soccer & cross country and softball. We belong in a good conference with stable, solid leadership. I agree with Brett that the commissioners were helpless at the last minute, but I can’t recall anything positive Judy McCloud ever did over the years that gave the conference the chance to raise interest and revenue. It won’t bother me in the least to see her go down with the ship, though I really feel for the programs that are getting left behind and some of the really great folks we have met from there over the years. It’s All Good And All Green! Rick

Tell me you know nothing about Texas, without telling me you know nothing about Texas.

CONGRATULATIONS GUYS! So much for the SMU block theory. It’s been zero secret that Sun Belt and USM and Marshall have been talking for months. They’ve got their landing spot. Question is does anyone else in CUSA have a landing spot.

Link to article. Excerpt: It is time for a change at North Texas: Head coach Seth Littrell won nine games in his second and third season in Denton. Since the of the 2018 season, Littrell has won nine of 28 games North Texas has played in. The program isn’t the same without Mason Fine at quarterback and the roster isn’t talented enough to expect a turnaround in 2022. The offense, which is supposed to be Littrell’s forte, struggles to reach 100 yards passing routinely. The only difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball is running back Deandre Torrey. North Texas trailed Marshall 42-7 at home on Friday night in a new low point in his six-year tenure. Ouch! And written by a nUTSAck alum too. The only thing not fair here is the comment about not being talented enough for a turnaround in 2022. I think with the right coaching staff, this is an easy program to turn around. We have great talent on this roster.

I feel the same way. But I am very grateful we have options outside of staying in CUSA.

Yes, I am certain collegiate athletes count you among their fears

Please remember that Wren has done a great job with athletics as a whole. We have a basketball program that is one of the best we have seen. I agree, Seth needs to go, but Wren is going too far.

While your soon to be former commissioner and numerous realignment junkies and bored sports writers have played with maps the last decade plus for what they considered sensible realignment based solely around maps, looks like the presidents and chancellors are solving this themselves. Look at the new AAC. Outside of ECU and Wichita State, it’s a collection of publics and privates in large metro areas. For the most part, institutions with similar missions. Meanwhile, Sun Belt has been in discussion with USM and Marshall for at least three months, maybe more like four from what I hear and if they end up joining as expected, it makes Sun Belt a collection of football centric public universities located in college towns and small cities except for Georgia State. The presidents have sorted themselves out into similar minded schools. That leaves CUSA. You’ve got UTEP roughly 890 miles from their nearest conference opponent in La. Tech. If USM joins Sun Belt as expected that leaves FIU roughly 890 miles away from their nearest CUSA opponent in MTSU. It seems it has worked out well for everyone but the CUSA outliers and schools that have some blemish that keeps them from drawing interest from the Belt or AAC. It’s a great outcome in my book

Hey... Today we are optimist. As a UNT fan I know it feels weird and unnatural. These are good symptoms. If they persist for more than 4 hours though, please consult your doctor

I know this is not official, but I don’t see how you could be a UNT fan and not be excited about this. It’s so much better than where we are now.

Wherever we go ( if we do ) we ditch the C-USA commissioner, which is a good thing...a real good thing.

Please, no. This is a Cajun Dan McCarney.

I’ve followed this program since 1974. Seen some good & bad over those years. I’ve always stayed til the bitter end of games just looking for a glimmer of hope. But last night I left midway through the middle of the 3rd quarter. Right now I don’t know if I’ll muster the energy to go to the Liberty game next Saturday. First time in 47 years I’m questioning myself about attending a game.

Who cares what they want or think. If they don't like it, they can leave.

Uh, we pay ours $2M on a $500k tv deal. I’m sure smu will figure it out.

Who gives a sh!t?

At least a ranked team will finally play at apogee.

Nice interview Harry and JayD. Lots of interesting tidbits, but the MWC not wanting us anymore because of media deal was solid info. I have to wonder if AAC knew that or not and if we still used MWC as a bargaining chip anyways. All’s well that ends well. Also love that he reaffirmed what I’ve been thinking that MWC and AAC are set for years to come. Good times ahead.

LOL. This is beyond preposterous. Rick Hart, the SMU AD, was the largest proponent of adding UNT and Rice. I don't see why SMU would be "afraid" of adding a program like North Texas. There is zero reason for that as proven on the field. The additions of Rice and Charlotte are completely outrageous. The general consensus is that adding six now helps offset the eventual departures of AAC legacy schools in the near term. Either way Rice has shown zero commitment to football and Charlotte plays in a 15,000 seat stadium with an athletic budget akin to a Sun Belt program.

No. But the post-Big 12 departure AAC is an upgrade from the post-AAC departure CUSA.

I've heard from another SMU guy that we are in. If true, congratulations to everyone. And thank you to Wren and the administration for making this happen.

Have fun in the AAC. These are the likely divisions. West: SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, North Texas, Rice, UTSA, NavyEast: USF, FAU, Temple, Memphis, UAB, Charlotte, ECU

Aune isn’t playing well, but I’m sure he’s as upset about that as all of us. He’s not the one getting paid $1.8 million to win football games. Cut him some slack.

Actually even though I bought season tickets I am not going to games this season for the same reason as last, The Virus. At nearly 79 I am one of the old wilder beast that the young lions easily bring down and kill on Nat Geo Wild. Regarding Wren, he was between a rock and a hard place in extending Seth's contract, and the buyout amount is not out of line when comparisons to other programs are made. I expect Baker to hire someone he already knows and trusts, and probably has worked with before.

First 30,000 should bring your own!