1979 - It was my first week in Texas. I grew up on Long Island, and came to NT for the jazz program (duh). In Bruce Hall, Saturday morning, a non-music major came through the hall (B100) asking "Hey, who's going to the football game". Football? I was a baseball fan, really never had followed football, college or pro. I didn't know about the team, Hayden Fry (who had just left), didn't even know there was a stadium. But why not?
We stomped on UTEP 35-0, I heard how great the band was - and the rest is history.
I'm looking at the 1979 schedule - http://www.databasefootball.com/college/teams/teamyear.htm?TeamID=72&Season=1979 - we played UTEP, Southern Miss, LA Tech, and East Carolina! Seems like joining CUSA is like going back home.