the real grad88

Now...as I said, I would feel more assured if they had had the press conference announcing the donors. That is generally the way it is done.

I am really glad to hear this info...that does sound like there are some donor prospects coming on board who are going to get this started. I just don't understand if that is true, why there has been no official press conference? For now, I'll trust that it is going to happen as you say. I certainly hope so...sounds like you have been going on credible info. You are right. I don't think the coaching staff would be allowed to make such comments if they did not know some inside info of what you speak. That is really good news.

I'll tell you what does exist...much inflated gas prices caused by maximum demand because of overconsumption and waist by a soon-to-be-second rate nation who once was mighty. Why? Because we would not take the littlest of steps to make needed changes to lessen dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels. Many small steps add up to big steps. Same priniciple as counting your pennies, eh? Have I hyjacked my own thread?

Well, I'm just going to buy TWO family packs so that I can bring a bunch of friends with their kids and feed 'em at the game! One check, one time and the most bang for the buck! Ain't nobody getting access to my checking account!

Thank you...it's the same reason car manufactures have gotten smart and started financing that covers 72 months! $350/month SOUNDS a lot better than $600/month. More people buy cars as a result. The same is true of season tickets and giving...do what works.

"It can. I just don't like the idea of the government legislating common sense." No...I'm afraid that common sense NEVER rules when EGO is involved. Pride always comes before a fall. We are all losing because of pride.

Well I am ready for govt intervention if it is the only thing that is going to make common sense changes. I'll use the junior college I work for as an example. Paris Junior College doesn't try to play a community college in california! The junior colleges have gotten together for the sake of saving money and have formed tightly-knit regional conferences. It's works very well. There is not a good reason on earth that universities should not be required to do the same thing.

I'll reply to my own thread! I wish someone with the time would calculate the money and energy savings with regional conferences. Then maybe we could start a legislative lobbying campaign! It's just one small step, but bigger than most people think. With all of the athletic teams in a given school (not just football) making trips across country, it adds up in a hurry...especially multiplied across all colleges in the nation. We're probably talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of waist. It's like the idea that I heard one politician talk about...requiring all towns of 25,000 and above to have bike lanes along all major boulevards in order to encourage people to ride bikes instead of drive...lots and lots of small steps turn into BIG results. Why can't common sense rule?

I don't think I have ever seen this topic on here. Please noone hijack this thread...it's not about whether global warming is man made or not...I want to talk about conference alignment related to this issue. The point is: I am surprised that there hasn't been any efforts from all levels of govt...federal to state to local...to try and pressure colleges to align themselves regionally, so as to reduce travel as much as possible. It's not just a global warming issue, it's also an energy-dependency issue. For all of the talk among many politicians about it, you would think that concrete steps would be suggested...such as this one. How much money and energy is waisted on crossing the country in jets and buses when perfectly good opponents are in the same region? Pro sports are different, they are privately owned. But most colleges are publically financed. I just think it really is a big issue to have school like SMU playing in the Northeast and North Texas playing in Florida, when it could all be avoided with common sense. Let each region's schools get together and make it happen. Legislative action is the only thing that is going to make such needed changes. It's the only thing that will make people lay their egos down.

All in all I think it is a great schedule. We've got Navy at home...that's really going to be exciting. SMU is well...SMU. Doesn't get any better than that. Our money games are close enough to travel for a lot of fans. I see no negatives. Let's pack 'em. I would especially love to see us have as many fans at SMU as the Ponies!

I would like to see us get real creative with our scheduling. Is there a way to lure an OSU to play in Denton? Can we structure the contract to get OSU's interested? I think it would be worth our while, even if they get more than they should get.

"I know I may be in the minority on this, too, but UNT should get that 40,000 seat football palace built ASAP and push like hell to become TCU's travel partner in the Mountain West Conference" I would not be opposed to this in the least. I do think that could be a possibility, if we keep building our program. On attendance last night...I agree with the above comment. It is so sad that basketball has fallen so much in attendance. We also had much better attendance in the 80s during the playoffs...remember Tony Worrell (sp) and company. We had 4000-5000 fans at several of those playoff games....mosty students. Where are the students for basketball?

Attendance was also A LOT better in the 80s. When we were in the playoffs, we had 4000-5000 in attendance.

I think we are going to need to score a lot of points. We have good talent in the defensive line but not enough depth for a solid rotation in order to keep fresh legs in there. I hope we do a lot of recruiting in this area in the coming years. One thing about Dickey is that he did recruit the defensive tackle position heavily such that we had a good rotation of players. That position is the key to having a GREAT defense and to being able to shut teams down. When the game is close and I look out on the field and see the Defensive Line huffing and puffing, I know we are in trouble. When you see a fresh DL, you know you have got steam to finish the job off. We ain't got it this year, but I am hoping we build that. With all of that said, we can still win with Dodge's offense!

A this and that post...to the idea that Baylor might be better off in another league...no way. Just being able to advertise in student recruiting that you compete in the BigXII is a HUGE drawing card. That's the reason all the SWC doormats were so depressed in being kicked out of the SWC. Even though they only won 1 out of 10 years, the publicity was worth it to them. On CUSA...I think it is only a matter of time before that league reorganizes again. It's just not a powerful enough league to justify all the travel and lack of familiarity (sp) with opponents for very long. I know that the WAC idea was the same deal...though I was for it as a temporary landing spot to build our program, it too would have been too far flung. I would not be surpised if that reorganization didn't happen sooner rather than later. Let Memphis go to where they really want to be and regionalize the leftovers with the SBC players that are ready to make the jump. Then you have a viable conference that will be stable for a very long time.

I for one think we have an excellent chance at winning the SBC this year and going to the NO Bowl. I think we have a lot of talent, and I think Dodge is going to bring a lot of excitement to a team that was deflated last year. I think his new offensive philosophy is going to do a lot for this team. I won't be devastated if we don't make it his first year, but I certainly won't be suprised if we do.

Yes, we would use such a large donation for such a "study". This feasibility study is very involved and is actually the first step in fundraising for any kind of campaign. This involves a lot of donor research to find the prospects who might be interested in helping UNT...and to determine who actually has the means to help UNT with this size of project. Then, it involves a ton of leg work and pounding the pavement to get meetings with all of these folks to discuss their interest in such a stadium. It is not just a "study of data" or anything like that, but a study of all of the consituents of UNT who have the capability to get this thing going...to see if they have the WILL to get this thing going. If after reviewing the results it is seen that there is support, then UNT will begin the campaign. These feasibility studies take a long time in themselves...up to a year or more. It was wise for RV to hire a firm like this to do it. He and the Dev Officers he has don't have enough time to get it done by themselves. It is very expensive just to do this kind of study...and thus the large donation going to fund it.

No offense taken whatsoever. You would find me to be a very upbeat and affirming person...and I do hope that I am a good minister. While I am a very positive person and very high on UNT and greatly DESIRE a new stadium, my experience in fundraising somewhat clouds my view on the new stadium deal. I know how incredibly difficult it is to raise BIG money at UNT. Getting $10,000 donations for scholarships...which UNT is getting a lot of now...is a world of difference from getting a $15-20 million dollar donation to jump start a stadium campaign. If UNT ever turns that fundraising corner, we will be on our way to a very bright future in a great many respects-even above and beyond athletics. We can all only hope. I agree with FFR...I am happy that someone(s) is working on it and that something is actually in the works...no matter how long it takes. Who knows, we could break the top 25 with Dodge ball and bring donors out of the wood work of the likes we have never seen before. I am hopeful in the midst of being realistic.

I wish we could do another game in Dallas against an A&M or UT or even OU. We can count that as home attendance. I think that Dallas game against A&M a few years ago was a great game and atmosphere.

To answer your question. I was in the Development office 5 years ago. I only left because an opportunity came for me to be in the ministry, which I have been doing ever since...and I am still raising money!

Come on Grey Eagle One...let's not get personal. I am not a fake. Are you? You misqoute me. I never said that the project was 10 years out. The jist of what I said is that there is no real time table until you have the big donor(s) to jump start the project. It COULD BE tomorrow...and it could be 10 years...however long it takes to find that big daddy donor. When that happens, we will all know about it I can assure you. I know UNT has come a long way. To get a 1.5 million dollar donor toward the stadium truly is a big deal...and I know that RV is looking under every bush to find a bunch more like him....and it WILL TAKE A BUNCH more like him. I credit RV with following through with a vision when many in development said that it would never happen. I have always respected RV for that. The man has vision and drive. My point is that until we have the big press conference of the bid daddy donor who can truly kick start this campaign, it ain't really started yet. We just need to give it time. RV might just get it done in 5 years...along with a bunch of winning by Dodge ball!

Sorry, if I continue to put forward my input on this from my fundraising experience. I know it is a lot more fun to just sit around and talk about wishes and dreams. I like to do that too. Right now, the stadium is a dream folks. So let's dream big and have fun with it. I am all for a 40K seat stadium. I'm for anything that gets rid of FOUTS. I'm for RV pushing for a stadium fee just to get it done. As I have said before, UNT has NEVER received a donation of the size needed to kickstart this project...not anywhere close...for any campaign on campus. That is a fact. Going around talking about how we will have a stadium in 5 years is misguided unless we have the donor on board to make it happen. Either we are misguided or there is a donor. If the donor is there, then GO PUBLIC. If the donor is not there, then quit talking all of this stadium stuff, because it won't happen without it. To keep TALKING about it without a real donor is bad pub. It makes us look like idiots.

The REALITY is that a big donor could walk into RVs office tomorrow with a $15 million dollar check and say, "start your campaign"...or we could be 10 years away. Until I see an announcement of that kind of donor, in my mind there is no new stadium. If you had worked in fundraising, you would understand. The main thing we need now is just to fill the dang stadium we got! Then, everything will take care of itself.

"He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand." Of course it is not a rumor...they ARE pushing for a football stadium CAMPAIGN. The campaign hasn't started yet. The feasibility study hasn't even been done yet...thus we don't know what is feasible to shoot for! If the results are that we don't have the donor potential to build a stadium at this point, we won't even start a campaign. If there is the support to build a stadium, then the question becomes, how much can we afford with the support that the feasibility study showed we would have. From everything I have read, I think we are still a LONG way out. Sorry, but reality is what we must deal with.

Dang right! It's not only the best hamburger, but the homestyle fries and beans are really something. There is no place like the Denton Hamburger Co. Every time I visit Denton, I have to go back there. I'll starve myself all day for it. It used to be a tradition on Saturdays, when I lived in Denton, to go eat there at lunch on game day.