untjim1995

I watched tonight while on Soring Break with the fam…couldn’t really tell how many people we brought to the game. Did we have a good crowd?

If so, what a colossal misjudgment. Deion is a smidge different from Dan Mullen

I’d take Tulsa’s OOC schedule in that same time frame you listed and play it here at UNT every day of the week. Sure, Charlotte may not be much more than us, but they’ve been to a Final Four in their history and used to be a damn good program in the original CUSA.

Tulsa and Charlotte have great histories--they never lack for good teams coming to play them even at their places. And Tulane doesn't have the same success, but people will play them.

I went back to 2020 and ran thru this season, so basically 6 seasons worth of OOC home games to see what the schedules look like for us and San Francisco. I mean, USF has played in the WCC, so I'm not counting games with their conference mates like Gonzaga or St. Mary's. USF has played OOC games in San Francisco against Memphis, Minnesota, Arizona State (twice), Cal, Nevada, and UNLV. In contrast, we have played in OOC games while in CUSA and the AAC, Oregon State who is now in the WCC with USF, and Oklahoma as marquee home games. I mean all I ever read on here is how these big names won't come here to play, but a team whose coach did so well that he is now coaching #4 Florida, from a better league than ours, has still managed to get MUCH better home games for their fans than ours. So, its either their name carries weight with other programs to go and play there and risk losing, which was my original point, or the ADs at UNT are so ridiculously bad at scheduling that we don't even ATTEMPT to really get decent teams here ever. Its hard to fathom that the team that won the CBI, NIT, and a game in the NCAA Tournament within the last decade cannot get decent teams here, while a team like USF that has not done anything as accomplished recently as you mentioned, can still get those teams to visit them.

What we need to do is get to where losing to North Texas is like losing to Utah State or Wichita State, programs whose names aren't looked down upon by fans and media. Gonzaga, St. Mary's, San Francisco, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Wyoming, Temple, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Charlotte, Old Dominion, George Mason, VCU, Richmond, St. Louis, Dayton, Loyola Chicago, and UAB are all examples of programs that Power teams in the Big East, big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC can lose to, and it doesn't ruin their chances at postseason bids. Once you can get a status like that, then you can get games at the Super Pit that can actually help your cause. Assuming, of course, that you have an AD and basketball coach who want those games here.

UNLV AD: We are a premier program and we can be a great power, so we need to hire a top end coach and pay him a huge salary Just a few months later--we need $$$ for a terrible contract we just issued UNLV short on funds to pay football coach Dan Mullen’s full contract | UNLV | Sports

The thing is that our ADs have been putrid, except for Wren Baker. Helwig whored us out for money in every way possible. RV came here and opened up tailgating, but he was terrible at communication, hiring coaches, and scheduling for home games. And he was here for 16 years. Wren was great, which was why he went to WVU. Mosley is back to the normal UNT AD management, which is bare minimum to keep his job...which is staying in budget.

But the university’s leadership has to want that builder and grower.

I think that is a big part of the problem. The administration cares about costs and staying in budget. The AD knows that’s how he’s graded, so he stays within budget. Absolutely no interest from anyone to see a packed house for football and hoops. They already know that the fees are coming from the students, NCAA licensing, and conference revenues.

The media is just an extension of what the alumni and local citizens think about their team. We give them nothing at all to care or cover. And why should they? We are 23-7 and in second place in the AAC with a conference tournament here but the local media knows we won’t have that place even 15% full of fans

Your last paragraph is what has made this entire university so completely lost on donations from alumni. No connection ever made, no connection ever expected, no connection ever acknowledged. It all runs both ways. This place has been a diploma mill for decades because of its location and ease for admittance. So the administration and faculty know the students are always coming, the town knows the students are there, and the students come and go to class and never come back when they’re done.

Unless you only care about bigger donors and have contracts that get extended for staying in budget, like RV had. The sad thing about attendance is that we even have an issue with it. A school this big with this large of an alumni base, in a giant metro area and we can’t sell out the 31k seat football stadium even one time EVER and the 10k seat Super Pit hasn’t seen a crowd of close to capacity in decades. But as someone said, it’s not like the Murchison Center is ever filled to capacity or the Art Department can’t keeP people from seeing an art exhibit or dance performance because too many people are attending. Literally, nobody cares about ANYTHING the university sponsors in any decent number. It’s like the complete 180 degree opposite of A&M, where the brain washing is so strong that these people only wear maroon and khaki and drive maroon cars.

The AD makes a pathetic effort and the school spirit is like an ember that is in need of something to get it burning, but too many people just walk by the pit and won’t even attempt to help.

It's a real question to ponder, but what is it gonna take? I've been told that it would take us being a winner. Then, it was we need to make a postseason tournament. No, we need to have wins in the NCAA Tournament or NIT. We have done all of this. The only times I ever see anyone in Denton show up big time for a game in the Super Pit is for games against power teams from the region (Tech, SMU, OSU, etc...) Otherwise, nobody goes. So they basically go to watch the other team play, whether to see the other team win or get beat. Who is making it so cool for the students and the local citizenry to be apathetic or hate our sports teams STILL in 2025?? I mean, I get that when we were in the SLC, Big West, the SBC, or even CUSA 3.0, people could look down on the situation we were in. But the American is the BEST conference situation we have ever been in for the current NCAA Basketball environment--brand names that have made big runs in the tournament over the years like Memphis, Wichita State, Temple, Tulsa, Charlotte, UAB, and even, now, Florida Atlantic with their recent Final Four run. And we have in-state games still with Rice and UTSA. And all of that equals being THRILLED to have over 4000 in attendance... I'll never understand. And it will not make a lick of sense to me when we see about 500 people in FW for the AAC conference tournament, either. All it does is reinforce to the local media that we are some commuter school that even our alumni and students don't care about. And maybe, in the end, that's the reality that will never change, either.

Kinda interesting to see what the Power Conferences' media is saying about Ross. Mid- and low-major college basketball coaches ready for power conference jobs - ESPN

He's Ben Gooding. Lonnie is Tom McCrackin

Man, I'm so confused right now.

I actually believe the AAC Conference Tournament Champ won't be Memphis. I'd guess that it will us, UAB, or Wichita State. If it's us, it'll be us beating Memphis in the final. From recent history, the semifinal game against UTSA/UAB scares me to death. But if we could win that game, I'd like our chances against Memphis a lot.

This loss was not painful, Lonnie...it didn't hurt anything at all. Just showed that the guys will fight back to the end. Literally, nothing changed from losing this close one.

We got a great chance to make the NCAA Tournament if our team doesn’t crap itself AND we bring a strong crowd to FW. If we can’t support them in this thing. then it’s probably moot anyway to ever see thing matter to anyone beyond this board.

Never easy going to play someone on Senior Day. We are finding that out today.

Never easy going to play someone on Senior Day. We are finding that out today.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The students overwhelmingly don’t care about watching our team play people they don’t care about. Sure, SMU, Tech, Baylor, etc…they show up in Denton and students care. Anyone else? Not so much. It is what it is.

I don’t believe so…