GrayEagle

I could write all night on this subject and still not answer many of the things that have been discussed. I sort of have a dog in the fight because my oldest daughter is on the staff at SMU and her daughter goes to TCU. My daughter's late father-in-law was an SMU grad and one of the finest men that I've ever known. I'm also a Methodist. Some of my very best friends are SMU grads. With all of that I still can't stand SMU. I would be willing to forgive (but not forget) but the continued vitriol from their pompous excuse for fans will probably never allow that to happen. Most of the comments about SMU and keeping us out of the SWC are true. We had the support of Darrel Royal and still couldn't pull it off. True, there was never a vote taken but I think that we saw the handwriting on the wall when Frank Broyles was against us. Arkansas was the only outsider and he didn't want another Texas school to deal with. The difference between our treatment of SMU and TCU is that (too) many SMU fans are rude and disrespectful of us. TCU simply ignores us. It's hard to be vindictive toward anyone who says little, good or bad, about you.

First, let me say this...I'd prefer to be in a conference with Tulsa over anyone else that that is not a current (or soon to be) AQ member. They always have good competitive football and basketball and are only a couple of hundred miles away. Win...win for us. It worked out well the last time that we were in a conference with them and should happen again. As to Tramel's conference, I'd add Rice and drop Louisiana-Monroe. Louisiana Tech would likely insist on that anyway and Louisiana-Lafayette could finally be referred to as just Louisiana. Those teams...Tulsa, Southern Miss, North Texas, Rice, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Tulane, Texas State, UTSA and Arkansas State would form a rather compact ten-team conference where each member is within a day's drive of each other. Each team should be capable of averaging at least 20,000 attendance for a starter. The downside would be the waiting period for AQ in basketball. I'm beginning to warm to this idea better than the coast to coast to coast conference even if we should be included. Okay, who is going to champion this league?

It's hard to take a lot from this workout data. I'm sure there's a lot we don't know such as whether the player is working through an injury and how serious the injury was. Even no-shows could be due to a class, test or project and may not be the norm for that person. It's better to pass a test than to miss one workout but of course the player should ask for permission to be excused. Also, some don't need stiff workouts if they're just maintaining fitness. Overall it seems to be a good indicator though of those really buying into Coach Wentrich's program. I think that he'll be a difference-maker and that these stronger, faster players will have fewer injuries.

If you will scroll down to Navarro College you will find the name of Terell Brooks. That may explain why he left North Texas early.

Why would you say that? It has been said that a major factor is the TV contract and the loss of a medium/major market would only call for a reduction in the contract plus you have the loss of a major basketball attraction. While there are no star power replacements there are some large markets that could be made available.

I hope that we do have to play two non-AQ opponents on the road because that will mean that one of them is a return game for an appearance at Apogee. LSU is the money game and K-State is returning the final game at Fouts. Houston is the return for the opener at Apogee. All are understandable but we didn't want them to hit in the same year. The buyout for the LSU game is upward of a million dollars as I understand and we can't afford that. Houston is our best chance for change. I think what RV was referring to was there won't be two "money" games in the same year. Those are where we are paid a million dollars or so and receive no return game.

MARCH 28

It looks as if that figure can at least be maintained. Basketball has been exciting this year but not having Mitchell the fall semester and not having Jones and Williams the spring semester will hurt overall attendance averages. We also sink a little bit during the Christmas holidays when we seem to have three or four home games when students are out of school. Next year, if we have all three plus Franklin, Alzee, etc. and careful scheduling we should have 6-8,000 for most games.

We've seen that Andrew Tucker and Dylan McDorman have faxed their Letters of Intent and plan to enroll in the spring semester of next year. Has Christian Hines also submitted his LOI? If so, why has it not been publicized?

No, UTA and Arlington haven't passed us by...yet. If they pull this off the score will be 1-1. When UTA had football the people of Arlington didn't support them nor did they support basketball on the stage. I hope that they'll come to the university's nice new sports arena but I'll believe that when I see it. The only time that Denton supported North Texas in recent years was the time that the Chamber of Commerce got behind the Baylor game and nearly filled Fouts. I'd like to see something similar as an annual event. TFLF does have a point regarding how UNT is perceived in the eyes of some many. The university needs a campaign to show that the hippie life is but a small subculture of the University of North Texas. Highlight the emerging research program, TAMS, service to the community and athletics as more mainstream facets of the university that can positively affect the city of Denton. Denton is an enigma. A large part of the attraction for Denton is because it is a college town yet it turns around and bites the hand that feeds it. They use the excuse that they have two universities and they have to support them both; yet they wind up giving little support to either.

While I did not attend the signing day event I am told that the 2012 schedule was talked about and that we are committed to travel to Houston next year. I realize that we owe them a game but I was hoping that it could be put off for a year or two. They already have two OOC home games scheduled for next year (Louisiana Tech and Texas State) so I don't see the necessity on their part for a return game next year. If they insist then so be it but if we've ever pleaded a case then we need to get on bended knee to Houston. I can live with the Texas Southern game but it would be a lot more palatable if it were not the only out-of-conference home game. If somehow Houston should let us off of the hook for next year my number one choice for a second OOC home game would be Iowa State. They already have two non-conference home games and maybe a date could be worked out. With our coaching staff's connections to ISU I'd hope that would give us some priority. If not, Kansas may be available. Clint Bowen needs to put in a good word for us (if needed). We still need an out-of-conference home game in 2013 but at least there is an opening. In 2014 we won't be so lucky unless by some chance we happen to be in the same conference with Tulsa. Otherwise, they would become the third OOC away game and we would have this same process to repeat. The problem with scheduling Houston is that we have two away games scheduled each year for the next five or so years and the schedule must be reworked to accommodate the Cougars. So if we have to travel to Houston next year we'll have to bite the bullet. Yes, the schedule will be ugly but absolutely necessary. Each one of us is going to double our efforts to attend every home game and still try to encourage others to do the same. Hopefully, we won't allow ourselves to be in this predicament again.

Rudy, I must tell you bud, that I've seen a lot of ratings and I don't ever recall that happening. Now the opposite may be true. I certainly have seen their ratings raised because of who they committed to. Sometimes I feel though that they go back and review their data/film because they respect the coach (not necessarily the team) that offered. Rivals is especially bad about that. It seems that they give a rating before they have all of the facts. Other times I believe the ratings are raised because of the number and quality of the offers. A main reason why we rated rather low this year was due to losing some pretty good quality in LaFrance, Tucker, and McDormin. The latter two may enroll in the spring of 2013 but don't take that to the bank. As this staff's recruiting becomes a little more mainstream and respected, our ratings should improve.

One small correction to Vito's article...East Ascension High is in Gonzales, Louisiana not Houma.

Feeley is our second most experienced lineman. If he can play tackle, he should be considered our starter until someone unseats him. I don't know how well Cam Feldt plays. I do know that he was a highly-rated all-state lineman in high school. The only time I've seen him in action was in a circle drill and he easily won that contest. He supposedly had some ridiculous percentage of pancake blocks in high school. I don't know whether that translates to a starting position or not but we'll see. One question. If he knows that he's not highly thought of by this coaching staff then why would he sell his brother on coming here?

Of course there are exceptional players from smaller schools. There always have been and there always will be. But check the signings of the FBS teams and see how many are from 5A and 4A schools and how many are from the smaller schools. Not every favorite wins a horse race but those with the lowest odds usually have the best finishes. Mostly, if you can excel against tougher competition you have a better chance to move to the next level. Fellows, we got our hats handed to us this recruiting season unless the recruiting staff knows something that others don't. Given their experience they probably did uncover some hidden jewels but mostly I think that they are going to have to "coach up" what they have. Unlike their predecessors I believe that the McCarney staff can do it. Regardless, the talent in this recruiting does not rate a 'B'.

Outside of Vito's blog have you seen anything on Christian Hines?...anything???

Jefferson County born, I have pulled for Micah since he came to North Texas. Glad to see him succeed and I wish him well. I'm sure that this is just another of the many successes that will come his way. Congratulations, Micah!

I'm not totally convinced that there couldn't be both. Sixteen teams involved in a playoff and and bowl games for the "best of the rest." Only seven wins or better for the bowls.

I doubt that the 22 number is carved in stone. That's the number that was in the two combined/projected leagues. The number could be anywhere from 18 to 24. The final number may very well depend on the TV contract. I expect that old contracts for the two conferences will be cancelled because of the changes in membership. The conference may last for only the length of the contract. However, the old Southern Conference had 23 teams for a period of four years and eighteen for ten years and they did that without television to hold them together. When it does decide to split it would likely be similar to the east and west divisions of the allied conference so there would be little lost by the breakup. I don't believe that the SBC will surpass them during that time. I have some ideas about the makeup of the conference dependent upon the number of teams agreed upon. I do not believe that UTSA will be a part of the alliance. It would be unprecedented to select a team that has two more years to reach fully-accreditable FBS status. The Sun Belt Conference seems more suited for now. I must say though, I didn't believe that South Florida would have been chosen for the Big East when they were. In these wacky NCAA years anything can happen.

Normally, I'm with you on letting the free market decide but not when the deck is stacked. The BCS is the one that benefits from allowing 6-6 teams to go to bowls. Of the 13 teams with 6-6 records that went to bowls this past year, 11 were from the BCS, several playing teams also with .500 records. And, as you know, cinderella Western Kentucky sat at home with a 7-win season. I realize that some 7-5 teams cannot travel as many fans as BCS 6-6 teams but they should be given a chance to build their fan base. Give them less of the payout to compensate for the tickets that they couldn't sell but reward their players and their school for an exemplary season. I would hope that the NCAA sees fit to raise the standard to 7-5 with the only exception given to a conference champion.

While many factors are involved the most important this time is TV market. The big money for the conference comes from television rights so it's important that the conference cover as many viewers as possible. No team carries a major market. Even the leader doesn't dominate because some college football fans will watch multiple teams, especially if that conference is represented in the area. Some teams that have the most alumni in the market are not the leader because of being in a weaker league or not having had a strong program. But if they do catch fire it's better in a populous market than a small market. As an example, envision what Southern Miss could be in the DFW or Atlanta markets. I think that they would have been a target for SEC expansion had they been in a larger market. It's just better to have 10% of a million than 100% of ten thousand. In this expansion there isn't a 'gotta have' program so advertisers cover the largest markets and hope that the team in that market has success. A team advancing in conference quality should usually pick up many more viewers; especially if the market is a hotbed of college football. The larger the market, the better sell to a television advertiser.

Actually, we could start now if we wanted to because D.Q. Johnson will be the only recruit that will be able to participate in spring practice.

1. I didn't see any "inside" quotes but with a little trouble I can find a quote about there being 20-24 teams. 2. Last year they had Boise and San Diego State and hadn't settled on how the alliance is to be structured. 3. The Big East is looking at Temple but there are two problems with that. One is that Villanova is blocking Temple because Temple holds the college stadium rights to Lincoln Financial Field and won't allow Villanova to play there. It's the only place in the area large enough for the Big East other than Franklin Field and Penn hasn't allowed other college teams to use their stadium either. The second reason is that there are no vacancies in the Big East. And, as you said about San Jose State, they had a chance to take Temple when they chose San Diego State. San Jose State has far more TV households than the Utags. They are nearly twice the size of Utah State. SJSU is more accessible than Logan. On my list of all-time prestige franchises (actually it's the average of five computer lists) San Jose is #86; Utah State is #92. Romney Stadium only holds 25,500. While 30,000 is no longer the criteria for FBS membership the Mountain West hasn't taken a member with less. They are virtually dead even on revenue and attendance. This time out people watching TV is more important assuming that other items are near equal. San Jose State was admitted to the WAC before Utah State because they had more to offer then and they do now.

After wrestling with a lot of figures I will make the following prediction for the merged conference: There will be 20 all-sports teams (possibly expanded to 24 in the near future. There will be two football and ten basketball games with teams from the other division. West Hawaii Fresno State San Jose State Nevada UNLV Wyoming Colorado State Air Force New Mexico UTEP East Tulsa North Texas Rice Memphis Tulane Southern Miss UAB East Carolina Marshall Temple The above adds the #s 4, 5, and 6 TV markets to the existing teams, giving the conference a much larger bargaining chip in their television negotiations. Not only that but the three additions are very large universities with hundreds of thousand alumni each.

I rechecked the ranking sources and found a couple missing. Neither Sam Rice nor Christian Hines show commitments to North Texas. In the case of Rice, he doesn't even list us as an interest team. Hines isn't listed on 247, Scout, ESPN or Rivals period. The two newest commitments aren't listed either but they are relatively new and should show up soon.