Mark Gommesen

Why?

Since a large portion of the funding of bridge came from Federal and State funding, it should be safe to assume that highway expansion plans were considered ...at least I hope so.

Welcome Monarchs http://www.odusports.com/

Wow SMU athletic director Steve Orsini has been fired, effective immediately. Fired effective immediately...waiting to hear the other shoe drop? This could get good.. Do we dare speculate? Did he over promise Larry Brown? Is there something in the Larry Brown contract that administration is unhappy about?

I would hope somewhere prominently on the bridge span would be the words "University of North Texas." It is my limited understanding the team mascot is the Eagle and the nickname is "The Mean Green." We are the North Texas Eagles home of the "Mean Green." http://www.unt.edu/traditions/

But, the Liberty Bowl is not where the National Championship will be played. Good work Harry, this drives home the point that the quality of competition and exposure UNT will receive in the near future. Anyone question that the Apogee attendance will not improve?

The problem is not numbers but exposure. The more media coverage a team receives, the greater the attendance. We live in a media driven world. Yes, more needs to be done to promote UNT and this will happen. But, the key is the UNT must provide the market with a product it wants to buy. Joining the C-USA is a big part of that...higher level of competition...regional rivalries..greater national exposure...and yes MORE TELEVISION COVERAGE.

With the elimination of AQ in the BCS and the fact that the C-USA has expanded into large fast growing media markets, the C-USA could in a few years close the gap with the big east. The Big East is not scheduled to renegotiate it's television contract until September. C-USA needs to immediately negotiate new TV contracts and beat the Big East to the table. C-USA has added a combination of established and emerging programs. Four of the five schools bring a market size ranked among the top 36 in the country and totaling over two million more TV households than the league held this past year. Now that ODU as committed that wll bring an additional 718,750 households, totally close to three million more TV households. Five of the six schools are in the fastest growing media markets. Four of the six schools are media markets without direct competition from other major Universities or Pro teams. After realignment the C-USA increase the number of large media markets in markets and dramatically increase the number of television households. This author of this article misses this entire point; the C-USA has position itself for better long-term growth than any other conference. None of the other conferences have any room for growth, they have already saturated their markets. C-USA was clever enough to expand within it's hold geographical foot print, yet add new large media markets like San Antonio, Charlotte, Miami, and Norfolk and secure itself in the DFW market. The C-USA is located in the fastest geographical region of the country. According to the US Census Bureau, from 2000 to 2010, regional growth was much faster for the South and West (14.3 and 13.8 percent, respectively) than for the Midwest (3.9 percent) and Northeast (3.2 percent). While expanding, the C-USA avoided media markets dominated by the SEC or the ACC. After realignment, the C-USA loss Memphis and Orlando. Neither of which are major media losses. The Tennessee market is relatively small and is being dominated by the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt both of the SEC. Similarly the Florida market is dominated by the ACC and the SEC. The C-USA can offered television networks a conference that includes large rapidly growing media markets with a huge number of television households, in the fastest growing region in the country without offering any direct competition to the network's existing contracts with any of other large conferences. This is fricken brilliant!

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bigten/story/2012-05-16/big-ten-playoff-format-delany/55026242/1 The championship game at a non BCS location any ideas? What major city has two excellent facilities but not a BCS bowl..a City with schools in four different division 1 conferences....any ideas?

I hope this is true. Official announcement probably won't happen until after June 1.

Juco and transfer division 1 athletes can be hard to determine if their rankings by Scout or Rival is relevant. But juco and transfer athletes should not be discounted. Juco and Transfered athletes have and can make major impacts on college programs. Every major college recruits from the junior college. Many athlete began their college careersn not because of their athletic ability but because they cannot meet the NCAA academic standards. Yes, it is a gamble that can have major payoff. Athletes that have started out in Junior College include future Hall of Famer Albert Pujois of the Cardinals, Super Bowl star QB Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, Major League Baseball All Star Evan Longoria of the Rays, the legendary Nolan Ryan, Danielle Adams, MVP of the Women’s Basketball Final Four for National Champion Texas A/M (30 points and 9 rebounds in Title Game win vs Notre Dame), WNBA superstar Sheryl Swoops, several of the key players on the Marquette University men’s basketball team that made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in March, Ben Wallace of the Pistons, and Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers. Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson. Athletes are released and transfer from division 1 programs for reasons other then a lack of ability. Sometimes the system changes and the athlete no longer fits. Best known example is Troy Aikman. After Aikman was injured in 1985 at Oklahoma, Switzer and offensive coordinator Jim Donnan were forced to switch back to the wishbone offense under freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway. The team went on to win the 1985 National Championship. With Holieway established as the starting quarterback at OU, Aikman decided to transfer to UCLA Switzer oversaw Aikman's transfer to UCLA, a program under Terry Donahue that was more conducive to a passing quarterback. He had to redshirt one year due to college transfer rules but went on to lead the Bruins to a 20-4 record over two seasons. Sometimes athletes find themselves in situation where is no room advancement.Cam Newton was initially a member of the Florida Gators and found himself in a backup role to Tim Tebow. He transfered to Blinn College, where his team won a national junior college football championship. Newton was then recruited by head coach Gene Chizik of Auburn University and transferred once more. He became just the third player in major college football history to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season. His performance earned him the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player, and he led Auburn to their second national championship in school history, despite controversy concerning his eligibility. In his NFL debut, Newton became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 400 yards in his NFL regular-season opener, breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record.

Unfortunately, that means SMU would be the host school.

I like Appy State but it is extreme long shot. C-USA is looking for schools in large fast growing media markets.....that ain't Boone, Tennessee NC. http://www.townofboone.com/ Boone is a beautiful town. But, it is located 100 miles Northwest of Charlotte, NC. For reference, Baylor is about 100 miles south of Dallas.

Anyone waiting until 2013 to by season tickets need to realize that 2012 ticket holders will have first shot to renew their tickets in 2013. If you want to make sure to have great tickets for 2013, you really need to buy season tickets now for 2012.

Let's see, C-USA alone will realize $6.63 million apiece from Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston when they leave to join the Big East after the 2013 basketball season, according to C-USA assistant commissioner for public affairs Courtney Morrison-Archer. That will produce a sum of $26,520,000 to be split between the eight remaining members. A two million dollars entrance fee a piece from six new schools (assuming ODU commits) will produce an additional sum of $12,000,000. You think the eight remaining members are going to miss Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston ? Did I hear a cha-ching.

Maybe he's still growing.

http://espn.go.com/m...llege-basketbal http://sports.yahoo....-184948142.html Another good reason why Boise State may want to stay in the MWC. They mayhave no home for their Olympic sports.

54 million reasons why Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston will not be returning to the C-USA. I thought it might be interesting to try to estimate what it might cost Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston to return to the C-USA. Remember, Houston, Southern Methodist, UCF and Memphis have formally withdrawn from the C-USA. The expected financial windfall to the C-USA from departing schools was one the major reasons why the MWC/CUSA merger was postponed. Clearly, the remaining schools will want their money. It is save to assume that Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston have the same exit fee provison in their contracts with the Big East. Each school will have pay at least $5,000,000 a piece. For C-USA to realize the major windfall of $26,520,000, the conference would have to take the postion that these schools have formally exited the conference and are subject to exit fees and forfeitures of other funds. If they wish to once again enter the conference, they would be subject to the conference by-laws requiring a the payment of $2,000,000 fee for new entrants. Total cost for team to return to the C-USA $13.63 million, a grand total of $54.32 million for all four teams.

Thanks Shaft.The six team pod, might be used for scheduling or in anticipation of a MWC merger. Primarily I was thinking of regional media markets. FCC should be UCF.

Happy Birthday...again!

Thanks for the update!

RV's position may exacerbate the apparent "over number of scholarships" problem for women's basketball. http://meangreenblog...ball-notes.html

http://espn.go.com/b...get-interesting Does this mean that John Odoh still could end up at UNT? This what was previously reported . http://meangreenblog...issue-stan.html The issue of John Odoh seems far from over.

We have to remember we are dealing with a very young man. His time at Kansas, might have been a good learning experience.

Well it is big and it is the south... C-USA works too. You're right the the BE probably has a trademark on BS. It was worth a chuckle.