Mark Gerdes

Oh well, I tried. Maybe some will get it. North Texas in the Sun Belt sucked. It will not suck in CUSA. If that offends you then you aren't as smart as I thought. I'll be moving on now. I guess you can never "still be friends" no matter how much you want.

Oh man, you are going to be able to grab some of their recruits. They will be trouble for a while but if you take care of business with the Texas lineup....they are going to suffer some additional erosion in Texas over the long-term. This is truly a pardigm shift in your favor.

First off, don't be so quick to take everything said on the SBC board as sour grapes. When I talk about UNT performance in the SBC it is based on a UNT that was an island. UNT performance in CUSA will be much different because it is no longer an island. Almost two completely different programs. Your performance in the SBC wasn't stellar after the league stabilized and that is no real surprise. Little interest in your area for your opponents, no in-state rivalries. No reason to mention you on sportscasts throughout Texas. Not really a major factor in your area. None of those are the case any longer. I predict that if you step out on top of the UTSA, UTEP, Rice, UNT grouping you are on your way to ECU/USM type situation. Did the SBC lose a whole lot by losing UNT? Not really. Texas State can easily replace the Sun Belt UNT. But what UNT was in the Sun Belt is gone. Not really even related. I've always seen you as a smart and logical fan base and hopefully you can see that this is a win-win-win. It's a win for UNT, its a win for the Sun Belt, and its a win for Texas State. I'm hoping you guys stay the same logical and reasonable fan base I've come to know and don't change into one of those who has to have a dog to kick. If so, I'm really rooting for you.

Your growth has nothing to do with who from the Sun Belt goes with you, or what start-up schools CUSA takes in the east. It has little to do with CUSA at all. Your growth has to do with the grouping of schools you are associating yourself with in Texas....Rice, UTSA, UTEP, UNT. You have an excellent chance to come out on top of that group competitively and if you do that task then you will blow up in Texas and your attendance will be on the road to ECU/USM levels. CUSA can add MTSU, Western Nevada, or Athens Georgia Community College and its not going to effect your opportunity. Dominate those other 3 and you are set. Try not to become elitist though.

I regret losing you. But I think it is time that you get on San Antonio sportscasts. Make it bloody.

I normally have little good to say about schools changing conferences. The whole realignment thing has been out of control, stupid, and done for all the wrong reasons. But out of all the schools changing it is North Texas that I have no bad feelings about. Your choice was done for the right reasons. To bring schools of regional interest into your stadium to increase the enjoyment of your fan base. You've been on an island too long and it will be good to see you part of Texas again. We all know CUSA chose you for your market and other ignorant reasons. But they accidentally are getting a good conference member. They are lucky though a bunch of their fans probably don't know it. You will probably catch some bad vibes from some in the Belt, but you leave the Sun Belt better than it was when you entered and have been a great partner over the years. I will definitely be rooting for you and will be excited to see what happens. I would ask one thing....don't forget where you came from and all your years with us. You know we are still fighting,