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Thoughts of new OC Graham Harrell "What Graham's brought is, he's brought a different energy about him. He's confident without being arrogant. He's extremely humble. It helps that he was a great player in this league and I think that gets the players attention on your current roster, but also in recruiting. He's had great success, not only at USC, but at North Texas as well. He's been able to have success with different types of players in different types of offenses. And so, I'm excited with what he can bring. He's been a great staff member. He's got a great feel on game day and so that's something that I think it's gonna be a huge positive not only for our players but for me, having a great feel on game day." read more: https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/football/quick-hits-everything-neal-brown-said-at-big-12-media-days

DENTON - The UNT swimming and diving program welcomed eight new additions in the 2022 class, all of whom will help the program transition into The American this upcoming season. Emily Ally, Greensboro, North Carolina Ally was a member of Greensboro Community YMCA swimming and swam for Page High School in Greensboro, where she was a fourth-place finisher at the 2020 North Carolina state championship in the 50 freestyle and was a Scholastic All-American in 2020-21. She still holds many of the relay records for the program. She was a YMCA Nationals Winter Juniors qualifier and a Futures qualifier. She plans to major in either mechanical or biomedical engineering and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society and graduated Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because after my first steps on campus I knew that this is where I wanted to make an impact in the community. I felt so welcomed by everyone and knew that everyone at UNT only wants the best for me and my future endeavors." Daciana Colon, Denver, Colorado Colon was a member of the Denver Swim Academy and swam for Valor Christian High School, where she was a four-year academic all-league selection, a team captain and two-time league record holder in the 200 medley relay, winning the league championship as a junior. Won the league championship in the 100 backstroke as a senior and qualified for the state championship all four years. She will pursue a business degree after graduating Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "Because it felt like a home when I went on the official visit and the girls on the team made me feel very welcomed." Kennedy Eichler, Litchfield Park, Arizona Eichler was a member of the Phoenix Swim Club and swam for Verrado High School. She was the team MVP as a freshman and was four-time state qualifier in Arizona. She is transferring from Northern Colorado. On why she chose UNT, "I chose to transfer to UNT after my first visit to the school. I was very impressed with the swim and dive program and all they have to offer. The best part of the visit was when I got to meet the girls I will be swimming with, and I felt right at home. I knew UNT was right for me." Morgan Maronie, Saint Petersburg, Florida Maronie was a member of Saint Petersburg Diving Club and dove for Northeast High School where she qualified for the finals at the Florida state championship as a sophomore and finished fifth as a junior. She plans to major in accounting and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Future Business Leaders of America. On why she chose UNT, "I like the program for business and the location of the school. For diving, I knew the coach before coming on my visit and already had an idea of her coaching style, and I loved the environment when I came for my visit." Noelle Marsh, Magnolia, Texas Marsh was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Kailey Turner and is planning to pursue a degree in Fashion Merchandising. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because of the team atmosphere and the strong academics." Izangely Ruiz, Hillsboro, Tennessee Ruiz was a member of the Middle Tennessee Swim Club and was a Tennessee high school state championship qualifier, as well as a futures qualifier in club swimming. She plans to pursue a computer science degree and compiled a 4.0 GPA in high school as a member of the National Tech Honors Society. On why she chose UNT, "I saw a great opportunity to become better as a student-athlete with great coaches and teammates. The school, overall, is a great environment to be in for the next four years." Kailey Turner, Magnolia, Texas Turner was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Noelle Marsh. She was named first-team All-State in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle. In 2021, she also garnered Girls Athlete of the Week honors from the Houston Chronicle. In club, she was a futures qualifier and her 800 freestyle relay team finished third at Futures in 2021. She was also a four-time sectionals qualifier and a 2020 Winter Juniors qualifier in four events. She plans to major in communications and was a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Spanish Honor Society. On why she chose UNT, "When I came on the visit, the coaches were so welcoming and they made me feel like I was going to be more than just a number on the team. I also chose UNT because of the amazing post-graduate opportunities that were offered." Gabi Somoza, Atlanta, Georgia As a member of the Atlanta Diving Association and the Forsyth Central High School diving team, Somoza broke two school records, was the team MVP, Captain's Award winner and the Rookie of the Year. She plans to major in Kinesiology and was an Honor Roll student in high school while earning a Scholar Athlete Award and the Georgia Positive Athlete Award. On why she chose UNT, "The environment seemed really good, and coach [O'Callaghan] seems like a great coach. I think UNT will help me grow and be able to achieve more in life."

(This is the second in a series previewing the Group of 5 conferences based on their O/U win totals, as provided by Draftkings. For the AAC Preview, click here.) With all the talk of realignment, college football is going to look at lot different in the future. But in Conference USA, the future is now. Gone are Marshall and Old Dominion, choosing to take their talents to the Sun Belt. Leaving for the AAC after this year are UTSA, UAB, Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, FAU. Arriving after this year are Liberty, New Mexico St., Jacksonville St. and Sam Houston St. Got all that? There are a lot of questions that can be asked that will make this last season of C-USA as we know it interesting? What will UTSA do for an encore? What will UAB look like without Bill Clark at the helm? Can Western Kentucky’s offense come close to producing at the level they did last year? Will there be any bad blood between the teams leaving and the teams left behind? The answers will reveal themselves over time, but as for now, here’s how I would bet these teams (based on lines provided by DraftKings as of July 10). North Texas (O/U 6.5) – On October 23, 2021, the Mean Green were 1-6, with only a season opening win against Northwestern St. on their resume. Seth Littrell was possibly coaching for his life heading into a game against Rice. But to quote Michael Scott, my how the turntables have turned. North Texas beat the Owls in overtime, and at that point, everything clicked. They won the rest of their regular season games, including crushing the dreams of Roadrunner Nation by ending UTSA’s undefeated season. That was enough to make the AAC, a conference they will be joining in 2023, take notice. They did all this behind the #5 rushing attack in the nation and steady if not unspectacular quarterback play by Austin Aune. Whether it was a timely hot streak or the start of something sustainable could be answered Week Zero, when they open the season with a conference game at UTEP. Honestly, I tend to think it was the former. Taking a closer look at the Mean Green, while they will still have a formidable rushing attack, they do lose 1,200-yard rusher DeAndre Torrey, their entire front four and every safety who started last year. And while Aune was the man to right the ship behind center, he still finished with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 9 games. He has to cut down on turnovers. The schedule is more than tricky. The first five games contains only one gimme (against Texas Southern) and four games that could swing either way (at UTEP, SMU, at UNLV, at Memphis). In fact, the Mean Green also plays UTSA, UAB and Western Kentucky all on the road. Expecting a 7-5 record with that schedule is asking a lot. Take the Under. read more: https://thewalkonredshirts.com/2022/07/11/predicting-the-futures-conference-usa/

Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, has partnered with the University of North Texas to design, manufacture and install a new LED video display and audio system at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas. The system was installed early in 2022 and is currently enhancing the game-day experience for the Mean Green. “We are always pleased to work with Daktronics on projects like this, and the new video board at Lovelace Stadium surpassed our expectations in its first season,” UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “The addition of the video board added tremendously to our fan and student-athlete experience this year, and we look forward to continuing to invest in our softball facilities in the future.” read more: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/07/10/improved-audiovisual-experience-delivered-to-north-texas-softball-from-daktronics/

DENTON, Texas – Lysette Rivera-Cortes has been named the strength and conditioning coach for the North Texas women’s basketball team, Jalie Mitchell announced on Wednesday. “Lysette comes to UNT highly recommended, and ready to leave her mark”, Mitchell said. “I can't wait for her to lead our young women in strength and conditioning work, preparing them for what's to come. Her mindset and drive are unmatched, and what attracted us in the hiring process. She will join us in doing whatever it takes to continue soaring to new heights!” Rivera-Cortes was with Bucknell’s strength and conditioning staff for two seasons where she worked with eight different sports. Prior to Bucknell, she was at Georgia Southern University, where she had been serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. At GSU, Rivera-Cortes worked with the men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, and cheerleading teams. She instructed student-athletes in proper execution of Olympic and powerlifting movements, plyometric drills, sprint mechanics and other techniques. She was also responsible for creating individualized nutrition programs to optimize athletic performance and recovery. Rivera-Cortes is a 2019 graduate of Old Dominion University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. In August 2020, she completed a master's degree in exercise science from ODU, and she also worked with the Monarchs' women's volleyball, women's basketball and swimming and diving teams as a graduate assistant. Rivera-Cortes is a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). She has completed USA Weightlifting Level One (USAW-1) certification. She is also a certified nutrition coach (PN-1) and a registered yoga teacher (200 Hr-RYT). QUOTING STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH RIVERA-CORTES “I’m thrilled to be joining the Mean Green and working alongside coach Mitchell. North Texas is a phenomenal opportunity. I admire UNT’s emphasis on developing the best overall student-athlete to help them succeed on the court and in life. I’m super excited to make a positive impact on this program and in Denton.”

https://meangreensports.com/honors/north-texas-athletics-hall-of-fame

The Big 12 is involved in deep discussions to add multiple Pac-12 programs as a way to shore up its membership in the wake of the USC and UCLA defection to the Big Ten, sources tell CBS Sports. At least four teams are being considered with the potential for the Big 12 to add more as realignment continues to shake out. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah were mentioned specifically as the teams being targeted by the Big 12, sources tell CBS Sports. There is also consideration of adding Oregon and Washington to make the Big 12 an 18-team league, the largest in the FBS. A merger of the Big 12 and Pac-12, in some form, is also a possibility. "Everything is on the table," said one Big 12 source. There is "no question" the Big 12 has to be aggressive in expansion, another conference source said. Despite the Big 12's attempts, the Pac-12 released a statement Monday saying it would immediately begin negotiations on its next TV contract, intending to go forward with at least its 10 remaining members. There is a possibility more could be added to the mix, according to a Pac-12 source. The Pac-12's current deal expires in 2024 read more: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-12-in-deep-discussions-to-add-up-to-six-pac-12-teams-after-usc-ucla-defections-to-big-ten/

Zac Babb and Hank Dickenson debut #GMGCast with former Mean Green men's basketball players JJ Murray and DJ Draper, discussing their The Basketball Tournament team "Bleed Green." Zac and Hank walk through JJ and DJ's journeys from walk-ons with the men's basketball program to key contributors on championship-winning teams. They break down everything that goes into creating a TBT team and how Mean Green fans can support Bleed Green as they gear up for their first game on July 22nd. That's followed by a brief trip down the corridor of years in a segment called Babbling with Hank, where Zac and Hank talk about the 1995 North Texas football season and the infamous "Schedule from Hell" the Mean Green had to play in their return to the FBS ranks. 0:00 - Podcast introductions 2:08 - DJ Draper & JJ Murray Intros 4:35 - DJ & JJ's early days at UNT 7:02 - Bleed Green TBT Overview 8:47 - Beginnings of TBT team 10:00 - Bleed Green roster 14:02 - Benefits of TBT exposure 15:09 - Unique rules to TBT games 17:51 - How to help support Bleed Green 19:56 - Bleed Green coaching staff 28:16 - "Babbling with Hank," the 1995 UNT football team LINK TO PODCAST: https://meangreensports.com/podcasts/-gmgcast-jj-murray-and-dj-draper/77

Time flies like a football for the Drummond family! Youngest son Todd Drummond, who turned 18 in early June, just made one of the biggest decisions of his life — he's decided on a college football career at the University of South Dakota. He announced in a tweet, tagging the South Dakota Coyotes football team, that he's committed his football prowess to the powerhouse team. Todd has been the quarterback for his Pawhuska, Ohio football team since his brother Bryce Drummond went off to play for North Texas. Though Bryce was a quarterback in high school, he's changed his position to linebacker for North Texas. The South Dakota Coyotes are an NCAA Division 1 team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (per 247Sports). Todd will start his first season for South Dakota in the fall of 2023 under head coach Bob Nielson. Read More: https://www.mashed.com/912365/ree-drummonds-son-todd-just-made-a-major-decision/?utm_campaign=clip

EL PASO, Texas - UTEP has finalized its 2022 football promotional schedule. The Miners will kick off the 2022 campaign on “915 Night” versus North Texas on Aug. 27. UTEP is seeking its first capacity crowd in the stadium in 14 years for the “Sun Bowl Sellout” game against the Mean Green. To date, over 30,000 tickets have been issued for the matchup against North Texas in the 45,971-seat venue. “We are so thankful to everyone that has gotten on board with our ‘915’ Campaign and purchased a ticket to the ‘Sun Bowl Sellout’ game against North Texas,” UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter said. “To be over 65 percent of the way to capacity at this point is just amazing! It’s going to be an electric atmosphere and we’re excited about making the Sun Bowl the place to be on Aug. 27.” UTEP football season tickets, starting at just $65, are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets to the North Texas game for just $9.15 by scanning a QR code at GECU and Jack in the Box locations. Three-game mini plans that include the North Texas game will go on sale July 1, starting at $36. Family four-packs will be available for the Miners’ games versus North Texas, Middle Tennessee and FIU beginning on July 19. The family four-pack for the North Texas game is just $58 (a $110 value) and includes four sideline tickets, four regular hot dogs, four medium soft drinks and a large popcorn. For additional ticket information, fans can visit www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets. They can also pay a visit to the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office, located at 201 Glory Road (Brumbelow Building Room 109), call 747-UTEP, or email tickets@utep.edu. Ticket Office regular hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Information on UTEP’s 2022 football promotional dates follows. Aug. 27 vs. North Texas (7 pm) – 915 Night/Sun Bowl Sellout Game sponsor: GECU The Miners open the season with a conference game for the first time since 1992 as they square off against the Mean Green on “915 Night.” Get your tickets now and help sell out the Sun Bowl for the first time in 14 years! The UTEP Marching Miners, cheer and dance teams will collaborate with band and spirit squads from across the city on a “915”-themed halftime show. read more: https://kvia.com/sports/utep/2022/06/27/utep-announces-2022-football-promotional-schedule/

DENTON — The back-to-back-to-back Conference USA champion North Texas men's basketball team will play in the eight-team Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, beginning on Nov. 25 and running through Nov. 27, the tournament announced Thursday, UNT, who won a program record 25 games last year, will face San Jose State in the first round (Nov. 25) of the Nassau Championship scheduled to start at 4:30 CT. All games will be broadcast on FloHoops and the Mean Green Sports Network presented by Learfield. Along with North Texas and SJSU, the 2022 Nassau Championship field includes Vermont, Ball State, Long Beach State, Missouri State, UNC Wilmington and Oakland. All games will be played at the Baha Mar Convention Center. Mean Green fans can book rooms now at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar at the tournament rate by visiting www.bahamarhoops.com. Tickets will be available to the public later this summer. Stay tuned for more information on tickets. In addition to winning a program-record 25 games last season, the Mean Green won a program-record 16 league games in route to their third straight C-USA title. North Texas earned its first ever trip to the National Invitation Tournament and advanced to the second round. UNT featured the nation's No. 1 scoring defense last year, holding opponents to just 55.7 points per game. They return starters Rubin Jones and Abou Ousmane as well as leading scorer Tylor Perry who was named first team all-conference and C-USA Sixth Player of the Year. North Texas has added four newcomers to the mix for this upcoming season. Grand Hyatt Baha Mar A mere 55-minute flight from Florida, Baha Mar opened in 2017 and is home to three iconic brands: Grand Hyatt, SLS and Rosewood. Situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau's famous turquoise ocean waters, the resort destination features more than 2,300 rooms and an abundance of dynamic programming, activities, and amenities including the largest casino in the Caribbean, a state-of-the-art convention center, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean's first and only flagship ESPA spa, a collection of more than 45 restaurants and lounges, and more. The $200 million luxury water park, Baha Bay, debuted in July 2021 as the latest addition to Baha Mar's portfolio of spectacular guest offerings. Set on 15 beachfront acres, Baha Bay has introduced an exciting array of aquatic activities and experiences, alfresco dining, a gaming pavilion, beach club, and more.

Upcoming AAC Realignment In one of the biggest conference “trades” in NCAA history, three current American Athletic Conference teams – Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF – will be leaving for the Big 12 before the 2023 academic year. Six C-USA teams replacing them (FAU, UAB, Charlotte, Rice, North Texas, and UTSA) would do so at the same time, to prevent the AAC from dropping to just eight teams. The buyout for the AAC schools is going to be $18 million each. That’s the standard $10 million buyout fee, plus another $8 million each to leave early. The buyout will be paid over 14 years. Meanwhile, lawyers with billable hours are still working out further details on the new incoming schools. With it, the American will compete as a 14-team league in football after the transition next summer. MEMPHIS – ATTRITION MISSION – 7.5 W – *7 / 6 The Tigers’ 7-year bowl streak came to an end last season. The culprit was the Tigers’ shoddy 5-7 mark ‘In The Stats’ (ITS) as they now stand 10-13 ITS in all games under Ryan Silverfield, including 2-7 away. This pales in comparison to the 34-20 ITS mark in the Mike Norvell years from 2016-2019. Thus, you can see where erosion is occurring. Despite seniors making 145 of the 260 overall team starts last season, they will line up with a good amount of returning experience this season. With four of its first five games this campaign against foes with losing records in 2021, a fast start is imperative if Memphis is to revisit the alleys this season. PLAY AGAINST: at Mississippi State (9/3) – *KEY STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Tigers are 0-9 ATS away under head coach Ryan Silverfield. SMU – 50 LASHES – 7 W – *6 / 7 New head coach Rhett Lashlee led what should have been a mess of a Miami offense to a top-50 rank in points-per-drive last season while developing young star Tyler Van Dyke in the process. His reward was landing the top spot with an SMU squad that has gone 25-10 the past three seasons under Sonny Dykes, who now takes over the reins at TCU – an hour down I-30 in Dallas. Lashlee was a quarterback at Arkansas from 2002-05 where the Hogs won 23 games and played in two bowl games. He’s worked under Gus Malzahn for a good portion of his college coaching career and looks to be a good fit for the Ponies. PLAY ON: at Tulsa (10/29) STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Mustangs are 10-2 ATS at home versus greater than .600 opponents the past five seasons. read more: https://www.wagertalk.com/news/college-football/2022-aac-football-betting-preview-marc-lawrences-playbook/

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis announced a home-and-home series with Boise State University on Wednesday. The two teams will play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis in 2023 and in Boise, Idaho during the 2026 season. Dates for both contests will be announced later. The games between the Tigers and Broncos are in addition to the two games announced between the programs in January of 2021. Those contests are scheduled for Aug. 31, 2030 in Memphis and Sept. 13, 2031 in Boise. For Memphis, the game with Boise State replaces the North Texas contest in the 2023 season, with the Mean Green now joining the American Athletic Conference (AAC) on July 1, 2023. The Tigers' non-conference schedule for the 2023 season includes a road game at Arkansas State (Sept. 9), as well as home contests against Missouri (Sept. 23) and Boise State (TBA). Along with the road game against the Broncos in 2026, the Tigers are also slated for a home contest against Arkansas State (Sept. 5) and a road game at Arkansas (Sept. 19). Single-game tickets for the 2022 Memphis Football season are now available for Family Zone & Endzone seats at GoTigersGo.com. Tickets in the family zone for all home games start at $20 and in the endzone for $25. The Pick 3 Mini Plan is also available for the 2022 Tiger season. The Pick 3 Mini Plan gives fans the flexibility to pick from any three Memphis home games during the 2022 season at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, starting at just $45. Additionally, season tickets for the 2022 University of Memphis football season are now on sale. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets can go to GoTigersGo.com or call the ticket office at 901-678-2331. Link: https://gotigersgo.com/news/2022/6/29/memphis-football-announces-pair-of-games-with-boise-state.aspx

North Texas' Seth Littrell, Texas State'sJake Spavital and Rice's Mike Bloomgren enter 2022 on the college football coaching hot seat. Three of the 12 FBS coaches in the state of Texas arguably face a make-or-break season at their respective universities. Seth Littrell, North Texas Record: 37-38 (7th season) Best case: It’ll take another bowl berth for North Texas to feel good about the direction of the program as it heads to the AAC following the season. A winning record likely guarantees a chance for Littrell to lead the Mean Green into their next athletic chapter. New additions offensively could elevate North Texas’ offense back to the Mason Fine era. Worst case: The back-to-back nine-win seasons feel like a lifetime ago for Littrell and North Texas. The road only gets tougher in the coming years with a move to the AAC happening next season. Losses on defense – specifically KD Davis and the Murphy twins – return the unit to the basement of Conference USA while the offensive additions don’t make instant impacts. read more: https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2022/06/23/three-fbs-college-football-coaches-enter-the-2022-season-on-the-hot-seat?ref=related_thumb

A local motivational speaker is continuing his national success with a new book discussing difficult issues faced by coaches and athletes in today's society. Damon West tackles tough topics in his new book "The Locker Room," which focuses on the power of communication to heal hurt and build a unified team in any situation. West partnered with player development coach and fellow motivational speaker, Stephen Mackey, to write the book. A Port Arthur native who starred as a quarterback at Thomas Jefferson High School and North Texas University, West's life then took a tough turn after a career-ending injury. He turned to drugs and alcohol, and spent seven years in prison for a spree of burglaries in the Dallas area. read more: https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/Damon-West-tackles-tough-topics-in-new-book-17271579.php

Here’s a look at the six newcomers: ▪ Phillip Houston, a 6-5, 270-pound offensive tackle, arrives from Navarro Community College in Texas. ▪ Jamarrion Solomon, a 5-11, 270-pound defensive tackle, is a freshman from Miami Palmetto. He will rejoin another former Palmetto defensive tackle, Savion Collins, who is an FIU veteran. “(Solomon) is dominant – quick and athletic,” MacIntyre said. “He plays with good leverage and is put together like a 25-year-old.” ▪ Luke Knox, a 6-3, 240-pound outside linebacker, spent the past four years at Ole Miss, making two starts in 2019. He was switched to tight end last year, but MacIntyre wants him on defense. His older brother is Buffalo Bills starting tight end Dawson Knox. read more: https://amp.miamiherald.com/sports/college/conference-usa/florida-international-university/article262967983.html

We’ll See North Texas: Seth Littrell has acquired a stable of arms at the quarterback position. The question is, can any of them come remotely close to the production that Mason Fine provided the Mean Green? Austin Aune has had the task of immediately following Fine and in two seasons has been pedestrian — throwing for 3,641 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He enters this year’s QB battle as the incumbent, but will be pushed by former four-star North Carolina signee Jace Ruder, well-traveled Grant Gunnell who arrives in Denton after stops in Tucson and Memphis and former Louisiana Tech QB JD Head. read more: https://www.underdogdynasty.com/platform/amp/2022/6/28/23177556/conference-usa-preseason-position-previews-quarterback-college-football-cfb