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Todd Dodge was fired mid season 2010. At he time we weren't the worst team in FBS college football, but we were in the bottom 10. Since that time UNT has opened a beautiful new stadium, increased coaching salaries (both for the head coach and all assistants), and seems to have grudgingly made a surface commitment to athletics. And how has that surface commitment paid off? We are worse now than in 2010 at playing the game of football. Zero sell outs of a beautiful, on campus stadium. Multiple promises made to supporters by the AD about the new stadium (concerts, better opponents, no more 5 home game seasons, etc...), all of which have been broken. Attendance levels at pre-2008 lows. No football game on opening day of college football season. An FCS as our only home OOC (both in 2015 and 2012), with the 2015 FCS designated as homecoming and played on the same day as Texas/OU. And that FCS whipped us by 59 points, the worst loss in college football history. And here we sit at 1-8, with the very real likely hood of finishing 1-11. Why is there no outrage by the leaders of this institution at this complete lack of performance by a 15 year Athletiic Director? Why does the president of this university call the donors who are livid at this turn of events "a minute few?" If that is true, UNT should absolutely drop football, because no one cares. Rick Villarreal is paid $350k plus each year to provide results. Probably the second or third highest salary at UNT. He hasn't. In the last five years, Villarreal has also hired a coach that has destroyed a once promising basketball program. Yet there is zero accountability. None. Zip. Nil. Instead, Rick Villarreal will again hire a head coach. A hire that history has demonstrated will fail. But we let him make that hire anyway. Will the University of North Texas ever take athletics seriously? I hope donors withhold support until UNT finally decides to hold the AD of this university accountable.

Will the line be over 45? It was 30 for La. Tech. Can UNT hold Tennessee under 70? So many questions.

-29 to La. Tech. La. Tech. Not Alabama. Not LSU. La. Tech.

A message from the chancellor: It is my pleasure to announce that today the UNT System Board of Regents voted unanimously to name Dr. Neal Smatresk as the sole finalist for the presidency at UNT. Dr. Smatresk is currently the president at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. If confirmed as UNT president by the board in December, Dr. Smatresk will bring a powerful combination of distinguished leadership in higher education and a keen understanding of the North Texas region to our flagship institution. I am confident that Dr. Smatresk is the right person to help UNT continue to grow and succeed, and I believe he will be able to join us by February of next year. As president of UNLV since 2009, he has led that institution to become a much more prominent resource in one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. At UNLV, Dr. Smatresk emphasizes the importance of student access and success as well as research and innovation. Under his direction, UNLV completed a $537 million fundraising campaign that included creating UNLV’s largest active scholarship program, established an Academic Success Center to help students graduate on time, and opened Brookings Mountain West in partnership with the prestigious Brookings Institution. You can learn more about him in the official news release. Dr. Smatresk and his wife, Debbie, have deep Texas roots and an understanding of our region. UNT and UNLV have many similarities, and Dr. Smatresk has demonstrated his effective leadership in many areas where UNT is experiencing critical growth and opportunity. I am excited about the future of UNT under his leadership. And I am especially grateful to Dr. V. Lane Rawlins for his invaluable contributions over the past three and a half years. Dr. Rawlins has helped UNT develop a clearer focus on its institutional goals and metrics and increased our momentum and recognition. Under his direction, UNT has reached significant milestones and the Board and I are very pleased that Lane and Mary Jo have chosen to make their home here in Denton, where they will continue to be involved with UNT. Dr. Rawlins has agreed to accept a President Emeritus appointment upon his retirement and will contribute to our fulfillment of the plans he helped develop. I thank you for doing your part every day to improve UNT’s quality and reputation and ask that you continue to support Dr. Rawlins and assist Dr. Smatresk in this transition period. I hope you are as excited as I am about our future. Sincerely, Lee F. Jackson Read more: http://inhouse.unt.edu/neal-smatresk-named-sole-finalist-president