UCF couts on big investment in pigskin to pay off

[MeanGreen61]

UCF counts on big investment in pigskin to pay off

Published May 26, 2006

Don't know whether to commend them or commit them.

Don't know whether to call them dedicated or delusional.

Aggressive or obsessive.

Then again, it doesn't matter how we perceive them because the leaders at UCF don't care. They don't care if we believe in what they're doing because they have that glazed glow in their eyes that tells you they're consumed by the power of the pigskin, willing to sacrifice everything at the altar of the almighty football.

If there were ever any doubts about UCF's intention to become a football school, they were answered Thursday when the school did what all big-time football schools do: It paid its coach a million bucks a year and essentially told him to go out and win a national title.

"We look forward to building a championship program that one day will be in a BCS bowl game," new UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble said upon the school's announcement that Coach George O'Leary has signed a 10-year contract that will pay him at least a million per season.

"At some point," UCF President John Hitt declared, "the sleeping giant has to wake up. We want to be a nationally competitive top-10 program."

So does everybody else. So does USF and Florida Atlantic, UTEP and UNLV, Memphis and Marshall.

But UCF is convinced it is different, and this is where you have to admire the school's confidence and commitment. UCF leaders are not just talking about becoming big time, they're acting as if they already are.

They've already built an indoor practice facility -- something Florida and Florida State don't have. They're building an on-campus stadium -- something Miami has been talking about for decades.

Many schools might have delayed signing O'Leary to such a megadeal. Although O'Leary took UCF to the school's first bowl game last season, he is 8-16 in two seasons. Why not wait another year just to make sure he's the right guy?

At UCF, wait has become the most profane four-letter word imaginable. These people aren't dreamers, they're doers. UCF -- University Committed to Football.

"It's one thing to pay lip service and say you want to build an elite program, but this administration is willing to go out and do the things necessary to make it happen," O'Leary said.

"There's a big difference between a wish and a plan," Hitt said. "A lot of people wish for good results, but the ones who get results are the ones who have a sound plan and work like heck to make that plan a reality."

It's difficult for even us professional cynics to doubt Hitt. If he can complete the near-impossible task of bringing a medical school to UCF, why not a top-shelf football program? Let's face it: There are many more potential nose tackles in this state than neurosurgeons.

What I love about Hitt is his vision. He doesn't see UCF as a directional school in a non-BCS league. He sees it as the seventh-largest university in the country located directly in the middle of the most football-fanatical state in the union.

"If you were to draw up a set of specs for an emerging program, it would describe UCF," Hitt said. "But at some point, you have to have the will and the guts to go for it.

"Every now and then, I feel like the guy who just jumped off the diving board and then says to himself, 'Gee, I sure hope there's some water in that pool.'"

Here's hoping Hitt makes a huge splash instead of a resounding thud.

Here's hoping O'Leary earns every penny of that monstrous salary.

It's time for the sleeping giant to wake up and smell the money.

Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.

_________________

[DeepGreen]

"At some point," UCF President John Hitt declared, "the sleeping giant has to wake up. We want to be a nationally competitive top-10 program."

_________________

←

And at North Texas, the "sleeping giant", ...............uh,.......sleeps! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[LoveMG]

"It's one thing to pay lip service and say you want to build an elite program, but this administration is willing to go out and do the things necessary to make it happen," O'Leary said.

_________________

←

does North Texas want to make it happen?

[FirefightnRick]

Wow, good for them. Seems they have a leadership that truly gets it. They have always demanded excllence and alway's fielded an entertaining product. I expect big things from them in the future. Another mid blows right on by.

Rick

[PlummMeanGreen]

UCF counts on big investment in pigskin to pay off

Published May 26, 2006

Don't know whether to commend them or commit them.

Don't know whether to call them dedicated or delusional.

Aggressive or obsessive.

Then again, it doesn't matter how we perceive them because the leaders at UCF don't care. They don't care if we believe in what they're doing because they have that glazed glow in their eyes that tells you they're consumed by the power of the pigskin, willing to sacrifice everything at the altar of the almighty football.

If there were ever any doubts about UCF's intention to become a football school, they were answered Thursday when the school did what all big-time football schools do: It paid its coach a million bucks a year and essentially told him to go out and win a national title.

"We look forward to building a championship program that one day will be in a BCS bowl game," new UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble said upon the school's announcement that Coach George O'Leary has signed a 10-year contract that will pay him at least a million per season.

"At some point," UCF President John Hitt declared, "the sleeping giant has to wake up. We want to be a nationally competitive top-10 program."

So does everybody else. So does USF and Florida Atlantic, UTEP and UNLV, Memphis and Marshall.

But UCF is convinced it is different, and this is where you have to admire the school's confidence and commitment. UCF leaders are not just talking about becoming big time, they're acting as if they already are.

They've already built an indoor practice facility -- something Florida and Florida State don't have. They're building an on-campus stadium -- something Miami has been talking about for decades.

Many schools might have delayed signing O'Leary to such a megadeal. Although O'Leary took UCF to the school's first bowl game last season, he is 8-16 in two seasons. Why not wait another year just to make sure he's the right guy?

At UCF, wait has become the most profane four-letter word imaginable. These people aren't dreamers, they're doers. UCF -- University Committed to Football.

"It's one thing to pay lip service and say you want to build an elite program, but this administration is willing to go out and do the things necessary to make it happen," O'Leary said.

"There's a big difference between a wish and a plan," Hitt said. "A lot of people wish for good results, but the ones who get results are the ones who have a sound plan and work like heck to make that plan a reality."

It's difficult for even us professional cynics to doubt Hitt. If he can complete the near-impossible task of bringing a medical school to UCF, why not a top-shelf football program? Let's face it: There are many more potential nose tackles in this state than neurosurgeons.

What I love about Hitt is his vision. He doesn't see UCF as a directional school in a non-BCS league. He sees it as the seventh-largest university in the country located directly in the middle of the most football-fanatical state in the union.

"If you were to draw up a set of specs for an emerging program, it would describe UCF," Hitt said. "But at some point, you have to have the will and the guts to go for it.

"Every now and then, I feel like the guy who just jumped off the diving board and then says to himself, 'Gee, I sure hope there's some water in that pool.'"

Here's hoping Hitt makes a huge splash instead of a resounding thud.

Here's hoping O'Leary earns every penny of that monstrous salary.

It's time for the sleeping giant to wake up and smell the money.

Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.

_________________

←

There seems to be many sleeping giants among the mid major crowd. Some of that group (UTEP, UCF, Louisville, etc, etc, etc) do "get it" and will do "W.I.T." to remove each of their schools from the role of merely a sleeping giant; while others (as Deep Green posted) will continue to, uh, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Whoever becomes our new NT president as well as who takes Bobby Ray's place as the new chairman of the NT Board of Regents in due time will be strategic if UNT is to make bold decisions that will help us make a progressive move upward in NCAA D1-A. And with such new leadership their most likely taking the necessary time to do the research as to the kind of personnel UNT will need to have on its future payrolls that will enable us to emulate what the UTEP's, the Louisvilles, the TCU's and now what the UCF's have discovered are their own minimum committments so that they can all keep their hands in play with the upper echelon of NCAA D1-A.

In many ways, can any school that wants to be a future player in NCAA D1-A afford to do much less than what U of Central Florida has boldly chosen to do with their school's new committment?

Edited May 28, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[CajunNation]

There seems to be many sleeping giants among the mid major crowd.  Some of that group (UTEP, UCF, Louisville, etc, etc, etc) do "get it" and will do "W.I.T." to remove each of their schools from the role of merely a sleeping giant;  while others (as Deep Green posted) will continue to, uh, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Whoever becomes our new NT president as well as who takes Bobby Ray's place as the new chairman of the NT Board of Regents in due time will be strategic if  UNT is to make bold decisions that will help us make a progressive move upward in NCAA D1-A.  And with such new leadership their most likely taking the necessary time to do the research as to the kind of personnel UNT will need to have on its future payrolls that will enable us to emulate what the UTEP's, the Louisvilles, the TCU's and now what the UCF's have discovered are their own minimum committments so that they can all keep their hands in play with the upper echelon of NCAA D1-A.   

In many ways, can any school that wants to be a future player in NCAA D1-A afford to do much less than what U of Central Florida has boldly chosen to do with their school's new committment?

←

The reason these schools "get it", is mainly because they "got it".

Athletic Budgets:

LOUISVILLE--37.1 mill

BYU-----------28.4 mill

FRESNO ST---24.1 mill

TCU-----------21.1 mill

UTAH----------21 mill

UCF-----------20.8 mill

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp

They also have great fundraising machines to back them up. This is something we all can do better than we are now.

[PlummMeanGreen]

The reason these schools "get it", is mainly because they "got it".

Athletic Budgets:

LOUISVILLE--37.1 mill

BYU-----------28.4 mill

FRESNO ST---24.1 mill

TCU-----------21.1 mill

UTAH----------21 mill

UCF-----------20.8 mill

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp

They also have great fundraising machines to back them up. This is something we all can do better than we are now.

←

Many of us can recall a day when NT's athletic budget was not that far removed (or was even close) to about 3 of the above listed schools. That is what some of the problems and dire concerns are now with a few of us nestors who've been around a few decades and how many of us have finally awakened to smell the coffee, roses, or whatever to our present situation and admit to each other that we just ain't progressing like a school of our size and scope should have been. After all, folks, we are now part of a UNT System and shouldn't we be just a tad ahead of those we used to think we were light years ahead of among the mid-majors? Many of those schools we used to be in bed with in the old Missouri Valley Conference (which basically and later became CUSA) too?

SO WE PLAY THE BLAME GAME NOW? Well, we can all freely admit to being part of the blame; but of course, we grunts have little or no control of what happens at our alma mater's campus in the area of hirings (and keeping some of those hirings much too long and letting some of those hirings get away from us, too).

IMHO, I really do think Rick V has done some darn good things at UNT, ie, brought in some progressive-style thinking onto our campus considering what he inherited when he arrived, but I just think he bit off more than most any human being could chew while being strapped with the already pre-existing staff (and on-going status quo) with that inherited staff many of whom seem to have the mindset of doing things pretty well the way they did things even before RV arrived on the Mean Green Scene.

Proof of all that? Well, merely look at our annual and on-going football and basketball attendance and agree with many of us that our AD has been a man with some damn good ideas, but also has been an AD who seems to have inherited many staff-types who feel 15K per home game averages at Fouts Field and (what is it at the Super Pit for men's varsity BB) less than 2,500 per home game averages? Anyway, many of that (inherited by Rick V) group still seem to think all that is getting the job done with the attendance of our 2 men's varsity sports that at most mid-major outposts pays most of the bills. Go figure....

AND..............if we don't use our 2 major varsity sports attendance numbers to measure what degree of success we are having at UNT, then just what would it be that we would use as our barometer? That they're good ol' boys? Well, that would be right in many cases. That they made Fouts Field (built in 1951) look better than it used to with all the new cosmetics? Well..........gimmee' a break on that one, folks, because the condition of our venerable ol' Fouts Field was somewhat like an entertainer who would be following a very bad act on stage; in other words, just about anything one did on stage following a bad act would look good to most any audience.

PERHAPS THE CRUX OF THE REAL PROBLEM @ UNT? Rick V has had no control (whatsoever) of many of the things that have strapped him at UNT IMHO (and I know many of you who feel the very same way on that subject but just won't post it for whatever reason). RV is not perfect and neither was Hayden Fry when he had the role of AD at UNT, but give pro-active and creative-thinking people a chance to move your program forward and prevent "would be" AD's and inter-collegiate athletic novices on-campus from standing or getting in the way of those we hired to do the job in the first place . When we have that being allowed to happen at UNT (again), then this athletic program (starting with football) can start moving forward once again toward a higher profile co-existance and start making up for lost time (and low budgets). Just my .02 on this subject.

Edited May 28, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[FirefightnRick]

The reason these schools "get it", is mainly because they "got it".

Athletic Budgets:

LOUISVILLE--37.1 mill

BYU-----------28.4 mill

FRESNO ST---24.1 mill

TCU-----------21.1 mill

UTAH----------21 mill

UCF-----------20.8 mill

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp

They also have great fundraising machines to back them up. This is something we all can do better than we are now.

←

Wrong. Give any one of those 6 schools the same dead-ass admin leadership NT has had in the past with regards to the importance of athletics and see how much they would have today?

It starts with the attidude from the top down.

The University of North Texas set out on a mission, that could possibly be considered bordering on criminal several years back to keep and maintain a single individual marketing firm without regard for any other competing firm to have the chance to bid on any projects, and did so for...who knows whatever reason? Then the university spent over $200,000 to said firm to help us with a new look and a metroplex wide campaign to go with it. We are now 13 months removed from the debut release of the results of the research that came from all of this and we have seen very little use of it. Although the football team's helmet uses the font that came from it the colors haven't changed on their uni's or any other. And that has been about it athletically. As far as I know other than some signage on campus, a few hats produced by Zehpyr and Top of the World(Thank You Greenstock) and a couple of mentionings in the DMN about the change we have yet see the so called promised metroplex-wide campain? Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg on the subject. University wide, the marketing and campaigning, and more importantly fundraising has been as about as loud as a footstep in the sand. The new early season ticket renewals is definately a step in the right direction, but that affects so few people overall? If it were not for the graciousness of one alumnus Harry Miers keeping this board going, and if not for a quarterly printing of the "North Texan" magezine, very few alumni wouldn't have but an ounce of a clue what was going on in Denton today.

I could sit here and type all night about the countless opportunities that are passed upon that could help promote the university but I won't. In fact I'm starting to see Dallas Greens POV on the whole thing and I'm growing very, very tired of watching it continue to flounder. Overall, the university(not the AD dept) still just does not get it, marketing and promotion wise, and for whatever reason, that seems just fine for the ones at the top making the big decisions.

Rick

Edited May 29, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[NT80]

Wrong.  Give any one of those 6 schools the same dead-ass admin leadership NT has had in the past with regards to the importance of athletics and see how much they would have today?

It starts with the attidude from the top down.

  The University of North Texas set out on a mission, that could possibly be considered bordering on criminal several years back to keep and maintain a single individual marketing firm without regard for any other competing firm to have the chance to bid on any projects, and did so for...who knows whatever reason?  Then the university spent over $200,000 to said firm to help us with a new look and a metroplex wide campaign to go with it.  We are now 13 months removed from the debut release of the results of the research that came from all of this and we have seen very little use of it.   Although the football team's helmet uses the font that came from it the colors haven't changed on their uni's or any other.  And that has been about it athletically.  As far as I know other than some signage on campus, a few hats produced by Zehpyr and Top of the World(Thank You Greenstock) and a couple of mentionings in the DMN about the change we have yet see the so called promised metroplex-wide campain?  Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg on the subject.  University wide, the marketing and campaigning, and more importantly fundraising has been as about as loud as a footstep in the sand.   The new early season ticket renewals is definately a step in the right direction, but that affects so few people overall?  If it were not for the graciousness of one alumnus Harry Miers keeping this board going, and if not for a quarterly printing of the "North Texan" magezine, very few alumni wouldn't have but an ounce of a clue what was going on in Denton today. 

I could sit here and type all night about the countless opportunities that are passed upon that could help promote the university but I won't.  In fact I'm starting to see Dallas Greens POV on the whole thing and I'm growing very, very tired of watching it continue to flounder.  Overall, the university(not the AD dept) still just does not get it, marketing and promotion wise, and for whatever reason, that seems just fine for the ones at the top making the big decisions.

Rick

←

I feel like we're floundering now with the loss of Dr. Pohl and the continuation of some to-be-nameless contracts. The momentum of opening the new AC and Eagle Point and winning the New Orleans Bowl in 2002 seems a distant memory.

I know a lot of alums have given up the fight, and many of us are tired of waiting, wanting to be like other schools on the move up. When is our time and when will the "other" Administration ever get a clue about Athletics and Marketing?

Edited May 29, 2006 by NT80

[MeanGreenSig]

Why can't we start our own booster club with the purpose of marketing the program. Each member pays dues and we meet and create our own campaign to sell season tickets to our alumni base and to get students to games, promote tailgating etc.. I think we could sell some tickets probably out sell the athletic dept. Has this been done ? if so who cares ,if done right ,aggressively it will succeed.

For tickets I am thinking alumni list and phone bank, lets call them directly and get 'em off their a#$. mailings are very low response, and the people that are passionate about the program could sell it.

We all want this program to succeed and this is one of the few things we can do to make it happen, if we are successful the admin cannot ignore us. right now that is the problem, we need to get X number season ticket holders to prove the worth of the program only the numbers will do it.

Thoughts?

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Why can't we start our own booster club with the purpose of marketing the program. Each member pays dues and we meet and create our own campaign to sell season tickets to our alumni base and to get students to games, promote tailgating etc.. I think we could sell some tickets probably out sell the athletic dept. Has this been done ? if so who cares ,if done right ,aggressively it will succeed.

For tickets I am thinking alumni list and phone bank, lets call them directly and get 'em off their a#$. mailings are very low response, and the people that are passionate about the program could sell it.

We all want this program to succeed and this is one of the few things we can do to make it happen, if we are successful the admin cannot ignore us. right now that is the problem, we need to get X number season ticket holders to prove the worth of the program only the numbers will do it.

Thoughts?

←

Sig, there's nothing wrong with the idea, but carrying it out would not be easy.

One plus. There are already people in place to help form the core of such an organization. Loosely called Greenbackers, a number of our good alums have spearheaded a great tailgating program.

The munuses. 1. The biggest minus is the administration itself. Rick summed it up beautifully in the post above yours. "It starts with the attitude from the top down." If they don't make a solid, announced, major committment to the athletic program at North Texas then most of the effort on our part would be in vain. 2. The program itself. Coming off of a 2-9 season is not a position of strength for season ticket sales. Most of those who post on this board are, and will be again this year, season ticket holders but trying to get new people on board would be a hard sell. 3. We would be running roughshod over the efforts of the athletic department. They do spend thousands of dollars on mailings and I feel that there would be a duplication of efforts, time and money. 4. An undertaking of that magnitude would need the approval and support of the AD, at the least. They couldn't stop us but we would have to do their bidding since that is likely the only way to gain the information and the equipment to make the calls. 5. The personnel. Even if we can start with a core group of several hundred, getting volunteers at appropriate times will not be easy unless and until we can recruit a substantial number of Dentonites.

The idea is sound and could be developed.

[Quoner]

IMHO, I really do think Rick V has done some darn good things at UNT, ie, brought in some progressive-style thinking onto our campus considering what he inherited when he arrived, but I just think he bit off more than most any human being could chew while being strapped with the already pre-existing staff (and on-going status quo) with that inherited staff many of whom seem to have the mindset of doing things pretty well the way they did things even before RV arrived on the Mean Green Scene. 

Proof of all that?  Well, merely look at our annual and on-going football and basketball attendance and agree with many of us that our AD has been a man with some damn good ideas, but also has been an AD who seems to have inherited many staff-types who feel 15K per home game averages at Fouts Field and (what is it at the Super Pit for men's varsity BB) less than 2,500 per home game averages?  Anyway, many of that (inherited by Rick V) group still seem to think all that is getting the job done with the attendance of our 2 men's varsity sports that at most mid-major outposts pays most of the bills.  Go figure....

←

I thought Rick brought in most of his own people for the athletic staff...unless you mean coaches.

[Quoner]

Sig, there's nothing wrong with the idea, but carrying it out would not be easy. 

One plus.  There are already people in place to help form the core of such an organization.  Loosely called Greenbackers, a number of our good alums have spearheaded a great tailgating program. 

The munuses.  1.  The biggest minus is the administration itself.  Rick summed it up beautifully in the post above yours.  "It starts with the attitude from the top down."  If they don't make a solid, announced, major committment to the athletic program at North Texas then most of the effort on our part would be in vain.  2.  The program itself.  Coming off of a 2-9 season is not a position of strength for season ticket sales.  Most of those who post on this board are, and will be again this year, season ticket holders but trying to get new people on board would be a hard sell.  3.  We would be running roughshod over the efforts of the athletic department.  They do spend thousands of dollars on mailings and I feel that there would be a duplication of efforts, time and money.  4.  An undertaking of that magnitude would need the approval and support of the AD, at the least.  They couldn't stop us but we would have to do their bidding since that is likely the only way to gain the information and the equipment to make the calls.  5.  The personnel.  Even if we can start with a core group of several hundred, getting volunteers at appropriate times will not be easy unless and until we can recruit a substantial number of Dentonites.

The idea is sound and could be developed.

←

This would just be hilarious to watch you guys attempt...please do it.

[emmitt01]

This would just be hilarious to watch you guys attempt...please do it.

←

If what you're saying is that we couldn't do I'd relish to opportunity to prove you dead wrong. I know for a fact that there are a few on this board who have moved mountains when all of the naysayers said it couldn't be done.

[LoveMG]

If what you're saying is that we couldn't do I'd relish to opportunity to prove you dead wrong.  I know for a fact that there are a few on this board who have moved mountains when all of the naysayers said it couldn't be done.

←

like the kids korner fiasco?

[emmitt01]

like the kids korner fiasco? 

←

Please tell me, who on this board dropped the ball on that one? Or, was it a matter of us doing miles of legwork only to see the thing fall through within the AD?

[SilverEagle]

Please tell me, who on this board dropped the ball on that one?  Or, was it a matter of us doing miles of legwork only to see the thing fall through within the AD? 

←

I think that PMG and Hank Dickinson had a "discussion" about that issue at the tailgating event at the last TCU game.

I can't remember if PMG got a satisfactory answer/explaination about it.

[NTEagle08]

nm

Edited August 29, 2006 by NTEagle08

[SilverEagle]

ok I did a search on the board and couldn't find anything, what in the world is Kids Korner and what does it have to do with the Athletic Dept.?

←

You might want to PM PMG on that.