For Wow Factor In Mg Fb Recruiting

May 16, 2007

I would dearly love to have both but if I had to prioritize, I'd choose the stadium. As pointed out, a stadium returns revenue and a practice facility does not. Until maybe five years ago almost noone had a covered practice facility. Even the Cowboys went for almost forty years without one.

As for Fouts, what we have is basically a 20,000 seat stadium. Only a handfull would be content to sit in our end zones unless it is considered a very big game. I think that we have a base core of about 16-18,000 fans and I'm looking for that to increase to about 20-22,000 with Dodgeball. But, without a new stadium I don't know if we can hold those numbers very long. It's sort of like I don't think that I'll read the book, I'll just wait for the movie.

As to RV's comments, I think that they were well intentioned. At that time we were making our fourth consecutive appearance in the NO Bowl. Things looked promising but at that point it soon became 'wheels off'. We were beaten badly by Southern Miss and then went 5-19 over the next two years. That changed the attitude (and the pocketbook) of a lot of our fans, myself included.

UNT_playmaker · May 16, 2007

I think all the D1 schools in Texas but Rice and UNT have indoor practice fields. The practice season starts in Aug. The dedicated practice fields can not be used when it rains in the spring or fall.
RV told the boys in 2004 that they would have an indoor practice before the 2006 season.
If the weather is bearable come on down when workouts start in July at 3:30-5:30 PM and see how long you last.
Denton HS has not played a game on Fouts for the last 3 years that I know about.

Heh, RV has said alot of stuff.....

The TCU indoor complex looks nice. It wont happen before the stadium though, Fouts is in bad shape, and I-35 expansion is on it's way. The stadium is the main issue at hand, but nothing is being said about it or even if it will be done.

Stan R · May 16, 2007

As for Fouts, what we have is basically a 20,000 seat stadium. Only a handfull would be content to sit in our end zones unless it is considered a very big game.

A - HA! That is a very good point! It is tough for me to really see fouts as a 30,000 seat stadium when I look at those seats. A true 30,000 seat stadium would be a big improvement.

PlummMeanGreen · May 16, 2007

I would dearly love to have both but if I had to prioritize, I'd choose the stadium. As pointed out, a stadium returns revenue and a practice facility does not. Until maybe five years ago almost no one had a covered practice facility. Even the Cowboys went for almost forty years without one.
As for Fouts, what we have is basically a 20,000 seat stadium. Only a handfull would be content to sit in our end zones unless it is considered a very big game. I think that we have a base core of about 16-18,000 fans and I'm looking for that to increase to about 20-22,000 with Dodgeball. But, without a new stadium I don't know if we can hold those numbers very long. It's sort of like I don't think that I'll read the book, I'll just wait for the movie.
As to RV's comments, I think that they were well intentioned. At that time we were making our fourth consecutive appearance in the NO Bowl. Things looked promising but at that point it soon became 'wheels off'. We were beaten badly by Southern Miss and then went 5-19 over the next two years. That changed the attitude (and the pocketbook) of a lot of our fans, myself included.

I think many would want to know if the pulse of our new main campus president, ie, "Dr. B" is still as upbeat & vibrant today as it was a few months ago about the time of the hiring of Todd Dodge and her tour of the USA; or rather has the cold harsh reality of our school's traditional financial deficiencies have set in as far as all the monies that will (ultimately) have to be raised to build a modern new football stadium (with that amount being much greater than our UNT System's entire endowment). And please................don't shoot the messenger with those aforementioned thoughts that reflect the on-going realities of our alma's mater's century long financial short-comings that will eventually have to be addressed (if they haven't already). QUESTION: In the last few years, how much has been added to our school's endowment coffers with our present UNT Board of Regents on board (so to speak)?

Also...................to what could become another dilemma for our alma mater which would be if the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) chose to shoot down our stadium proposal since all campus construction (including a possible indoor practice facility) has to be approved by them. (I suppose, though, that TxDOT's interstate plans for near Fouts Field could dramatically change their minds, though, unless they want us out of the college football business altogether which could create cause for a good old fashioned Texas-style blood-letting that would take place in some conference room down in our state's capital city of................Austin, Texas, America! :lol:

Seriously, the moral of all this is that a truly Big Donor who designates more than what our UNT System's present endowment for a future new football stadium at Eagle Point Campus would probably more than keep our new stadium dream alive since so large a "designated" donation would probably merely receive a rubber-stamp approval by the Coordinating Board.

Jeez, none of the aforementioned had nothing to do whatsoever about an indoor practice facility. :blink: :rolleyes: