ATm to SEC confirmed on ESPN

[emmitt01]

Clemson, Florida State and Missouri supposedly following them there.

[UNT90]

If true, this will lead to the super conferences that everyone has talked about for so long. Unfortunately for UNT, this comes 2 years too early.

Damn you, Todd Dodge!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Nice conference. Answers the question of "hapless" Mizzou. Laughable. Anyone who has been to a Missouri football or basketball game knows they throw down a great atmosphere.

I've got family in Missouri and have been to a few football games over the years. It's a great atmosphere and a great school. The campus is beautiful. If you ever get a chance to hit a Mizzou football game, do it.

Now, on to how other fans see this things, here's an LSU blogger on the A&M to SEC:

Texas wants to say Texas A&M is killing the Big XII, but really, they are just putting it out of its misery. Or, if Texas keeps it going, exposing it for the sham conference it really is.

http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/2011/8/13/2361066/the-aggies-are-coming-to-dinner-pt-i-why-they-hate-texas

This also pretty much is in line with what I argue - the cat is out of the bag on Texas; and, that will make them unattractive to most BCS AQ conferences. No other conference has one school trying to play kingpin.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Nice conference. Answers the question of "hapless" Mizzou. Laughable.

No, what's laughable is how Mizzou's president was mocking the Big XII's academics in favor of the Big 10's, thinking they were getting an invite. So what do they do? They go to the SEC, with even worse academics.

[bstnsportsfan3]

all i care about is does this lead to a trickle down affect where UNT gets some kind of invite to C-USA or the Mountain West....

[Green P1]

all i care about is does this lead to a trickle down affect where UNT gets some kind of invite to C-USA or the Mountain West....

nope

[NT91]

Nt to the acc

[cdizzle86]

If true, this will lead to the super conferences that everyone has talked about for so long. Unfortunately for UNT, this comes 2 years too early.

Damn you, Todd Dodge!

I think this could be perfect timing. With all the great press we've received it's hard not to notice things are changing at North Texas.

[Keith7]

I think this could be perfect timing. With all the great press we've received it's hard not to notice things are changing at North Texas.

Lets hope they're not reading Vito's stuff.

/sarcasm

Edited August 13, 2011 by Keith7

[NT80]

Clemson, Florida State and Missouri supposedly following them there.

Wow, great news for UNT. This will cause the Big12 and ACC both to need some CUSA teams to reload. In turn, this could be our best chance for a moveup!

The timing with the new stadium news and all the recent positives is excellent, especially if we can snag some early season upset wins.

[Eagle1855]

I'd take any bid out of the Sunbelt that wasnt the WAC or MAC.

[El Paso Eagle]

Wow, great news for UNT. This will cause the Big12 and ACC both to need some CUSA teams to reload. In turn, this could be our best chance for a moveup!

The timing with the new stadium news and all the recent positives is excellent, especially if we can snag some early season upset wins.

Some might not agree but I think SMU getting an invite to a “New Big 12” (along with Houston) could help UNT with any future conference realignments. Here is my thinking –

For C-USA if there are a couple of openings from SMU and Houston leaving it could offer a “good” fit for the addition on North Texas and let’ say La. Tech

If SMU is out of the picture it makes UNT that much more attractive for a conference like the Mountain West that would like a footprint in the Texas (this could also come in to play for any other conference to get a Texas "recruiting" Footprint)

[MeanGreenHoops]

Ark.St Fan - where are you?

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

No, what's laughable is how Mizzou's president was mocking the Big XII's academics in favor of the Big 10's, thinking they were getting an invite. So what do they do? They go to the SEC, with even worse academics.

And, what's more laughable is any of the conferences talking about academics when the majority of the athletes don't get into challenging degree programs.

All of the academics talk is baloney. Almost every school in every conference has watered down degree programs for its athletes.

Again, when the teams hit the field, the programs aren't touting the academics. They list height, weight, and game stats.

It means nothing...other than if Mizzou to SEC is true, they come out with a really sweet deal for its fans!

[Green Mean]

Nt to the acc

It may seem laughable but wouldn't the ACC like to have a presence in Texas? They would be exposed to the football talent here as well has the fast rising basketball talent. If I am RV I am truly on the phone with all these 'big' conferences just to let them know that we're here and on the way up. Ya it may not make a difference but the season can't get here soon enough because we need to get a few wins and some good crowds under our belt.

[SHOSS]

I'd take any bid out of the Sunbelt that wasnt the WAC or MAC.

Honestly, if cusa or mwc get raided, and we get an invite to either, is that scenario that much better than the belt? I reserve judgement till I see who is left before I blindly declare that is improvement.

We need sellouts and wins... Fast. Otherwise, none of the options will be any good for us...

I too am really starting to worry that we are 2 years too late... Good things are happening, but I guess we always want more. Maybe monday's apparently big announcement will bring me back to euphoria...

[pastorgrant]

I hate to say it, but I do think that this is a bit too early for us. The one thing I hope for is that our people can sell the future of NT to a conference like MWC or CUSA. That may open up something for us because if you look you can plainly see that UNT is headed toward great things. Also our much improved academics make a big difference. The question is whether or not that's enough. The school may surprise us, though. They've been doing that a lot lately.

That being said, the Belt is getting better. FIU and Troy are solid programs with bright futures (two or three years ago there was only one team at that level) and ULM, Ark State, and even WKU are headed quickly in the right direction. If WKU can develop the talent they've been getting they've got plenty to be a good team in the future. I'm also confident UNT will be better than all of them in a few years. If it all works out like it could (which is not guaranteed, I know), the Belt could be leaving the MAC in the dust and nipping at CUSA's heels soon. It's not terrible if UNT stays in the Belt for a while.

The biggest concern I see is if the super conferences will create a glass ceiling for everyone else. But, in my opinion, perform well enough on the field and you can crash through any glass ceiling. This is America.

[GreenStreet]

everyone thought it would be the WAC first. ITS THE BIG 12

[NTSUEagle]

Honestly, if cusa or mwc get raided, and we get an invite to either, is that scenario that much better than the belt? I reserve judgement till I see who is left before I blindly declare that is improvement.

We need sellouts and wins... Fast. Otherwise, none of the options will be any good for us...

I too am really starting to worry that we are 2 years too late... Good things are happening, but I guess we always want more. Maybe monday's apparently big announcement will bring me back to euphoria...

If those Conferences get 'raided', I think we're kind of in the Catbird Seat. Does it hurt to stay in the Sun Belt? Not really, and if we get an invite to the Mountain West, Conference USA, or even the ACC, we (RV) can look it over and accept it, or decline it.

Ideally, I do not want to be in a re-vamped Big 12 with the 'Sips, since I see that Conference being put out of it's misery thanks to the BEVO Network, and A&M now leaving. And it could be worse, just look at the 'Harvard of Southeast Texas' (UofH)... They're already celebrating goin' to the Big 12, and have one of the worst Stadiums in the whole State! Of course, they could play at Reliant if need be. We're already ahead of them in Enrollment and Academics. All they have is a TV Market, which, is what sells College Football these Days.

Edited August 13, 2011 by NTSUEagle

[MeanGreenTeeth]

So...if this comes true.. this should be fun to watch.. The ACC will need to raid the Big East. This will probably force to Big 10 to consider raiding the Big East first. In any case, the Big East is dead man walking as a BCS conference. The fact that the Big 10 will be looking East will probably force Big 12 schools (Oklahoma and maybe even Texas) to make a bid to get in while spots are still available. This is turn will force the PAC-12 to try to grab the Big 12 schools first. So at the end of the day we will likely have superconferences of ACC, BIG 16, PAC-16, and SEC. The Big East and Big 12 will be smoldering ruins. Or... I could be completely wrong..

Edited August 13, 2011 by MeanGreenTeeth

[UNT90]

I think this could be perfect timing. With all the great press we've received it's hard not to notice things are changing at North Texas.

Until conferences look at the on the field performance.

We had a chance to take it to the next level after the 4 straight conference championships. We didn't.

In hindsight, Damn you Darrell Dickey and Todd Dodge!!!

(If we get left out in this shake up, will Vito still refer to Dickey as "the great"? If he does, he should surrender his media creds for every UNT home game).

[GTWT]

And, what's more laughable is any of the conferences talking about academics when the majority of the athletes don't get into challenging degree programs.

All of the academics talk is baloney. Almost every school in every conference has watered down degree programs for its athletes.

The degrees sought by athletes are irrelevant. What does matter is that universities do not want to be associated with institutions that are embarrassments academically. Thus the need to leave MTSU, UL-Monroe, and Troy far behind. The bottom line is that these are not the schools that UNT needs to be associated with on any level.

Edited August 13, 2011 by GTWT

[Mean Green 93-98]

And, what's more laughable is any of the conferences talking about academics when the majority of the athletes don't get into challenging degree programs.

All of the academics talk is baloney. Almost every school in every conference has watered down degree programs for its athletes.

Again, when the teams hit the field, the programs aren't touting the academics. They list height, weight, and game stats.

It means nothing...other than if Mizzou to SEC is true, they come out with a really sweet deal for its fans!

It might not mean a lot to (most of) the athletes and fans, but academics means quite a bit to the institution at large. That is why Texas was so interested in the PAC conference, but would not consider the SEC, even though the SEC would take them in a heartbeat.

[NT80]

Until conferences look at the on the field performance.

We had a chance to take it to the next level after the 4 straight conference championships. We didn't.

Smut and UTEP were not very good when CUSA wanted them.

It is more than recent on field record. Media market, airport access, recruiting area, etc all play a part of a school's appeal as well as current state of their program.

The basketball-rich Big East didn't care TCU has lousy basketball, they wanted the recruiting area and media market TCU is in.

[Green Mean]

Smut and UTEP were not very good when CUSA wanted them.

It is more than recent on field record. Media market, airport access, recruiting area, etc all play a part of a school's appeal as well as current state of their program.

The basketball-rich Big East didn't care TCU has lousy basketball, they wanted the recruiting area and media market TCU is in.

UTEP attracts really good crowds and that is a pretty good market and UTEP always gets very good support from their alums and the community in general.

SMU has the monetary resources and the much better history than NT overall. We can say what we want but all these things are things they had that UNT has not had to this point. Are things changing? Yes. Are things changing at the rate that will be critical to be positively involved in the whole conference realignment? Probably not...which is why this season could be the most critical year ever in NT athletics.