Texas A&M Leaves Big 12

[Baby Arm!]

I don't understand it. How did the New York Times scoop Chip Brown? Doesn't the New York Times know to check in with DeLoss Dodds?

Actually I saw Chip Brown/Orangebloods.com report this yesterday.

[FirefightnRick]

Why are we reading that SMU is the only program around here that has contacted them for consideration?

North Texas should have been the first to make a case for inclusion.

Rick

[houstonmeangreen]

Not if those are the only members left in said conference. If the run on schools begins, UCF and ECU will most definitely be considered to fill spaces in the ACC, Big East. Then again, if that happened, you can bet the Sun Belt is going to get raided as well to even out C-USA. ha.

However, I DO agree, if it is just one of those schools (UCF, Houston, SMU, or ECU) that goes, C-USA is clearly a better option than the Belt. That being said, C-USA isn't our BEST-case scenario. A BCS conference is our best-case. And I think RV agrees.

Anyways, all of this is just a bunch of "what if" scenarios in effort to avoid doing any work today!

As for the Big 12 grabbing ND and Pitt, that seems to be a long shot at best, according to this article by Chip Brown.

Yes...why would ND and Pitt join a conf that is falling apart.

[UNTLifer]

I just don't see how the "timing" of this announcement negatively effects us. The Big XII is a mess, because UT has pissed off everyone. They'll have to perform some PR magic to keep others from defecting. SMU is not in a better position than us at this point. Other than being in the SWC but being one of the reasons it disbanded and having financial backing, what do they have going for them? We have a much larger student body, alumni base, a better overall athletic department and a huge amount of potential that is starting to be realized. SMU does not command the Dallas market and won't whether they are successful or not. Just look at what Pres. Rawlins, RV, Coach Mac, JJ, the new stadium and facilities have done for NT to this point. Just imagine what will happen when we start winning again? We also have baseball in the works for the near future. I have a feeling that if we were invited, the expansion would begin at the end of this season bringing Apogee to a minimum of 50,000. Someone, anyone please tell me why SMU is more appealing than NT?

[NT80]

Why are we reading that SMU is the only program around here that has contacted them for consideration?

North Texas should have been the first to make a case for inclusion.

Rick

Smut is the only one that has "come out" in public expressing a desire to join the Big12. In fact, they begged the DMN editorial board to to give them some press about it and appealed to their alums to push their politicians for it.

I am sure other schools have approached the Big12 in a more suitable (quiet) manner about interest, including hopefully North Texas. Normally it's not the screamer that gets the position, just the snickers.

[Cr1028]

A&M denies for the time being

Edited August 30, 2011 by Cr1028

[Green Mean]

Dodge canned 1 year too late.

Shouldn't never been interviewed much less hired. Worst decision ever by this school and probably NCAA history.

[wardly]

if big 12 had no interest in tcu, they sure don't have any in smu. football stadium 30,000, poor basketball program, and no baseball program. also, i don't think byu is wild about big 12. they just went independent in football, put other programs in wcc, and won't play any sports on sundays. any addition to big 12 would need to be in a new market, with possible exception of houston. arkansas not coming back after escaping ut shadow 19 years ago. at this point,i don't have a clue, except why would an existing bcs school want to join the big 12?

[Green Mean]

It's at times like this that I really wish we had built a 40k stadium expandable to 60K. I know it doesn't matter if we don't fill it, but at least it would have given the opportunity to try and fill it.

Just an in a perfect world moment.

Agreed that we should have built something that was 50K to start with. Tho I am not engineer/architect I think it is always possible to expand stadiums. The big and old college stadiums of today probaby never thought it would get this big when they first got built but they made it happen but they always keep on adding adding adding. If there is a demand for it we will be able to do it. But yes starting out with 31K capacity still boggles my mind.

[ColoradoEagle]

The quality wouldn't have been the same if it were built bigger. I was originally in the "we should have built it 40k+" camp, but not after seeing how the money was spent on Apogee. Upping the capacity to 50k can be done in an off-season. If that was all that stood between us and an invite to an AQ conference, then there's nothing to worry about.

[FloMoGrad]

The quality wouldn't have been the same if it were built bigger. I was originally in the "we should have built it 40k+" camp, but not after seeing how the money was spent on Apogee. Upping the capacity to 50k can be done in an off-season. If that was all that stood between us and an invite to an AQ conference, then there's nothing to worry about.

The entire A&M situation is a cluster and makes them look like a bunch of idiots, imho.

We built the stadium we needed and can fill now. We sell out 2-3 games a year, then we can start the how do we fit 40K in the stadium threads. For now, fill it up and the rest takes care of itself, including new conferences, indoor practice facilities, baseball program and any thing else we can dream up. Starts with sold out home football games.

[SHOSS]

The entire A&M situation is a cluster and makes them look like a bunch of idiots, imho.

We built the stadium we needed and can fill now. We sell out 2-3 games a year, then we can start the how do we fit 40K in the stadium threads. For now, fill it up and the rest takes care of itself, including new conferences, indoor practice facilities, baseball program and any thing else we can dream up. Starts with sold out home football games.

Amen Bruthuh

[UNTflyer]

I just don't see the Big 12 pursuing ANY other Texas team. SMU leaving would be good for us because then C-USA needs to get a team back in their home office market. Much as I hate to admit it, SMU leaving would put us in the best position to move to another conference.

[cdizzle86]

I just don't see the Big 12 pursuing ANY other Texas team. SMU leaving would be good for us because then C-USA needs to get a team back in their home office market. Much as I hate to admit it, SMU leaving would put us in the best position to move to another conference.

Mark me down as I'd rather stay in the Belt then have SMU move up and us take their place. The only way I'll be happy with conference realignment is if we are in a better conference than SMU. Period.

[Green Mean]

I just don't see the Big 12 pursuing ANY other Texas team. SMU leaving would be good for us because then C-USA needs to get a team back in their home office market. Much as I hate to admit it, SMU leaving would put us in the best position to move to another conference.

The MWC is still there. I prefer MWC over CUSA even as it is now.

[UNT90]

Problem is the message you send by building that small. Don't get me wrong, the stadium is a gem, but if it were built 40k expandable to 60k, it would have sent a more clear message to other conferences that we were finally serious about doing EVERYTHING in our power to finally make athletics a priority.

Look, we all know the steps that have been taken, but if you believe Coach Mac's schtick about how much of a negative perception ithis football program has nationally, then you should understand that outsiders may just look at the number of seats in the new stadium, compare it to Fouts, and think "same old North Texas".

We are dealing with outside perception, and it is still a HUGE problem.

Edited August 30, 2011 by UNT90

[ColoradoEagle]

Don't get me wrong, the stadium is a gem, but if it were built 40k expandable to 60k, it would have sent a more clear message to other conferences that we were finally serious about doing EVERYTHING in our power to finally make athletics a priority.

We are dealing with outside perception, and it is still a HUGE problem.

A stadium that isn't filled has far more effect on perception than one that's on the smaller side. No one's chomping at the bit for Rice, Tulane, and UAB.

[UNTLifer]

Not buying your argument UNT90. SMU seats 1,000 more than us, but they are more attractive??? TCU is decreasing capacity, so does that send a message they aren't serious. We could have built a 60,000 seat erector set that looks like one of the Florida schools, or we could do it right. We did it right and it can and would be expanded immediately if the Big XII came calling.

[Mean Green Matt]

People need to quit acting like the 50k expansion number being thrown around is some upper ceiling that we can't break through. If we are selling out the stadium, the money will be there to expand it to whatever the heck we want. The stadium could be 80k if we needed it to be. All we would need to do is add upper decks all around, and enclose the bowl by the athletic center...would that cost a lot of money? Hell Yeah, but if demand warrants it, we would have the money.

I think the "image" of a full stadium that is of high quality is much more important at this point than having a 40k seat stadium with 10k empty seats. Plus, I may have missed it, but where are the people mentioning the shortsightedness of SMU building a 32k seat stadium only expandable to 45k...

[NCMeanGreen]

It's at times like this that I really wish we had built a 40k stadium expandable to 60K. I know it doesn't matter if we don't fill it, but at least it would have given the opportunity to try and fill it.

Just an in a perfect world moment.

Yes, rarely do you see an avg. attendance number associated with the capacity of a stadium. However, I think we should be fortunate for what we have...recognize it as the next step in our evolution...and just pack the damn thing!

[Mean Green Matt]

Not buying your argument UNT90. SMU seats 1,000 more than us, but they are more attractive??? TCU is decreasing capacity, so does that send a message they aren't serious. We could have built a 60,000 seat erector set that looks like one of the Florida schools, or we could do it right. We did it right and it can and would be expanded immediately if the Big XII came calling.

Yep. I have heard that in one off-season it can be expanded to a capacity of 50k...and that is just by adding onto the student side. That does no count any tweaks that could be made to the endzone seating (which if all goes well will probably involve the removal of the wing to enclose the bowl).

[UNT90]

SMU has no shot.

I'm talking about outside percetion, not tfe way people on this board feel and think. Just look at the FWST, who thinks so much of us that they didn't even preview us.

A major paper in our supposed market.

Like it or not, we are a non-factor in these discussions.

[LongJim]

Apogee--even in its current configuration, would be plenty big enough should UNT gain membership to the MWC, CUSA, MAC, and would be virtually the same as Duke or Wake Forest should UNT somehow go to the ACC.

Stadium is not a stumbling block any more, in any way. Main thing is to fill it, and win.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I think the "image" of a full stadium that is of high quality is much more important at this point than having a 40k seat stadium with 10k empty seats.

Exactly.

. . . the real money in college athletics is in having too few seats, not too many. You are better off turning 1,000 people away than you are selling those 1,000 seats and having surplus capacity.

[UNTflyer]

Mark me down as I'd rather stay in the Belt then have SMU move up and us take their place. The only way I'll be happy with conference realignment is if we are in a better conference than SMU. Period.

Well, I don't think that's a good strategy.