UNT Student Government discusses new stadium

Travis Bush, says:

kegger!

Scott Doyle, says:

I'd sooner see them renovate the existing stadium than build new. Until you can remotely fill up your house, don't throw student money at a new one. And do I really need to bring up the team's results these past few years?

How about using that $7 fee for some multilevel parking garages? Even before I graduated in '05, parking was ridiculous. Not much available real estate to buy up within close proximity to campus - going up rather than out is about the only remedy.

Any reason they can't charge a fee to renovate the existing stadium and construct new parking garages? Please, PLEASE use your heads up north.

Chris Kidd, says:

Lets be honest: Fouts was built 30-40 years ago by a school who put college football as a 2nd tier sport. I see another Gerald Ford developing in this situation, as you'll have an amazing facility, but a sub-par team to fill it..

Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

The importance here is the parking lot. No one at UNT really cares about football because they're all tailgating.

Seriously.

Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

BTW... can you imagine Sam Moon Stadium?

Every time you go to UNT football you can say....wait for it...

"I'm going to The Moon"

Totally appropriate for UNT. ;)

Jason Rice, says:

UNT has a football team? Crap. I guess you need something to put up as bookends to a band concert, but heck that's a lot of frippery and sweat.

I'd personally let the drama school open with a one-act and close it with an ensemble dance work.

That makes for a much better and less repetitive outing.

Think we can get them to reconsider this stupid waste of human energy? That money would make a heck of a multi-use performing arts facility.

Scott Doyle, says:

Methinks moving the stadium across I-35 would be a terrible idea considering attendance is already poor and you're making it a ridiculous hike for students staying on or near campus. Would have to run the campus shuttles over there, meaning increased costs on top of financing the construction.

You're absolutely kidding yourselves if you think attendance will be significantly improved just because they've built a new stadium. We went to 3 bowl games in my 4 years of attendance, and even in that 3rd bowl year the end-zone stands were baron.

No denying that lot could be parking space, but it's a stretch to classrooms. East lots fill up crazy quick due to ready access...Fouts Field lots are last resorts with peeps generally walking in late if they're forced over there.

Is it too much to ask you actually keep in mind the best interest of the student body rather than the football program? Sure, 1st 'green 'stadium in the U.S. built for the Mean Green is a decent marketing ploy, but it's not what's best for the university. SGA is failing, once again.

Pavel Lishin, says:

I take it that's the UNT cheer?

Bet you a buck UTD's is more retarded.

Lisa Lawrence Merritt, says:

Eagles scream...crows caw. It's sad that people are confused over this.

Btw, back in the day we used to call the Eagle the "flying worm" because of it's green color and that's what it looks like at a distance.

Pavel Lishin, says:

No, but we still have a retarded cheer, damnit!

Travis Bush, says:

Pavel..are you sure it is the cheer and not the one cheering?

Scott Doyle, says:

Well maybe if you still had Mr. Jones on staff, you wouldn't have missed it Bentley!

At least, this time last year, he reported <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/oct/03/university-texas-dallas-seeks-battle-cry/">they were on the prowl</a> for a battle cry.

Scott Doyle, says:

Don't forget young Philip!

<img src="http://media.pegasusnews.com/img/news/tease/2008/10/06/white_phillip2_t125.jpg">

Jason Rice, says:

Oh, Pavel. You deserve so much better.

It's past funny. It's right on into sad.

Pavel Lishin, says:

Yeah, I didn't know we had a fight song.

I also feel bad for derailing this from UNT to UTD, but one last fun UTD fact - our mascot, a Comet, is currently named Temoc. (As his <a href="http://www.utdallas.edu/temoc/">official page</a> helpfully points out, this is "Comet" spelled backwards.) The reason it has such a Trig name is that was the best that our entire student body could come up with after some handicapped (mentally, I think?) athletic league sued us for infringing on their mascot.

So, yes. A bunch of <i>special people</i> owned us like children, and we couldn't even come up with a decent replacement.

And this is why, folks, I've always got a bitter thing to mention about UTD.

(And no fair pointing out that I could have suggested a better name, myself. I did submit a fight song, but I'm pretty sure they turned it down due to vulgarity.)

Jason Rice, says:

Cesar Chavez!

Jason Rice, says:

Oh, sorry - thought you were asking for suggestions.

I mean the Fighting Cesar Chavez'z has a nice ring, right?

Scott Doyle, says:

<i>The sad thing is they actually put several new names up for a vote and Comets still <b>one</b>. </i>

Yes, UTD represent! indeed. =p

Don't feel bad, Pavel. I'm relatively certain at least one voice of reason has said "Hey, maybe we could do something useful with all this money!". Considering internet comments of reason are even lower on the totem-pole, we'll be seeing the nation's first hippie stadium in no time. Never woulda guessed it'd be in Denton County.

Pavel Lishin, says:

Come on, it's basically a toss-up between Austin, Denton, and Denver.

I'd mention San Francisco, but I think they'll put up some sort of homoerotic stadium before a green one.

Jason Rice, says:

::San Francisco

Hmm. Can't say I'd wish that on any ballfield.

<font size="1">Yes, I know that's insensitive and bigoted. That's why you love me.</font>

John McClelland, says:

Generally it would make more sense to have a decent football team before a decent stadium, but recruits do take into account a nice stadium, among other things, when they visit a team to see if they want to be part of it. So if they see a crappy stadium, they expect a crappy team and don't want to be part of it. Of course this does not account for UNC when we had crappy teams but a kick butt stadium (which they are now renovating for about the 4th time in the last 10 years). But it'll be a nice backdrop for the impending defeat of Notre Dame this Saturday!

Scott Doyle, says:

Generally it would make more sense to spend money on endeavors improving students' day to day activity on campus. SGA's priorities should be in serious question here.

I'm a football fan, don't get me wrong - I simply don't feel this is an effective allocation of resources. You're in college, for cryin' out loud...leave the traditional Texas "football first" mentality at high school and focus on your future.

Jason Rice, says:

Frankly, without a college wide dedication to football as a primary focus of money and resources, many of us would never make it through school at all.

Trust me, while flipping burgers at the Student Union for all the jocks was almost enough of a reward alone, without my tutoring gigs for them, I'd not have made it.

Heaven bless football! (That's the ball that's kinda squished long-wise like a lemon drop, right?)

Scott Doyle, says:

That's terrific. Do you personally think a new stadium is going to make a significant amount of people who didn't already attend games flock to Denton year after year?

Nobody's talking about doing away with the program. This is about not dumping money into a new stadium when they could simply renovate Fout's Field (which, as stated, they never come close to filling up anyways).

Scott Doyle, says:

Oh, btw, I'm hoping there's some sort of educational discount from LEED if this passes...getting certified and staying certified ain't cheap.

Rick Yost, says:

Let me take a shot at something here.

In my Dad's time, there were certainly plenty of sports events. But most folks in his day left the weekend's sports event behind them on Monday morning and went back to work. The same has been true for most of my life, yet sports and video games have been ever-increasing in American society.

Does anyone here realize how many billions of dollars are involved in the sports and gaming industry in this country? Does anyone see that this could be a time we'll look back on in the future and say, "Gee, maybe we shouldn't have spent so much time playing like spoiled little children, and more time working to repair and maintain this society?"

We all know there is a huge percentage of 30 &amp; 40 somethings who spend all their spare time (and a great deal of time while on the job) either playing video games, or wagering on sports events.
It just seems to me that there is a great deal of work not being done in this country because we're all busy playing. I say we're playing too much, and not working enough.

This thread topic is in part about the cost of building a new place to hold sports events.
I contend that this money could be put to much better use by improving the school's academic performance. Does America really need another sports star, or could we really use a well-educated individual who just might figure out how to solve some of the problems in this society?

Jason Rice, says:

"Well rounded" == "sports"

Um, Rick, I think you just won your argument.

Scott Doyle, says:

I'm glad you're an Aggie too, chief.

We've been hearing for years about how this and that will boost the football program. Winning didn't even boost the program to what anybody was hoping for. Asking students to foot half the bill after their <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/feb/08/unt-tuition-increase-twice-next-two-years/">tuition is significantly increasing</a> over the next couple of years anyhow is ludicrous (not Ludacris...I know it's tough to differentiate, but bear with me).

UNT has reached their <a href="http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_48709.shtml">all-time enrollment high</a> this fall. I direct you specifically to the following:

• This is the eighth consecutive year UNT has posted a new all-time high enrollment. The university's enrollment surpassed 30,000 students for the first time in 2002.

They've been doing well. Enrollment's getting better and better. Barring someone really blowing it, they're likely going to continue down that road.

Football is short-lived, and there are only single-digit home games. Record enrollment means that many more peeps on campus every day. Unless I'm getting the Alzheimer's, there are more reasonable things to worry about. Push the construction back a few years and develop funding via other means.

I imagine they'd take most people's opinion over an Aggie's solely on principle, then revert to my 4-year attendance as supporting evidence (if necessary).

Travis Bush, says:

"People like Scott are people"

This has yet to be determined!

Jason Rice, says:

I'll never forget one of the best set of courses I took was from a Junior College in Levelland that did all their recruitment through two venues -- a national championship Womens Volleyball program and a Bluegrass Music department.

Zero Football.

Waylon Jenning's kid went there on rep alone and after getting his Associates, Daddy bought them a new automated booth and a tunable recording stage.

Zero Football.

North Texas IS a good music/arts school and musicians and artists know that. North Texas IS a decent CS school and those of us that hire for that know it. There are several other nice niches up there that are doing well.

If you insist on competing with "Football" dollars, you are up against some serious land granted money. Pick something people might recognize as usable after age 22 and by more than 0.00003% of the populace.

Scott Doyle, says:

The man said 'decent'. Bitter much, DaGo?

Jason Rice, says:

Dave-O -- Had a fresh out (UNT) over in 3d graphics-land and she kicked proverbial butt. Good design and good code. She's now in a very prestigious game dev gig - (yeah you'd know the name.) It's not always the curriculum.

Best AND Worst CS grads I've ever worked with came from the same department. Good departments get their share of kruft, but bad departments rarely do much good.

In truth however, you do outdress her by a mile.

Scott Doyle, says:

Point of clarification here: the football program is going to push for everything it possibly can to help itself out. They're looking out for ol' numero uno (strictly figurative). It's to be expected they'd come up with a scheme to fund whatever it is they're after at any given time.

The SGA's entire purpose is to represent the student body's best interest. I cite the <a href="http://www.chaptertools.net/site_files/file_1214936762.pdf">Student Constitution</a>, Article I - Name and Purpose, Section 2.B:

• The Student Government Association shall create, promote, and support programs of benefit to all students.

You're absolutely blind if you've been on campus while classes are in session and couldn't find a better use for these funds. Is it really too much to ask that the SGA actually prioritizes needs? Once again, go nuts with building a new stadium if that's your heart's desire...just find the money somewhere else.