Mean Green
UNT fans support the Mean Green teams.
Since starting its intercollegiate athletic program in 1913, UNT has had a strong athletic tradition, providing opportunities for university and community members to come together and display a passion for all things Mean Green.
UNT’s athletic teams are committed to academic success. The women’s soccer team earned a public recognition award from the National Collegiate Athletic Association in spring 2007 for finishing in the top 10 percent of the association’s Academic Progress Report for all women’s soccer programs in the nation. Seven of UNT’s women’s sports teams performed above the national average in the APR for Division I schools and for public institutions, and UNT performed better than all public institutions in the state of Texas in women’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s cross country, and women’s indoor and outdoor track.
UNT’s NCAA teams include talented student-athletes who also share their experiences and knowledge in classrooms, participate in student organizations and fill other leadership roles.
The 2007 season brought a new level of enthusiasm for the Mean Green football team as fans welcomed new head coach Todd Dodge. Beginning in 2001, the team won four consecutive Sun Belt Conference championships and New Orleans Bowl invitations. Non-conference play pitted UNT against nationally ranked teams like the Oklahoma Sooners and LSU Tigers. Stellar performances on and off the field reinvigorated Mean Green supporters, including Shirley and Al Goldfield, who donated $1.5 million in 2006 to support plans for a new football stadium.
The Mean Green men's basketball team — the 2007 Sun Belt Conference champions — hit the courts this fall in defense of the title with hopes of improving upon last season’s school-record 23 wins. The 2007 title earned UNT its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Mean Green women’s soccer team played in its eighth straight Sun Belt Conference title game in 2007 and has had winning seasons since its inception in 1995. The team won conference titles and bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2005.
In 2007, UNT ranked second in the nation and received a grade of “A” on the Gender Equity Scorecard, a study that measures a university’s commitment to women’s athletics. UNT was one of only 11 schools in the country, and the only program in the South, to receive an “A.”
The women’s softball team opened the 2007 season at UNT’s new Lovelace Stadium. Other new facilities include the $3 million Waranch Tennis Pavilion and an academic center that helps prepare student-athletes for life after their sport.
Watch videos from UNT Athletics on www.meangreensports.com