Athletics

The athletic program

Athletic teams at the University of North Texas have been a tradition since 1902, when a group of students played a football game against the Denton Athletic Club on the Denton County fairgrounds.

UNT competes as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Sun Belt Conference. North Texas' athletic programs are classified as NCAA Division I, the largest and highest division among all colleges and universities. North Texas teams are called the Mean Green, and the school colors are green and white. The university mascot is Scrappy the eagle.

North Texas has captured 12 Sun Belt Conference championships, attended four bowl games since 2001 and participated in the 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. North Texas funds athletic scholarships for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's football, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, women's softball, women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball.

Academic achievement is a priority for UNT's athletes. A recent NCAA academic progress report showed that seven of the university's 10 women's teams scored above the national average for Division I schools and public institutions. Another NCAA study ranked UNT as the best school in the Sun Belt Conference for football players to enjoy academic and athletic success.

Alumni in the Dallas-Fort Worth region support UNT athletics by attending games, purchasing season tickets and becoming members of the Mean Green Club. The Mean Green Club serves as the primary fund-raising entity for UNT athletics and assists in providing educational opportunities for student-athletes. Alumni, fans and friends of the university are also encouraged to support the current and continuing development of athletic facilities.

Athletic facilities

The 46,000 square-foot Athletic Center located off South Bonnie Brae Street is the centerpiece of North Texas athletics. The Athletic Center includes offices for the administrative staff and football coaches, football locker room, team and position meeting rooms, training and treatment areas and an athletic walk of honor that showcases the school's rich athletic history.

The Mean Green Village features home venues for the women's soccer, volleyball and softball teams, several practice facilities and an academic center for student-athletes. Each sport has its own locker rooms, meeting rooms, coaches' offices and a central training room. The academic center has 30 computers and separate areas for independent and group study.

The Waranch Tennis Complex is a $3 million facility that opened in 2006. It features 12 courts, a clubhouse, office space and locker rooms. The complex hosted the Sun Belt Conference tennis championships in 2007.

Football games are played at Fouts Field, the 30,500-seat stadium on campus. The games are typically played on Saturdays. A synthetic grass surface has been installed at the stadium, which features a state-of-the-art Daktronics video scoreboard and sound system. This facility also hosts track meets.

UNT men's and women's basketball is played at the Coliseum across North Texas Boulevard from Fouts Field. The Coliseum is also known as the Super Pit.

Participating in athletics

Most UNT student-athletes were recruited for four-year athletic scholarships during their high school career. If you were not a high school athlete or if your high school did not have a team in your sport, you may still try out for one of UNT's teams as a walk-on. Interested students should contact the head coach in their sport for more information.

You must be eligible to compete in the NCAA, which requires high school graduation, successful completion of a core curriculum of at least 13 academic courses in high school, and an acceptable grade point average and SAT or ACT score.

As a UNT student-athlete, you can expect to spend at least 20 hours a week at practice, games or meets. The athletic department provides academic programs and tutors to help student-athletes keep up with classes and maintain the grade point average needed for NCAA eligibility.

You also may be a part of the athletics program by becoming an equipment manager, athletic trainer, cheerleader or dancer. You may contact the athletic department for more information on these opportunities.

Attending athletic events

As a UNT student, you will be admitted free to all athletic events by showing your student ID card at the door or gate. You may purchase tickets for guests in advance at the athletics ticket office. Tickets also are sold at the door or gate.

Athletic events often include special activities such as pep rallies, tailgating and other spirit related events. Homecoming and Family Weekend are special football weekends.

Several traditions are associated with UNT athletic events. The lighting of the dome, a green light illuminating the Hurley Administration Building tower, signals a UNT victory. Students traditionally sit on the east side of Fouts Field during football games and on the northeast corner of the Coliseum during home men's and women's basketball games.