Issue date: 7/10/08 Section: SPORTS

Media Credit: David Minton University of North Texas against Southern Methodist University , Saturday September 8, at Gerald R. Ford Stadium in University Park TX. 2007 David Minton

UNT recently announced new contracts with Southern Methodist University and Army to play several football games against the two schools over the next 20 years.

Army and UNT will meet in 2009 and 2010 and four more times between 2016 and 2019. SMU agreed to four games between the 2014 and 2017 seasons with an option to extend the contract by as many as eight more games before 2025.

UNT athletics director Rick Villarreal said local rivalries have a large affect on both schools involved.

"We're only 40 miles apart; we think there's a rivalry to be created," he said.

Villarreal said a series is attractive from a traveling standpoint for players and fans alike.

"We have a lot of alumni that live in the Dallas area, so just to be able to get in their cars come and watch the game, that'll be beneficial to everyone," he said.

SMU's recent signing of June Jones from the University of Hawaii as its new head coach will bring a different look to the Mustangs' offense for 2008.

UNT head coach Todd Dodge uses a similar brand of run-and-shoot offense. Both schools hope this will translate to several exciting and high-scoring contests in the next decade.

David Hanson, an SMU alumnus, said he is excited about the renewed rivalry. Hanson now lives and works in the Southlake area, where Dodge made a name for himself as the head coach of Southlake Carroll High School.

"The combination of local teams and high-powered offenses is always more interesting," Hanson said.

Several UNT football fans said they feel the same way. Business senior Brian Pollard said he is anticipating the potential clashes.

"More scoring and more big plays always means more excitement," he said.

SMU and UNT have played more than 30 games against each other, with SMU winning the last in 2007 by a score of 45-31. In 2006, UNT beat the Mustangs 24-6. SMU has won all but 4 of the games it has played against the Mean Green, with one tie.

With the addition of Army to its list of opponents, UNT hopes to attract national attention. The historic U.S. Military Academy at West Point will lend its large and diverse fan base to the Mean Green's cause.

UNT's last meeting with Army was in 1997.

"Because of their affiliation, they're a nationally recognized program," Villarreal said. "You have a lot of people who either are retired military, active military or military reserve who live in this area. The ability to bring one of the military academies in here is attractive to those folks."

Villarreal also said the away games would be a unique opportunity for the team.

"For us, even though it's not a short trip, I think anybody who's ever been to a game at the military academies will tell you that it's a one-of-a-kind experience," he said. "Watching the way that the young people there who are at the academy are involved in the game and around the game, it's really incredible. It makes for a great trip for our folks."

UNT gained national attention when it clashed with Navy last season. The contest, which ended with the Midshipmen winning 74-62 at Fouts Field, became the highest scoring game in NCAA history.

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