UNT going with Neinas
5:55 AM Wed, Jul 14, 2010
Brett Vito
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that UNT was going to hire a consultant to look at the state of the school's athletics program.
UNT wouldn't go on record with who it was hiring then, but a school official confirmed today that it is hiring Chuck Neinas.
Neinas is a big name in college athletics who knows a lot about UNT. He was paid by Conference USA back in 2004-05 to review Conference USA's options in expansion and looked at UNT, which was in the hunt.
Now he will be coming back to see what UNT has done since and where it needs to go.
UNT last hired a consultant to look at its program just before Rick Villarreal arrived back about 2000 or early 2001 when Gene Stallings came in.
Catching up with Lane Rawlins to talk about Neinas
1:06 PM Wed, Jul 14, 2010
Brett Vito
New UNT president Lane Rawlins was sitting at a restaurant last night, catching up with an old friend and ally in the world of college sports.
Rawlins and Chuck Neinas reminisced about their days getting Conference USA off the ground and some of the schools they had worked with over the years.
That was about desert time, though.
Most of the night they spent discussing their new challenge -- getting the North Texas athletic department where they believe it can go.
Neinas signed on as a consultant with UNT this week and will evaluate the school's athletic department
Neinas already has a working knowledge of UNT from his time as a consultant during Conference USA's expansion back in 2004-05. UNT was a candidate back then.
Since that time, UNT has begun the process of building a new football stadium, a project that has long been seen as the critical and logical next step for the school to take while building its athletic program.
So where does UNT go from here?
That's where Neinas comes in.
Rawlins said that UNT's concerns at this point are taking advantage of the stadium, marketing the program and becoming more competitive, especially with its peers who have more money to spend.
Rawlins said that Neinas is as good a consultant as there is in college athletics.
UNT is hoping that hiring Neinas will help elevate its overall program.
The big topic lately in college athletics has been conference realignment, but Rawlins said that isn't the reason UNT is hiring Neinas. UNT is trying to improve its overall program.
"The way I look at it is we need to build a program and a fan base," Rawlins said. "That could lead to a new conference, but that is not the reason we hired Chuck."
Neina's was consulting for CUSA during this past bit of realignment, if that means anything....
(07-14-2010 06:14 PM)mufanatehc Wrote: [ -> ]Neina's was consulting for CUSA during this past bit of realignment, if that means anything....
1. He was paid by Conference USA back in 2004-05 to review Conference USA's options in expansion and looked at UNT, which was in the hunt.
2. Rawlins and Chuck Neinas reminisced about their days getting Conference USA off the ground and some of the schools they had worked with over the years.
3. Neinas is currently a consultant for CUSA regarding expansion.
(07-14-2010 06:39 PM)MG61 Wrote: [ -> ]1. He was paid by Conference USA back in 2004-05 to review Conference USA's options in expansion and looked at UNT, which was in the hunt.
2. Rawlins and Chuck Neinas reminisced about their days getting Conference USA off the ground and some of the schools they had worked with over the years.
3. Neinas is currently a consultant for CUSA regarding expansion.
Wouldnt that be a conflict of interest being a consultant for both?
(07-15-2010 09:55 AM)OwlFamily Wrote: [ -> ] (07-14-2010 06:39 PM)MG61 Wrote: [ -> ]1. He was paid by Conference USA back in 2004-05 to review Conference USA's options in expansion and looked at UNT, which was in the hunt.
2. Rawlins and Chuck Neinas reminisced about their days getting Conference USA off the ground and some of the schools they had worked with over the years.
3. Neinas is currently a consultant for CUSA regarding expansion.
Wouldnt that be a conflict of interest being a consultant for both?
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Cusa is not considering expansion. They did some extensive studys last year and decided to stay at 12 or even as low as nine. However, Neinas was brought in as a consultant on a rush basis when it appeared the Big 12 might fold. He was charged with trying to lure some of the Big 12 leftovers, if any. Only reason cusa would expand is if some bcs teams became available. That fell though therefore his services are no longer needed so there is no longer a conflict of interest, he represents only UNT.