Mean Green

There has been a lot of talk recently about the possibility of UNT putting in a student fee to help pay for a new football stadium.

I did a little asking around and got in touch with Josh Ness, UNT's outgoing student body president, who said a student fee for a stadium is a long way from becoming a reality.

"The athletic department hasn't approached us at all," Ness said. "I helped some students sit down with the athletic department. There have been some discussions about if the stadium plan is going to be successful, that students will have to be involved.

"The students are waiting to see what will happen. We know a stadium is coming, it's a matter of when."

UNT has already started raising funds for a stadium and a detailed binder has gone out to top-level boosters, a fact we detailed on the blog a few days back. UNT officials are on record as saying the project is at the top of their priority list after a number of other athletic venues were either upgraded or built.

Ness said there would be a few opportunities for UNT's athletic administration to push a fee through with a vote of the students.

"It would be a campaign with the student government and the athletic department," Ness said. "There are two chances to put one together, one in the fall and one in the spring."

Post your thoughts on the blog. Will UNT have to put a student fee in place to make a stadium to replace Fouts Field a reality or will the school be able to raise the funds through other means, including obtaining private funds?