North Texas Soccer Fan Guide
In 2012, the Mean Green sets out to defend its regular-season title and capture a seventh league championship in its last season in the Sun Belt Conference. North Texas joins Conference USA next year.
North Texas also enters the season with 13-game unbeaten and eight-game winning streaks at the Mean Green Soccer Stadium. North Texas went 8-0-1 at home a year ago in posting a 14-4-3 overall record. This season's schedule features nine home games.
Tough Non-Conference Opponents
The Mean Green's non-conference schedule includes three teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament, including a visit to the Mean Green Soccer Stadium from Round-of-32 qualifier Baylor on September 7. North Texas lost to Baylor a year ago in Waco, 2-0.
North Texas will also face Long Beach State, 14th-ranked in the nation, at College Station, Texas, on September 9 before taking on Oklahoma State in Stillwater on September 14. OSU, No 5 in the country, reached the Elite 8 last year.
The home schedule includes games with regional rivals Houston and TCU. North Texas opens its home slate on August 26 against Houston, a team it beat on the road a year ago, 1-0. North Texas leads the overall series with the Cougars, 6-1-1. The TCU game on Sunday, September 16, will mark the Frogs first trip to the Mean Green Soccer Stadium and the first meeting between the schools in soccer since 1996.
Sun Belt Showdowns
The Mean Green will open its home conference schedule on September 28 against Troy. North Texas has never lost to Troy, including regular-season and Sun Belt Tournament wins a year ago.
Defending league-tournament champion Florida International will come to Denton on Sunday, October 7, for a 7 p.m. game at the Mean Green Soccer Stadium.
Mean Green Sports Pass
Without a doubt, the best value for North Texas sports fans is the Mean Green Sports Pass. The Pass allows you to attend all of this season's North Texas regular-season home soccer, volleyball, and softball games. The cost is about a dollar per game for adults and just 60 cents a game for kids 17 and under.
For that price, you get nine games featuring the defending Sun Belt Conference champion North Texas soccer team and 18 games of the Mean Green volleyball squad, which is expected to make a run at the NCAA Tournament this year. In the spring, you also get the Mean Green softball team, which plays at one of the top softball-only facilities in the region, Lovelace Stadium. This season's softball schedule is still being assembled, but last year's featured 24 home games. That's approximately 50 games this season, all available with the Mean Green Sports Pass.
The 2012 Mean Green Sports Pass is now on sale through the ticket office. The cost is just $50 for adults and $30 for youths 17 and under. The Mean Green Sports Pass can be purchased online, at the North Texas Athletic Ticket Office on the west side of Apogee Stadium, or by phone at 1-800-UNT-2366.
Individual Games Tickets
Tickets for individual games will be available beginning in August through the Athletic Ticket Office. Individual-game tickets are $5 each for adults and $3 for children 17 and under.
Group Tickets
Looking to organize a company outing, team event or just a fun gathering with family and friends? Groups of 10 or more are eligible for group discounts.
Contact the North Texas Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-UNT-2366 for details on how to order.
Student Tickets
North Texas students are admitted free to Mean Green home soccer games with their student ID.
Mean Green Ball Kids
At every North Texas soccer game, kids from grades 3-8 are needed to act as Mean Green Ball Kids, who are responsible for retrieving the ball when it goes out of bounds. If your child would like to be a Mean Green Ball Kid, email athmarketing@unt.edu for information.
North Texas Interactive Athletics Map
If you've never been to the Mean Green Soccer Stadium or if you just want to explore the Mean Green's athletic facilities, visit our online interactive map. The North Texas Interative Athletics Map features all of the Mean Green facilities, from game venues to residence and support centers, and has a page dedicated to each facility, with photos and descriptions. The map allows you to take an online tour of the Mean Green Village.
Meet Coach Hedlund
Having established himself as one of the most prominent coaches in the Central Region, John Hedlund, who is in his 18th year at North Texas, has molded North Texas soccer into one of the most consistently-winning programs in the nation.
Hedlund has had a winning season all 17 years he has been at North Texas; only Anson Dorrance (North Carolina, 30 years) and John Daly (William & Mary, 25 years) have active streaks of more winning seasons at one school. Since 1995, Coach Hedlund has led North Texas to a 234-94-21 record, the eighth-best winning percentage among all coaches nationally at just one school.
In 2011, Hedlund led the Mean Green to its sixth overall conference championship trophy and fourth regular season title. North Texas beat Denver 1-0 on the last day of the season to clinch the Sun Belt title, and Hedlund was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the Mean Green's 8-1-1 conference season.
Click here for a complete bio of Coach Hedlund.
MeanGreenSports.com
MeanGreenSports.com, the official website of the North Texas Athletic Department, covers the soccer team throughout the season. There's no better source for Mean Green soccer information, including:
News
Schedules
Roster and Player Bios
Season Statistics
Coaching Staff Profiles
Youth Camps
Mean Green On Twitter And Facebook
Twitter and Facebook are great sources of up-to-the-minute news and results of North Texas athletics. A steady stream of scores and notes are posted on Twitter @meangreensports. Click here for a list of all the Mean Green Twitter and Facebook pages.
Mean Green Spirit And Traditions
The spirit of the Mean Green is prevalent throughout the University of North Texas but never more so than during Mean Green sports events. Participate and enjoy these Mean Green game-day rituals.