A historic drought ends for North Texas football in 2025

History · Published 5 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For over sixty years, the North Texas Mean Green were invisible to the national rankings. That changed in 2025, as the program shattered a massive historical stalemate to become a legitimate postseason contender and a first-time ranked team in the modern era.

The 2025 season marked a seismic shift for the University of North Texas football program. Under the leadership of third-year head coach Eric Morris, the Mean Green achieved a milestone that had eluded them for decades: appearing in the AP Poll. This feat ended a ranking drought that stretched back to 1959, making it the longest such period for any team in NCAA Division I FBS history.

The momentum built throughout the year, culminating in a perfect 5–0 start—the first time the program had opened a season with that record since the late 1950s. This surge eventually led to the school receiving its first-ever ranking from the College Football Playoff selection committee on December 2. The team then secured its place in the history books by competing in the New Mexico Bowl as a ranked squad, where they defeated San Diego State.

The success of the season was bittersweet for the coaching staff. Following the American Championship Game against Tulane, Eric Morris departed to take the head coaching position at Oklahoma State on November 25. The university quickly moved to stabilize the program, announcing Neal Brown as the new head coach on December 2, while Drew Svoboda stepped in as the interim leader for the bowl game.

Despite the rapid rise in prestige, the team maintained a steady presence in Denton. They averaged an attendance of 24,493 at DATCU Stadium, placing them 86th in terms of home crowds across all Division I FBS football. The 2025 campaign stands as a definitive turning point, transitioning the Mean Green from a regional participant to a nationally recognized entity.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The school that was barred from its own conference
• The New Mexico State Aggies and the Longest Bowl Game Drought in History
• From humble beginnings to the Pac-12: The rise of Texas State football
• Texas enters a new era with a historic leap into the SEC
• The 2023 Longhorns broke a 41-year drought to stun Alabama
• A season of records, milestones, and unprecedented crowds in professional rugby league
• The 2025 New York Giants: A season of historic lows and sudden highs
• Ohio State faces a historic season in an expanded Big Ten landscape
• A season of extremes: from historic struggles to a historic individual milestone
• Can the Oklahoma Sooners navigate their high-stakes debut in the SEC?
• The 2025 NCAA tournament defied the era of frequent upsets
• The season of unprecedented losses and the rise of the shirtless crowd

More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics