UNT Athletics
The new name being attached to the former Apogee Stadium at the University of North Texas in Denton has a few sports fans confused. The new moniker that will soon adorn the Mean Green football field will be DATCU Stadium, according to the UNT website. That's right, DA TCU Stadium. However, this name isn’t looked at the same way in the Denton area since it represents a positive look at Denton’s past.
DATCU was founded by UNT faculty following the Great Depression in 1936 as Denton County Teachers Federal Credit Union (which is known today as Denton Area Teachers Credit Union or DATCU). The idea of credit unions originated from the thought of people pooling their money together to make loans to each other at a low interest rate, to eliminate the dominance of a bookie. This is exactly what two North Texas State College professors, Dr. V.Y. Craig and Ross Compton, along with 11 other educators did when they pooled $650 together and established the Denton County Teachers Federal Credit Union. Today, DATCU has more than 100,000 members and have assets of more than $1.5 billion.
"I'm thrilled to have DATCU joining the Mean Green family as our new stadium sponsor," says UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Jared Mosley. "The opportunity to add a partner that has such deep ties and association with UNT and the city of Denton could not be better as we launch into this new era of athletics in the American Athletic Conference. In addition to the stadium naming, we are excited to have a partnership that will touch several campus areas that support our shared goal of enhancing services and deepening engagement across our various constituent groups."
The stadium, which seats 30,850, opened in 2011 as Apogee Stadium. Entering its 12th season of competition in 2023, it was designed by the same team that created the spectacular Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium, award-winning architects HKS Sports and Entertainment Group and Manhattan Construction.
"As a core value, we believe in supporting our communities," says Melanie Vest, DATCU President and UNT alumna. "Our history and roots as the Denton Area Teachers Credit Union have us firmly engrained into the UNT culture so this partnership is the perfect hometown match."
A celebration of the new naming of DATCU Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 2, when UNT takes the field against California from the Pac 12 Conference. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The matchup also serves as the Mean Green's first game as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
"We are excited to welcome DATCU as the new sponsor of our stadium, home of Mean Green Football," UNT President Neal Smatresk said in a press release. "We deeply appreciate the support that this sponsorship means for our community. I look forward to working together with DATCU as we start our first season with the American Athletic Conference and all the excitement this will bring to our students, faculty, staff, and community.
“It's an exciting time for the Mean Green and UNT Athletics as we embark on this new journey with the American and DATCU."
