Gary Patterson offers interesting comments at Big 12 Media Day

Error

Error loading feed data.

Posted by: Pete Roussel on July 23, 2012

Gary Patterson made it clear that his program is changing just because the Horned Frogs are set to compete in the Big 12 for the first time this season.

On Monday, Patterson stated during Big 12 Media Day, "Our goal has always been to win a conference championship no matter what. If you look in our pyramid, no matter what our league is, and that's going to be our strive in this league to do so also, and also someday play for a national championship. When I was‑‑ in 2004, which is the only year we didn't go to a Bowl game, a lot of people talked about‑‑ I was still telling them we wanted to play in a BCS game. They said: We love this guy's passion, but we think he's crazy. And now we've played in two."

The Big 12 will be a new challenge, but according to Patterson, the new conference affiliate has already helped recruiting.

Patterson said, "I think winning is the number one thing. That's what I've been telling my people since February. When you're sitting on the side of the mountain, you don't rest. Everything we've done to this point is great. But now the real work starts. Now we're climbing. It's another challenge. It's another way we've got to keep climbing the mountain. The higher you get on a mountain, the thinner the air, the harder it is."

He added, "So for us, we're going to keep doing that. Starting on August 5th we're going to come into camp and do the same thing. It's going to be the same first 11 practices as it's been for the last 12years, because my goal and my job is to produce the best TCU football team I possibly can."

Patterson reiterated that nothing has changed this summer.

"We haven't shied away even in the Texas heat. We don't go in the mornings. We go 4:00 to 6:00 because that's when you're going to have to play. We run in the afternoons. And so it's going to be kind of interesting to see how what our mental state is and how we want to attack it."

Lastly, like Dan Mullen and Hugh Freeze did a week ago at SEC Media Days, Patterson took the opportunity to sell Fort Worth as a city.

Patterson stated, "I think TCU has a chance and Fort Worth has a chance to be the best destination city in the Big 12. You get a chance, you can come in on a Wednesday, watch the Rangers 15 minutes down the road, go play golf, go to dinner, go to the Galleria, come over here, go to the Stockyards, watch the TCU game and then watch the Cowboys on Sunday, and then later in the year watch the Stars and the Mavericks. If you're a sports fanatic, you can make a week of it."

TCU has a BYE the first week of the season. The Horned Frogs will open up with Grambling State on September 8. The next week, TCU will play their first Big 12 opponent when they travel to Kansas.

------------------------------------------