The UNT Alumni Association unveiled the Alumni Pavilion's new Diamond Eagles Family Patio on Sept. 1 at the UNT vs. SMU Alumni GameDay Grille.

Hundreds of UNT alumni and friends gathered at the celebratory open house to enjoy the new patio, which was made possible by the UNT Diamond Eagles Giving Society. UNT President Neal Smatresk and Diamond Eagles co-founders Debbie Smatresk and Cathy Bryce ('91 Ph.D.) led a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reveal the patio and honor Diamond Eagles members in attendance.

The new Diamond Eagles Family Patio provides additional space for UNT Alumni Association members and guests to enjoy complimentary food, live music and Mean Green celebration before home football games. The patio nearly doubles the square footage of the Alumni Pavilion and includes additional seating, a permanent stage and a flood-preventing drainage system.

"This expansion allows us to welcome more of the Mean Green Family to participate in game day and connect with the university," says UNT Alumni Association Executive Director Rob McInturf. "We are grateful to the Diamond Eagles Giving Society, as well as Virgil Strange ('68) and Axiom Commercial Co., for making the expansion possible."

The Diamond Eagles Giving Society is an organization that uses a venture capital model to select and support on-campus projects that positively impact the UNT community. For more information or to join UNT's Diamond Eagles, visit one.unt.edu/diamondeagles.