The Mean Green went on an especially strong run in the 2006–2010 era, with two tournament appearances, two conference championships, and posting more wins over this time period than any other Division I team in the state of Texas.

[3] Despite Mitchell being highly touted, his performance in his second year suffered and he ended up struggling under new head coach Tony Benford eventually falling to the 2nd round of the NBA draft.

While the Mean Green hold a fierce rivalry with the UTSA Roadrunners across athletics in general, the team's most contentious conference rivals in men's basketball currently are the UAB Blazers and FAU Owls.

And while North Texas leads the historical series with FAU, a 2023 Final Four participant, 14-11, the Mean Green have dropped five straight games against the Owls by a combined 21 points, including a 77-71 loss in the 2024 AAC tournament.

The Mean Green briefly restored their rivalry with the SMU Mustangs the one year they shared in the AAC (2023-24), with the home team winning both matchups by an average of 2.5 points.

The teams have only played 19 times since 1949-50. Notable Non-conference rivals include the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks, and former Conference USA foes Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky.