Cougar football is a much bigger deal than it should be to UH students. While it is nice to have something about our school to make us proud, Case Keenum should not be the only thing about UH worth discussing.
The University is still behind most of its competition academically, our fine arts programs are largely uninspiring, and the administration rarely seems to do anything productive. But it’s all getting better. Every little excuse brings us a step closer to actually having a real Tier One school, not just a University that brags about its largely futile efforts.
Our football team has done extremely well in the past year, and is cut out to have an even better season this year. So Cougar fans might have a lot to cheer about. Maybe it is because I am neither a guy nor a Texan, but it seems like a single sports team should be one of the last things UH students mention when they say what the best thing about their university is. In fact, to me, the entire thing is downright ridiculous.
Yes, we have a few amazing players, but I am more proud of UH’s beautiful campus, the wonderful new cafeteria at Moody Towers, and the diversity of the university’s students. Those things actually have an impact on my day-to-day college life. The only time Cougar football affects me is when the cheering from the stadium is so loud I can hear it from my room.
It is important for students to remember that just because UH football is doing well does not mean that people can call themselves Cougar fans without supporting our other teams as well. The University also has women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and cross-country teams currently in season, and they enjoy a tiny fraction of the support base that the football team will see Sept. 4.
It is better to ignore Cougar sports completely then to be a fair-weather fan and only pretend to care about the one team that makes national headlines. Many of our other teams are also doing well, and are just as worthy of our support. The other Cougar athletes work hard for the University, and deserve just as much cheering and chest painting as the students who play for Cougar football.
However, it is important to remember that just because we have above-average athletics does not mean UH is an above-average school.
While our football team certainly does not hurt UH in the eyes of prospective students, it doesn’t go nearly as far as having strong academics and high graduation rates—areas where the University still needs a lot of work.
I have never been to a UH football game. I have no real desire to change that, either. The entire concept of mostly-grown men running across a field throwing a ball while crazed spectators scream and shout for no apparent reason is more irritating than appealing.
It’s not that I’m one of those people who like to stay locked in my room all day, above the chaos of campus events. I happily go to school plays and participate in student organizations, but the entire purpose of sports is beyond my comprehension.
Yes, I take pride in our football team. I like calling home and hearing my father brag about how well they are doing. I also like taunting my friends at Rice when the Cougars beat the Owls in whatever sports event just occurred. Nevertheless, the money and energy the UH administration puts into its football program would be much better spent if it was shared more equally with other campus organizations.
College is about the whole package — having strong academics, a gorgeous campus, involved student organizations, delicious food, a good newspaper, diverse and intelligent students, reasonable graduation rates and winning sports teams.
UH has a lot of those and huge potential to get more, but that will never happen if students spend so much of their time obsessing over football that they never even consider UH’s other impressive features.
Casey Goodwin is a mechanical engineering sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]
I agree that academics, graduation rates, and facilities are all extremely important and should continue to be improved. And I agree that students should try to support as many of our athletic teams as possible. However, there is a reason that football gets special treatment. Big name football programs raise awareness of the schools they are affiliated with. That, in turn, makes the schools' graduates more marketable. Take, for example, the two following schools – LSU and SUNY Binghamton. Everyone has heard of LSU and knows that LSU stands for Louisiana State University. On the other hand, how many people have heard of SUNY Binghamton? Or know that SUNY stands for State University of New York? Or that SUNY Binghamton is academically FAR SUPERIOR to LSU? The answer is that very few people outside of NY would know this.
Why – because LSU's football team is in the news 6 months of the year whereas SUNY Binghamton doesn't have a football team (or at least one that competes on a national stage). And when a person hears about a University constantly, they, for better or worse, assume positive things about the academics of that school. As such, if any UH student/alumni plans on interviewing outside of the state of Texas, it is a safe bet that they will want their interviewer to have heard of UH. A strong football program makes it more likely that the interviewer will have.
Where have I gone wrong? I apologize to all of Cougardom.
-Casey's Dad
That reply caught me off guard….I needed that laugh.
See real journalism.
http://www.helium.com/items/1220914-college-footb…
FOOTBALL helps the whole athletic department!! You should be saying thank you to Football.
Ah, the naiveté of the college student. College football is essential to earning national recognition. Do you know how Harvard and Yale became the bastions of education that they are today? Football. I think that, though your heart seems to be in the right place, you took a wrong turn with this article.
Instead of lambasting our football team for doing well, becoming a major source of revenue for the facilities used by our women's soccer team, earning national recognition for a school itching to gain Tier One status, and drawing attention to our "beautiful campus," you might have instead encouraged our other programs to measure up and lambasted them instead.
So you support the football program, yet you don’t go to games? That’s pretty contradictory if you ask me. In order for us to progress as a university, our athletics program needs support. I agree that that shouldn’t be exclusive to the football team, but football is the main part of most university athletics programs. And it’s not just guys and Texans that show up to these games. It’s Cougars that show up. Furthermore, your opinion is one thing, I understand that you are entitled to it. However, opinion articles need factual information, then an opinion based on said facts. Your lack of knowledge and research regarding our fine arts programs is disappointing. It’s a shame you didn’t google Moores School of Music and find out how inspirinspiring we are to the state, even the nation. I could go into detail and list a bunch of accomplishments and merits, but I’ll let you find all that out on your own. In any case, I doubt you’ve seen our award winning ensembles in concert if you won’t even show up to a football game. Don’t knock it till you try it. Or go join your friends at Rice. Have a great day getting ripped on by the entire student body.
Students have a right to choose not to become excited about athletic programs.
They should just channel that energy into obtaining an internship experience and perhaps an international travel experience before they graduate.
Employers know who they are looking for and nothing 'trumps' a solid internship experience except perhaps an international internship experience with exposure to the culture of another country.
And take a moment also to check out the magnificent UH Library and the Moores School of Music.
Google is your friend if you don't have the time right now to go there!
/facepalm
seriously? please tell me we didn't kill trees for this.
This was a poorly written article. I couldn't even finish reading it because it was too opinionated and focused on your single perspective. I have been to almost every single home game for the last four years, don't make generalizations. Support the school you're attending, end of story.
Taking on football in Texas? Nobody can say you don’t have guts.
One thing I would point out though: following only the football team doesn’t make someone a fair-weather fan. No offense to them, but the cross-country team could be #1 in the universe and I’m still not going to go to their track meets. Besides, if people want to follow the football team now that they’re doing better, what’s the downside?
People like you are the reason that UH still can't get many of its alumni to drive 20 minutes to watch their team.
Plus, try putting up something like this at LSU (which is NOT a great academic school either but has a very active and giving alumni base) and see the "friendly" response you recieve.
This may be the most poorly opinionated article I have ever read on here. If sports are not for you, more power to you but dont fill an article with half the story and let your lack of knowledge about the University show. Dr. Khator and the University of Houston have just spent millions of dollars for a new researcher on campus, a new business building to improve Bauer College, millions of dollars to renovate and improve the Hilton already the best HRM college in the nation, new million dollar dorms to promote freshman living on campus increasing school pride and lower commuter students; yet you only state money spent on football!?!? you also state the lack of funding for other sports, which is 110% inaccurate Title 9 requires equal funding for men and women sports. Coog Crew is an organization that supports ALL cougar sports equally. Dr. Khator is also working hard to promote sports including football, which is the face of the University, maybe it shouldnt be that way but when you (as a high school student) see UH playing in front of a sold out crowd on national TV is free advertising for the university to promote the other aspects Dr. Khator is working on that you failed to mention. As a student here i dont go out and drink, i dont party, we go to Cougar sporting events to show our Cougar spirit and cheer on those STUDENTS who work and study here on campus with us. Until you go to a sporting event you probably shouldnt talk poorly and then state you support the teams, and ridicule people who “cheer and shout for no apparant reason”. Is this a newspaper article that tells news stories or just an opinionated rant?
I understand where you are coming from; like all universities, UH has it's share of things to improve on i.e.UH can improve tremendously by no longer allowing people with this kind of negative attitude to write articles for TDC. If you want UH to succeed, choose to be a positive Cougar. If not, take your condescending tone to Rice and become an owl. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a football fanatic but I do take pride in all of UH's success and would never trash talk my own university. I support my UH (the good, the bad, and the ugly) all the way…Go COOGS!
Seriously? In order for you to have a great source of income, you must spend money. Putting in big money into our football program will mean we can bring in some of the best football players in the country, and make our football program one of the best, and in the end, bring in more money that we can use for our school. Academically speaking, UH is still growing in that aspect, as well as the football program. UH has spent money on other programs and other amenities, such as the lofts. Although, since you have not gone to a football game, I do not think you have toured these wonderful lofts! Oh and football is not just a texas thing. Just ask students from Ohio St, or FL, or California. GO COOGS!!!!!
Completely ridiculous, way to not be proud of your school. Not supporting a huge part of the university and the university's community means you are not even proud of your school.
Texas = football.
bottom line.
Was it not your choice to come here?
It is not a difficult argument to make. College Football is a HUGE deal to the academic aspirations of any major university. It raises public awareness of the institutions and their profile nationally which can make it easier to obtain grant money and donations from alumni. It helps to increase enrollment rates, and enhances the college experience. There is no downside to college football. This is crazy talk!
I can see how some people can consider themsleves not big sports fans. But football being the biggest sports revenue generator means that it helps fund all other sports UH provides our student athletes.
In terms of Cougar Spirit, I think that campus buzz is great for any reason, not just football. For those of you who have experienced some really lean years of Cougar Football should espouse the current success we are experiencing. My advice to you would be to go to a game and see what all the fuss is about! Please don’t let the current hype deny you of the full Cougar experience.
What is interesting is that you assume that being a football fan and wanting higher graduation rates along with strong academics are mutually exclusive. My being a football fan did not take away from my pursuit of excellence in the classroom. On an administrative level, it also does not take away from Dr. Khator's desire for Tier 1 status. If you look at the University of South Florida as an example. Once they become a national power in football (ranked #2 in the nation and filling up a 70,000 seat stadium), donations began to flood in for academics as well. Football is a tying bind to a university that is sorely needed at a school such as UH. I would be willing to bet that the annual donation rate of football season ticket holders is much higher than the average UH graduate. It is because they have a tying bond to the school through the football team.
Football also raises the notoriety of a university. Applications go up, donations go up, and the overall view of the university in the public's eye goes up.
College is about being involved. College is about young adults exposing themselves to things they wouldnt or havent been exposed to previously. I understand not seeing football (or sports in general) for what it means to so many, but i dont understand your article expressing an opinion about football, yet you talk about other sports needing the same level of interest. Its not for you, thats ok, but as a coog i suggest you spend more time in generating interest in the things that do excite you, not tearing down the team, sport and school. If your not happy, youve got the ability to change that, without tearing down the things around you
Obviously the author of this article is naive. Look at the members of the Association of American Universities, one of the most prestigious associations a university can be a part of. At least 1/2 are major Division 1 universities with rich athletic traditions. Students at Penn St. Camp out all week outside their stadium for some games. Students at Duke camp out outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium for basketball games. That doesn't seem to hurt their academic reputations…
Obviously the author is missing out on other college experiences that are crucial to developing a well-rounded college graduate.
One thing that the writer of the article needs to understand is that the athletic departments of state supported schools like UH, A&M, and UT, have to be self sufficient. They don't get funds from the university general operating funds. Their funds come from ticket sales, merchandising, boosters, and other fund raising. So if the athletic programs did not exist, that money would not be available for the general university funds, it wouldn't exist. However, the publicity and pride that the sports team bring to their universities do bring in money for the general funds by attracting more students and getting former students to donate more of their money to their alma-mater.
You lost me when you said the fine arts programs are uninspiring. Have you ever been to a choral concert at the Moores school? The music school is very highly regarded around the country. It seems like there is more than just football that you don't understand.
True Cougar fan here: I've been a follower of UH athletics for three years now, and I can tell your that being a true sports fan is a way in which many students, especially those who may not have built a connection with the UH campus and way of life, can enrich the college experience. Just ask any student at the University of Texas, or at Texas A&M. How about Florida, or LSU? Penn State, anyone?
In my opinion, college athletics are VITAL to the college experience. I must vehemently disagree with your article. Sorry.
Harvard and Yale became academic stars through football? They were elite schools long before football was invented. I'm a huge football fan and season ticket holder, but you can't really justify the amount of money spent on the sport in college. Studies show athletics have little impact on how much money comes into the academic side or the quality of the student body.
People are not suggesting that Harvard and Yale became good at academics because of football, but they ARE saying that those schools as well as many others have greatly benefited from having the publicity of their football teams. It is not that a football team makes a school better, but the better the football team, the more widely known the school in America, because that is what is just a part of our culture. It is an unfortunate part of our culture, but it always will be that way I am afraid. Boy do I wish our school would have gotten recognition because our top choir competed in an international competition last summer and placed in every division, or because of many various different groups that have worked their way up to the top of the totem pole…. but that is not the case. To be known, we need football, sooooo…support our football team!!
Not a Texan? I don't care if you are a woman> What I am hearing is a cobination of non native and youthful ignorance. The "writer" of this "article" needs to do a little homework instead os spouting off her experience at a school over the last 1, 2, maybe 3 years. Seriously, this school has been around much longer seen happier and definatly more sad times. Football gives the kids bragging rights and something to believe in. Intrinsic motivation to go to school is there to be seen. The students wouldnt be there otherwise. There were dark times when the program was in danger of not existing at all. Put that in your pipe. Did you know that?
How can you say all of these things? Do you have a really good basis for your claims? Our fine arts program is NOT uninspiring…..you should attend an opera or a choir concert and you will be instantly proved otherwise. Also, a student body can choose to support whatever sports they want to. While I think that we should support all sport teams for their efforts, people play those sports because they want to, and because they are good at it. If all of those players don't come to support me and my fellow musicians in the opera, then I definitely don't have to go out to support them…but at the same time, since I enjoy football and baseball, I can go out and have fun and support our team. I love Cougar Football, and I love Moores Opera Center, and I love University of Houston. Don't hate on your student body, just because they like football. It is Texas, we LOVE football!
Thanks Jeff for pointing out the bit about the "uninspiring fine arts program". While some of your sentiments might be valid, if you really think this about fine arts here, and if you really don't know that the Moores School of Music is among the top five in the nation, then you REALLY need to get out of your dorm and stop being an armchair general.
Casey,
I hope you take time to read the comments. I wish you well the rest of the year…you’re going to need it with the comments you’ve made.
You state that you “happily go to plays” and yet you say the fine arts program is “uninspiring.” I wonder if you’ve ever attended a performance at the Moore’s School of Music. You’d quickly change your tune (pun intended).
You contradict yourself in sooooo many places and present half truths in others. If you’d gone to the Library…let alone Google, you’d know that by now.
Sweetheart, it doesn’t exactly help you that you’re the Honor’s College either…on a NUMBER of levels…
Go to a game…or one of the other teams you were ranting about that need support & find out what this fascination with sports is. Who knows…you just might have your next research topic.
-.- Mea culpa on the punctuation for Moores. I know better. My iPod got me into trouble…heh. 🙁
Go to a game… Give it 100 percent of your attention, if you still feel the same… so be it! BUT… I swear it'll be an awesome experience and just might change your mind! Eat em up!
Alternately entitled: "UH football is great but I am a douche."
Not being from UH I can't say I'm blatantly outraged, however one comment did give me pause. The fine arts programs of UH, particularly the Moore's School of Music are widely developed and even envied and used as reference for other universities. Check the curriculum for Houston Baptist University's senior seminar Opera Lit. class and you'll see that one of the performances students are required to attend is UH's opera (I'd also like to point out that there are indeed other schools in the area with theatre programs that could be considered, from HCC to Ivy League Rice).
I understand wanting equal funding for programs in addition to the huge cash-monopoly that is a well-supported football team, but don't insult the other organizations at your school by being ill-informed on their achievements.
Just because you don't agree with the amount of time and energy people put towards football doesn't give you the right to belittle them. You contradicted yourself. Your not a football fan, but you feel proud when your father speaks of it? Wouldn't you not care? Horribly written article.
As a graduate of that “uninspiring” fine arts program, I think that I do a pretty good job of inspiring those from less than ideal backgrouds to work towards achieving more. You need to understand the purpose of this place before you mock it. The school of music is a place of education, filled with students with different goals and aspirations. Not all who go into a fine arts program have the end goal of becoming a member of the New York Philharmonic. Many just want to share their passion in a way that it can reach far more than what can fill a music hall. In that regard, you cannot find a more “inspiring” place to be than our school of music.
If you plan on writing an article about your displeasure over the amount of importance we place on athletics, then you should stick to that subject. There is no reason for
The football program loses money hand over fist every year.
Basketball is even worse. Remember, your staff and faculty were forced to take a furlough day last year because Khator incompetently blew a huge sum of money buying out the basketball coach in the midst of major state budget cuts.
If you want a program to be successful, you need players whose hearts are in it to win. Most of our football layers are instead lazy bums who think they will float around, get girls because they are on the football team, and then somehow get drafted to the NFL. They don't care about their education, they don't care about life, and I've yet to see a single one of them so much as offer a friendly smile or greeting to anyone who isn't either their team or a cheerleader girl they want to hump-and-dump.
So if you want to know why your tuition is so high, just look to football and basketball. Your tuition just paid the equivalent of $200-a-game season tickets, free room and board, and a free college education for a bunch of jerks, and the only "benefit" you get is to watch them go out and not bother to even try to win the occasional game, and maybe show up on the blooper reel for ESPN8: Where We Tuck Stuff Nobody Cares About.
Texas's obsession with football is one more reason people see Texas as a bunch of uneducated, drunk slack-jawed yokels with cowboy boots. Maybe UH should be helping to CHANGE that image rather than conforming to it.
You are not a true Cougar. It's all about embracing all things University of Houston.
I'm curious as to what gives you the authority to judge our Fine Arts programs. Being a student at the Moores School of Music, I am offended that you would write an entire article on taking pride in other areas of our University besides our football team, and then be so dismissive of our "uninspiring" fine arts programs (which are much better than you seem to think). In the future, please take the time to gather the facts before making such generalizations.
Casey,
From what you wrote I find it hard to believe that you love being at our university, I really do.
I see that Aamir posted before me, and I just want to tell everyone how talented this man is. HE IS BRILLIANT! I know students from that school of music that I see on a daily basis and they blow me away every time I see them perform. I LOVE that school of music. You can go to the theatre district here in Houston(which also rocks) and spend 40 dollars to sit in the balcony and watch an opera or a musical, or you can enjoy an equally beautiful production at school for 5-10 bucks! It's very evident you've never gone to any of these, otherwise you would have never made that "uninspiring" comment.
And as an Honors College student, I can't even express how disappointed I am that another Honors student wrote this. Have you not heard of Bleacher Creatures? We're supposed to be the ones with the most school spirit and loving of our university. I am PUMPED every day to be at my university. I BLEED Cougar Red, as evidenced by the award I received at our Honors Retreat this year. I spend ridiculous amounts of money to get custom red and white shoes that have "COOGS" embroidered on them so that people can see how much genuine love is in my heart for this university, and as I write this my eyes are filling with tears because I'm so passionate about our university and support EVERYTHING it does!!! I am extremely proud to be a part of this institution, and quite frankly I am furious that you would write something so offending.
I really don't know what advice to give you, all I can hope for is that your opinion of this university changes dramatically. I hope that you can be proud of being part of this school as much as I am, and as much as all the people posting here are. I love this university and for the rest of my life I will be screaming at the top of my lungs
GO COOGS!
you must be secretly a rice student.
or did not get into Rice in the first place.
Wow ill be surprised if you have 1 friend in UH, this school is trying its hardest to become tier 1, and the last thing coogs need is someone ripping on our school pride, I am truly disgusted by your opinion. Go transfer to a community college.
I'm not surprised someone organized a brigade of people to bury this courageous cougar's commentary.
I am surprised that they haven't realized what a drag Football and the rest of the sports programs are, and how little effort most of our "free ride athletes" put forth. Given that the sports program hasn't so much as had open tryouts in over a decade, it's not surprising that our teams are complacent and slow. Given the way the "athletes" from the football and basketball teams behave, it's no surprise the vast majority of Cougars don't want to see them on the football field – or any other time those jerks are around!
UH football is great, but not for you? That's exactly what the 60,000+ students on campus say about other activities on campus: "Music is great, but not for me," "Soccer is great, but not for me," "Volleyball is great, but not for me."
I try to attend every campus event I can, EVEN football games. Yeah, it's a shame there isn't more pride in more of the campus activities, but we have to start somewhere. I remember when the bleachers at the football games used to be EMPTY, and the thought of seeing them filled with pride this Saturday overjoys me. The same goes for all of the other activities. I've seen the bleachers just as empty during soccer games, but I know their day will come if we keep building the pride in our University that we have over the past year.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and Pride in our whole University isn't going to be built in a day either. It has to start somewhere, and football games are a great place for that. If you don't want other students excluding other activities for football, try not excluding football for other campus activities — it's called practicing what you preach.
I have a PhD from the University of Houston. I am an AIDS/HIV researcher. I am an intellectual and a scholar. I read books and listen to classical music. I agree that football is not the only sport to be proud of at UH. I also agree that there are many other non-sports related stories to be proud of at UH. But, please do understand, you MUST have a successful athletics program lead by strong football and basketball programs in order to have an equally strong institution of higher learning. It is no accident that many of the top tier public and private schools in Division I have excellent athletics. Not just for the money (i.e. alumni donations are significantly higher at schools that strongly support their athletics) but also for the purpose of bringing everyone together under a common battle flag. Football can be a unifier of the entire campus. Look at the win over Texas Tech on YouTube sometime. Look in the eyes of those rabid students during the last drive. Do you think those students will be more or less like to give back to their school then if that had never happened? Do you think their children will be more or less likely to go to a school with a new football stadium or one where Robertson is as good as its ever going to get? Football and academia are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, as I sit here reading my fifteenth research paper of the morning while listening to Vivaldi, I am distracted by the overwhelming urge to paint my body scarlet red and scream at the top of my lungs…. EAT EM UP, EAT EM UP, GO COOGS GO!!!!!
Outstanding!!!!!
Football only helps other sports if it brings in money…there are not many schools, public or private, with self-sufficient athetics funding; any school that does not have self sufficient athletics (after counting up booster money, tv and ticket revenue) must get money from the school itself, typically achieved by taking in student fees. In return the school gives students free tickets to games. Hmmmm sound familiar?!?
True, to get out of the debt hole you have to spend money to make money. So we are now spending $160 million (a sum equal to 1/3 of UH's total endowment) on a new stadium in the hopes of attracting better athletes in the hopes of grabbing a slice of a very finite pie called tv revenue. Hopefully most of the money for the new stadium comes from private donors. If not the money will come from the students in some form or other you can be assured of that.
Football Success + TV Exposure = Tier One!
get out of our school!
Football is an often an integral part of college. It's not that the other sports teams aren't as important, but there is more hype for football because it's an "American pastime." It's a nationwide hype, not just at UH.
You are ignorant. You fail to understand the outside point of view on the university that football creates. Although not necessarily correct, people tie a schools football program with the schools academic prestige. If you want the prestige you have to have the athletics to back it up. Look at Rice. Great academically and they encourage the stuff you recommend, but their football program sucks, and look where that has got them.
called out!
Perhaps you should attend a game before writing an article entitled "UH football is great but not for me". Then somebody might actually care about your opinion.
Your ramblings are wrought with contradictions. It seems to me something akin to getting attention. That being said I hope to see you at the pep rally for the Moody Cafeteria. I hear the mascot is giant spatula with a merit scholar badge on his gun belt.
Wow what a great article to write a week before the opener. Maybe you should try going to game instead of sitting in the towers by yourself crying… It's football season I would hope the students are excited about it.
Casey, go make me a turkey sandwich.
It's extremely doubtful that the $750,000 generated by new season ticket sales will benefit anything but football. The idea that athletic success will bring in donations to the academic side is simply false. There are a pile of studies that show otherwise. Football is nothing but bread and circuses for the masses. The university is taking $13 million from the academic side to prop up athletics.
There is plenty of data that suggests that enrollment and applications increase when a University has major athletic successes. For example, Butler University just made the Final Four in basketball. Monday they welcomed the largest freshman class in school history. They cited a 25% increase in applications and believe that the success of the hoops program had garnered them significantly increased visibility and notoriety.
Wow, UH finally has a fun and exciting football team with a great student athlete in Case Keenum representing the university. They've slowly built a great college game day experience, and a student writes this.
Sad. Luckily, we all know her voice is a very, very small minority.
And Casey, simply put – don't bother.
If the Cougars hadn't had the type of year they had last year, would we see Case Keenum (and that big UH logo on the side of his helmet) running down the field to celebrate a TD during the montage of clips that ESPN shows at the opening of each football telecast(free advertising)? Back when the Aggies started winning in the '80s, the donations increased not just in athletics, but academically, and the university benefited. When donations increase and the number of benefactors that donate to the university rise, buildings get built, faculty chairs are funded, new programs are established, and the number of students on scholarships increases.
Like it or not, a strong football program and a strong men's basketball program elevate the status of a university nationally and that benefits everyone, even those that have never found time to make it to a game, but can find the time and effort to bash the program in an opinion piece for the Daily Cougar. I can remember when there was ZERO school pride at the University of Houston and NO ONE talked about the university in and around the Houston area. Today, Cougar Pride is abundant and southeast Texas pays attention to and supports the University of Houston. I was always proud when the University of Houston’s Wakeshield Facility flew on Space Shuttle missions, continue to be proud about the Texas Center for Superconductivity, and I’m proud of our athletic programs and traditions. . You hearken back to the not so good ‘ol days when the faculty senate wanted to end athletics and thank God, we’re light years away from then. Here’s hoping for a 14-0 season with a BCS bowl berth/win and Case Keenum Heisman win. I want those things for the team and university, but I also want them because I know it’ll annoy the hell out of you.
Take a look at the amount that the UH subsidizes its athletic program.
I was reading an article in USA-Today about the degree to which universities provide
direct institutional support to its athletic program. I discovered that UH uses between $15M and $20M per year to support its athletic programs. This is about 50% of the total operating expenses. This likely comes out of YOUR tuition and fees. To put this in perspective. Texas Tech has a similar scale operating revenue for its athletic program BUT provides $3M in institutional support or ~5.6%.
I think your fellow students would enjoy knowing why their tuition and fees steadily increase.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ncaa-finan…
When 25,000 people pay to watch you study in the library, come talk to me.
Wow! Try going to a game before you knock it. If you can’t have good time tailgating you should check your pulse!
"I am more proud of UH’s beautiful campus, the wonderful new cafeteria at Moody Towers…"
"College is about the whole package — having strong academics, a gorgeous campus, involved student organizations, delicious food…"
From reading your opinion piece and the mentioning of "delicious food"and the "new cafeteria," it looks like you enjoy a good meal and it's one of your big interests. Well, if that is truly the case, you are missing the greatest tailgate in all of Texas each and every game day. A short walk from your dorm over to Robertson and you'll be in hog heaven as the smell of BBQ, burgers, brats, and other tasty tailgate treats. Come for the food, you just may stay for the game. I'm sure that the Tri-Lambs and Omega Mu's will show you some great hospitality.
Go To A Game!!!!!!
WOW…ok first of all it does not matter if your a texan or a guy in order to have pride for your schools football team. Im neither for example Im not from texas (moved here recently) and Im a girl. Yet, since I go to UH now I couldn't BE MORE EXCITED for some cougar football. This was in part a poorly written article that if written better would have been recived better.
As a donor alumnus and past board member of the Alumni Organiization, I can assure you much of the beauty you experience on UH campus is funded by folks like me who truly love Cougar football and consider it essential to achieving Tier 1 status. I'm glad Dr. Khator appears to agree.
Good lord, the cafeteria over the football team?
What an effing wuss.
Hope you enjoyed some delicious food tonight while your fellow students were at the game. At least you had no lines or crowds to deal with as you dined alone in an empty cafeteria.