Fighting Words: Should UH be considered for a better conference?

With TCU bolting for a better conference Big East, why should or shouldn’t UH be considered?

Johnny ‘the Hulk’ Brannen: Not ready yet

TCU justifiably took a leap from the Mountain West to the Big East. Their football team can now qualify for the NCAA championship, and will be in the most competitive basketball conference in the country. Their TV coverage will expand, and more dollars will pour into the TCU athletics. There is a reason UH was passed over.

TCU is perennially dominant in football, and that served well for the university.

Given the landscape of college sports, there is a chance UH will be considered to move to a conference with an automatic qualifying bid to a BCS game. But a lot has to change for that to occur.

The football and men’s basketball teams must become a force in Conference USA – something that hasn’t been done before. Other teams becoming nationally competitive would also be a plus.

An upgrade in facilities will help. Fans did their part showing up to football games, but attendance to basketball games at Hofheinz so far has been a joke.

The basketball team will have to improve to make a push in the NCAA Tournament, but a solid showing in the NIT would show progress.

Josh Bowie Siegel: Fans should get rowdy

I agree with Johnny on many of his points, and as a student and fan, I would love for UH to be admitted to a major conference. But I do not think that we have earned it at this point.

This football season was a real opportunity for our school to dominate and get its foot in the door, but circumstances conspired against that. I have faith in Coach Dickey and Sumlin to lead our programs to bigger things. I actually have larger issues with the fan base.

I need to see that UH students actually care. I went to a basketball game recently and the turnout was pathetic. Hofheinz is not an enormous venue — we need to start filling that place up.

If students want our athletics program to be taken more seriously, then they should take it more seriously. Honestly, why can’t we just give away alcohol to get students to show up? We would have a raucous and enthusiastic crowd and the turnout would be amazing! Imagine one enormous drunk sea of red hurling profanity at the opposition. The city of Houston is ripe with top athletic talent. We need to create an environment that those athletes will want to be a part of.

Jack ‘Almost Boss’ Wehman: Vacant positions need filling

OK, while Josh talks about fans and John thinks we suck, I’ll talk about why we deserve something better.

It really just comes down to two words: Nebraska and Colorado. Both teams left the Big 12 for the Big Ten. That makes the Big 12 lose a conference championship — a lot of revenue and prestige.

They’re looking for two new teams if they want to regain that sweet, sweet conference money. True, adding UH wouldn’t make the most financial sense in terms of new fanbase — but neither did adding Baylor in the first place. UH can make a strong argument for bringing back the old Southwest Conference rivalries.

Can you imagine playing a season opener against Texas in the new Robertson Stadium? If Texas keeps playing the way they did, we have a good chance to beat them — we had the same record this season, for crying out loud.

We’d have to have a good presentation, but we have people like Kevin Sumlin on our side. With a new, more prestigious conference, recruits would flock to us left and right.

There’s no reason that a blossoming University on the edge of flagship status with a new stadium on the way shouldn’t be seriously looked at.

Judge Avatar Losee: I am not a human being

If it’s not UH, then it should be TCU taking the next step in Texas collegiate athletics. Being that I am an actual “Avatar,” I find myself divided between John and Jack’s argument. Josh needs to work a little bit on the hair, but eventually that tight leather will let him breathe in hard enough so that he can get some oxygen flowing to his brain.

UH has proved itself over the last few years, but has not remained a dominant contender like TCU, or even Texas A&M. Plans for better facilities will help in the future, but it won’t do anything now. UH had its chance to prove to a national audience that the Cougars are talented enough to compete with Big 12 universities. TCU has won division title year after year, but what has UH done? Hopefully, I will fly in on UH campus next year and the basketball team will make another NCAA appearance. Until then, I will spend my time watching over my people.

John gets the win for his honesty. He also gets the win because I feel that he is from another planet.

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