Dang – guess they really didn’t want to “negotiate” his buyout.
I want UT-Austin to play UH. But I understand their cowardice and why they choose not to. They have nothing to gain. If they win than their pompous fan base expects that. If they lose, it’s outrage and people are looking for their pitchforks.
So they prefer to have their brand dragged through the mud like Tilman and the national media did with the Big XII regarding the unanimous vote to not expand? I think it is funny how public UH is making these dealings with the initial request to reduce $2.5M contractually obligated buyout for a program that is one of the richest in the country and then add UT will not consider scheduling even a basketball game with the Coogs to open the Fertitta Center. The UT boosters have to be boiling at this point: slumming like the Bears and Ags for a UH coach and now the Coogs getting the upper hand in the PR front.
They will not give up a home game, especially an easy one, to go on the road. They did a 2 and 1 with USF, but that is still a 2-and-1.
They pack over 100,000 in their stadium. They have plenty of incentive to have as few OOC road games (and more home games) as possible. It is all about the money.
Texas declined Houston’s offer to schedule games to reduce Tom Herman’s buyout
Here is the Chronicle Link.
There are obvious business reasons for UT to reject this offer, but there is no getting around the fact that it makes them look scared. If they want to reject it for business reasons, that’s fine. But in return, I never again want to hear a UT fan talking about how UT is superior to UH on the field or court. This gave them the opportunity to prove the point and they rejected it. They have officially forfeited the right to claim superiority in my mind.
UT brand wasn’t dragged through the mud during the Big XII expansion process; Big XII and David Boren brand was dragged through the mud. I imagine that Tilman got some extra info about Texas’s influence on the process which is why he’s been on the attack.
To be honest, this barely registers on their radar right now. ESPN and the rest of the media in Texas will cover it up as they always do; if not, Texas will just blackball them as they always have done. Good thing is that it plays well within Houston where UT influence is declining and ours is increasing.
I’m glad we stood up to them though; need to make sure we hold our ground. To be honest, we need to try and stay as far away from them as possible from this point forward. Even if the Big12 goes through another expansion process, just say no. Money is important, but not that important.
Amen! As badly as we need to get into a P5, this whole Big 12 thing made all candidates look hopelessly desperate. That’s why TF was so ticked off about it. The Big 12 will cease to exist when their current TV contracts expire. I don’t want to get Big East’d again. We just need to continue building our brand and we’ll be irresistible to another P5 next time expansion comes up.
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/03/08/sports/story3.html
Not the first time they’ve avoided a tough matchup.
That is a very good thought out point. Mr. Fertitta knew where he was going when he put that proposal on the table. Fenves or Perrin will never out business smart him. I hope that it will be on the Billion Buyer Show. How much ratings could that get? Or we could go further as “Mr. Fertitta goes undercover as the U of H boss” I think I am on to something.