In a move orchestrated to enhance the game day experience for University of Houston students and the game day atmosphere for all football fans inside TDECU Stadium, the Houston Student Section will add two 100-level sections on the north sideline of the stadium in sections 132-133 and the Spirit of Houston will move into section 137.
The Spirit of Houston moving to section 137 will enhance their ability to perform and be heard by more fans inside TDECU Stadium. This move improves the Spirit of Houston’s visibility and increases its audio transparency by placing them in the heart of the student section.
For 2026, part of the Houston student-section will wrap into the visitor sideline and add an additional home field advantage to the Cougars, bringing every UH student closer to the action for an elevated game day atmosphere.
This change will increase the number of students in the lower bowl above 4,500, up from 2,500. Previously, Houston students who could not find space in the east endzone’s 100-level utilized the overflow sections in the 200-level of the east endzone. It will also give Houston even more of a home-field advantage with students mere steps from the visiting team bench area.
“Our students are the backbone of campus and make our game day atmospheres special,” Athletics Director Eddie Nuñez said. “This change celebrates our students’ efforts and recognizes their enthusiasm by providing them even more prime viewing experiences.”
I got to say, logistically, 136 for the band seems better because of access to the stairs. Maybe it’s not a big deal to go up and around one section but I don’t really understand the point. Maybe acoustics as it says. The student section used to wrap around like that with the band in the middle and there were 5000+ seats for students at one point. It’s a much better setup than breaking it up with the 200 level so I’m glad to see it changed back.
How would this affect the current season ticket holders that sit there? I thought I remember someone saying they would take to the streets if they expanded the student section and removed them from their seats?
Great question! This decision was made several months ago and we’ve been working through accounts in Sections 132/133 who were displaced.
They were offered seats in Section 126 (same price point) or Section 131 (additional $125 per seat in total cost). We had a bunch who took the 131 move because the 7-month payment plan gave them time to spread out the additional spend.
Another note that came alongside this decision: We moved the Young Alumni section from the 200s down to Section 101.
Young Alumni have access to the lower bowl on the home side for just $150/seat.
Any graduate of UH in the last 5 years is eligible. If that’s you, call the Ticket Office to lock in your spot. We’ve sold almost all of the aisle seats and several of the rows are already full. This section is a big push for our Account Executives over the next couple of weeks.
Ticket Office: 713-462-6647
12 Likes
Duce630
(DustinK - Damn it feels good to be a Cougar. -Dwight Davis)
9
I was wondering that myself, I think I was in section 132 a number of years ago but maybe it was 131. I remember my seats getting moved a bit when they put in chairbacks instead of benches since it squeezed out a couple seats per row. At the time it was a pretty fun section (with the exception of one or two people who regularly overconsumed alcohol), then one year a large group that was in that section moved over to a different one closer towards the 50 yard line and it kinda lost its mojo.
Great plan, looking forward to the new enthusiasm 2000 more students bring! Way to keep thinking of better ways to improve the gameday experience for those of us who week in and week out, season after season, bring it to The Cage.
They have to cap students at basketball games, but why not let 10,000 students into football?
If we max the 40K, we can scale it back. The students are the energy, lifeblood and future of UH football.
Those use to belong to student before. I sat in those sections for my College experience. Its a move that should’ve never happened. But thanks for fixing it. Hopefully it looks better.
5 Likes
SigEpCoog2005
(SHAUN - Bill Yeoman needs to be honored with a BOBBLEHEAD!)
15
It helped that they brought the price of 131 down from $725 to $550 while maintain the the price of the original quality seats at $425. I sat in 131 since the stadium opened and the last few seasons the number of season ticket holders has shrunk. This move as well as the price reduction should help fill in the sections behind the visiting bench with season ticket holders. Personally, we moved up to Queenie’s.
My only concern is I will love to see 4500 students pack those sections for the big games, but for the 11 am and less desirable games the students will have more room to spread out, how will that look on camera?
Iirc, a large portion of athetic revenue comes directly from student fees so I don’t view that as giving away “free” tickets. Students have paid for it. I don’t have a problem with reserving 10k seats for students. That would add even more game day atmosphere, school spirit, noise level, intimidation, etc., not to mention more in concessions sales. We should dream to have our students attend the games in the tens of thousands. Let them all in I say.
100% take a look at any successful program that is consistently selling out their stadium. Minimum 20-25% of their attendance is students. SEC can be as high as 50% students. Can you find a way to get 10,000 students to 4 games a year? Accepting that you probably aren’t getting that turn out for non conference FCS games. That makes consistently filling the stadium much more realistic
132-140 was the OG student section, then things got shuffled to where it was smaller on the lower bowl and the upper deck. It seems now that they brought back those extra sections in the lower deck. This is awesome for the students.
The 30 minute cutoff also existed prior to 2022 until a new SGA took over and really worked to get that rule to change. Tailgating orgs had to not only cut off 30 minutes beforehand, but pack everything up and take it home. Most would just stay home after that. The 2022 change let them keep their items up until after the game, or even the next day, but they could keep tailgating well after kickoff. If there is a meet in the middle type of change here, where you stop tailgating 30 minutes before, but can keep your stuff there til postgame/next day, then well, good. That’s a good change.
