So many kids are influenced to go to certain schools because of their parents. UH is no difference in that many UH alumni influence their kids to prefer UH. While I never tried to push UH on mine, they did know I was an avid UH alumnus and at least to some degree influenced their choice. BTW, I had a very pleasant lunch at Carabbas with my UH alumnae daughter today.
BTW, as for the original post. I am not worrying one bit about an invite to the B1G; let’s face it, we were all thrilled to get an invite to the B12 and won’t even play a game in our new conference until next year. I am very happy with what we have and what we will be next year. People need to enjoy today without worrying about what we may be able to get later. My position is that we have Dr. Khator, Pez, and a board of regents that are positioning us the best they can and I appreciate their efforts and will let them worry about tomorrow while I enjoy today.
I do this with my younger family members but all give a Screw UH mentality if they get a much greater and larger offer. Pretty much in the case of “if your main concern about college is the experience, you’ll be just fine at Houston and nobody is going to force or influence you to do anything”. That is normally the big difference here. They like the academics. But think nothing else exists. Until they see the campus and athletics
Where I went to high school A&M nor UT was pushed - most of the teachers pushed their alma maters on the students and our school was aligned with what went on at some local colleges organization wise so you developed a fondness for them
The ones that went to UH ended up there when they couldn’t go where they wanted but they kept their eye on where they wanted to go - but for some odd reason that student never bought in to UH for whatever reason despite going there - not sure why if you are paying money
Renu is all about academics, but realizes athletics drives the bus and is the entryway into making the university great. So our football, basketball and baseball facilities are all first class, then comes top fifty ranking, and medical school. The business, law and optometry are already good. UH is becoming the place to be.
She values academics and it’s why we improved since she arrived but she knows athletics is the front porch and it’s why applications went to 38k bc of big 12. Kids and parents some how perceive athletic conferences as p5 big time correlating with the prestige of the school so she’s on the right path. Ask if LSU, Bama, etc would be go to schools if they were in Cusa. It’s why all these schools are fighting to get into p5 conferences. Athletics matter then it’s viewed thru that lense. UH will be highly regarded in just a yr or 2 once in the big 12.
It is the way it is, but research is way up as is the other academics, but athletics can get your university more PR with a good season than just about any other media can. She has always said athletics is the entry to a great university, and she likes to compete at the highest level, in academics and athletics.
Georgetown had a huge increase in applicants in the 80s when their bb team was good. A friend of mine wanted to go there and did in the 80s bc of the bb team success. It puts the school on map. Now if a school lacked or dropped athletics they would spend millions in advertising the school which would fail so it’s why teams want p5 , big time athletics. Athletics market the team which is invaluable. We’d be UH downtown without athletics.
I used to live in LA and wore quite a bit of UH gear out there. I had people ask me about UH THE SCHOOL because they saw our teams on TV. Athletics started those conversations and I always told folks UH is a great university and to check it out.
All great anecdotes. But most students at most universities, UT and Ohio state and every blue blood in between, goes to a university to improve their economic future.
More so for the graduate students which is the arm that would get us into an AAU membership.
To say that athletics will divert and be the deciding factor on policy and infrastructure is an injustice to the mission of the school.
It would take joining the pac12, becoming AAU, then when the next realignment circle happens in the 2030s , UH along with Miami, Virginia and North Carolina would jump to the BIG.
Looks like the big12 is incapable of bringing in the four corner schools.,
I would condition this pac12 stay intact, signs a 7 year GOR and revenue similar or greater than the big12.
