Houston Cougars

Infobox college athletics
name = Houston Cougars

logo_width= 150
university = University of Houston
conference = Conference USA
division = Division I
director = Dave Maggard
city = Houston
state = Texas
stateabb = TX
teams = 16
stadium = John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium
arena = Hofheinz Pavilion
baseballfield = Cougar Field
mascot = Shasta
nickname = Cougars
fightsong = Cougar Fight Song
color1 = Scarlet
hex1 = FF2400
color2 = Albino
hex2 = FFFFFF
pageurl = http://uhcougars.cstv.com/
pagename = Cougars Athletics

Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. After the dissolution of the Southwest Conference in 1996, in which these teams were a member, the Cougars joined Conference USA as a part of the West Division. Also in the West Division of Conference USA is Houston's major sports rival, the cross-town Rice University. University of Houston's colors are Scarlet red and Albino white and the mascot is a cougar named Shasta. The athletic director for the Cougars is Dave Maggard. Houston has had notable sports teams in its history including Phi Slama Jama.

Athletics

The University of Houston competes with teams in the following sports:

Men's sports: *Football *Basketball *Baseball *Golf *Cross-Country *Track & Field

Women's sports: *Basketball *Softball *Soccer *Cross-Country *Track & Field *Tennis *Swimming & Diving *Volleyball

Football

UH fielded its first varsity intercollegiate football team in 1946. The Houston Cougars football team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA. The team plays its games in Robertson Stadium and will begin the 2008 season with a new head coach, Kevin Sumlin.

Men's Basketball

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Cougars Men's basketball team plays in Conference USA. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1992. The Cougars are currently coached by Tom Penders and play in Hofheinz Pavilion.

Notable players for the UH Men's basketball team include Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, who were part of the legendary Phi Slama Jama, as well as Otis Birdsong and Elvin Hayes. Each of these players has had their number retired. Notable coaches for the Cougars are Guy Lewis and Clyde Drexler. Notable games for the Cougars include the first nationally syndicated NCAA basketball game, the Game of the Century.

Baseball

Along with the university's other athletic teams, the baseball team is a member of the Conference USA as a Division I team. They play their home games at Cougar Field and have been coached by Rayner Noble since 1994. The Houston Cougars baseball program has appeared in numerous NCAA Regionals, Super Regionals, and College World Series.

Rivalries

Houston's most meaningful current rivalry is with cross-town Rice University, which is also a member of Conference USA. The Cougars and Rice Owls compete in football annually for trophy named the "Bayou Bucket," referencing one of the city of Houston's nicknames as the "Bayou City." The Cougars currently possess the trophy after defeating Rice 56-48 at Robertson Stadium.

Historically, the University of Texas at Austin was one of Houston's principal rivals, especially after Houston joined the now-defunct Southwest Conference. This rivalry gave rise to the Houston Cougar Paw tradition. [http://uhcougars.cstv.com/trads/hou-trads.html Houston Cougars Traditions] . UH Athletics. Retrieved 13 October 2007.]

Facilities

Most of the university's major sports facilities are located along Cullen Boulevard, a the central traffic artery through the campus. At times in the past, some of the university's teams have played their home games at off-campus venues such as the Astrodome and Rice Stadium. The men's golf program competes off campus because it does not have a dedicated golf course on campus. University of Houston's current sports facilities include the following [http://uhcougars.cstv.com/facilities/hou-facilities.html Facilities] , UH Athletics, Retrieved 19 August 2007.] :

* Robertson Stadium - Football
* Hofheinz Pavilion - Basketball
* Cougar Field - Baseball
* Cougar Softball Stadium - Softball
* Tom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International Complex - Outdoor Track & Field
* John E. Hoff Courts - Tennis
* CRWC Natatorium - Swimming
* Athletics/Alumni Center - All Sports
**Yeoman Field House - Indoor Track & Field

ee also

* Houston Cougars men's golf
* List of notable Houston Cougars

References

External links

* [http://uhcougars.cstv.com/index-main.html#00 UH Cougars]