University of Houston Athletics
Women's Basketball Announces Trip to Costa Rica
5/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team and Head Coach Ronald Hughey are excited to announce that the team will visit San Jose, Costa Rica in mid-August to compete in exhibition games and enjoy the culture of Costa Rica's capital city.
The Cougars will fly out Saturday, Aug. 13 and return home Saturday, Aug. 20. In between, Houston will compete in a trio of games against semi-professional teams in Costa Rica in the cities of San Jose, San Ramon and the former Costa Rican capital of Cartago. Dates for the games are tentatively set for August 14, 16 and 17 with times still to be determined.
"This is a great opportunity for the women in this program to travel abroad and experience another culture," Hughey said. "This will not only be a treat for us, but also a learning experience and a chance for us to bond as a program."
Houston will spend five nights in the nation's largest city at the Intercontinental San Jose before heading 90 miles east to the beautiful Los Suenos Marriott Beach Resort for two nights on the country's eastern seaboard.
While in San Jose, the Cougars will compete against some of Costa Rica's most talented basketball players, as well as enjoying leisurely activities such as white water rafting and enjoying tours of San Jose's historic downtown area.
The Cougars will also have an opportunity to participate in various community service projects while in Costa Rica including visiting the most prestigious children's hospital in the country, Hospital Nacional De Ninos and providing basketball clinics for local youth.
Houston will also be part of a special day in Costa Rica, when the country celebrates Mother's Day on Monday, Aug. 15. Mother's Day is one of the most celebrated holdiays in Costa Rica and, like in the United States, families all over the country spend the day together, showering their mothers with gifts and flowers. The day is celebrated as one of the biggest family days in Costa Rica.
The final two days of the trip will be spent in style for the Cougars, as they will relax at the Los Suenos Marriott Beach Resort. There the Cougars will spend time lounging at the beach, ziplining through the rainforest and driving ATV's into the mountains.
"I have often said when you commit to the University of Houston, it's more than just basketball, and the commitment from Dr. Renu Khator and our athletic administration proves that." Hughey said. "We are so thankful to provide this experience to our young women, because other universities don't get the chance to expand their culture outside of the United States."
Fans of the Cougars are encouraged to join the team on the trip, and can receive information by contacting Tim Austin at tim@sporttours.net, or clicking HERE for more details.
REGENTS APPROVE RENOVATIONS TO BASKETBALL ARENA
The University of Men's and Women's Basketball programs moved closer to a new competition home facility when school regents approved the start of the design process for the renovation of the Houston Basketball arena during its meeting Nov. 19.
Regents approved a project budget of up to $60 million with an anonymous donor pledging a $20 million gift to facilitate the arena's renovation.
Design work is scheduled to begin in March 2016 with construction starting one year later. Plans for the Cougars' home facility during the 2017-18 season have not been finalized and will be announced at a later date. The renovated facility is expected to be ready for game competition for the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
"This project has been long overdue, and we are grateful that Dr. Khator and our Board of Regents saw the need for this step with our basketball arena," Vice President for Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. "We look forward to starting the design process in the next few months and creating a facility that will provide the highest level of amenities to our fans and a significant home-court advantage for our Men's and Women's Basketball student-athletes."
Preliminary estimated capacity for the renovated arena will be reduced to 7,420 from its current seating bowl of 8,479. However, initial plans call for the court level to be raised three feet with fan seating moved closer to the court as part of an emphasis to improve the overall fan experience.
More than 2,000 premium seats will be developed to give fans the ultimate luxury seating options. That total includes a preliminary design of 1,750 club seats, 20 loge boxes with four seats in each, two open-air suites with 32 seats per unit and 90 courtside seats.
The arena's concourse level will be expanded to improve circulation with significant upgrades to the sound system, video board and arena seating.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive daily information and in-game updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter. Fans can also catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at facebook.com/UHCougarWBB.
