University of Houston Athletics
Ask the AD
As always, thank you for the great job you are doing. Two questions: I have been hearing the BCS will be letting in some other conferences to avoid anti-trust problems. How goes the campaign to endow all the athletic scholarships? The total needed was 23 million? (Brian Chylinski)
I appreciate your loyalty and support...thanks for the encouragement. Secondly the way BCS handled anti-trust was that it brokered a deal with Conference USA, the Mountain West and the WAC laying out the specific conditions under which members of these conferences would be eligible for a bowl coalition game. Each conference receives a stipend in the seven-figure range that guarantees participation if we're ranked in the top six in the nation at year-end. This way the BCS, at least at this stage, avoids anti-trust issues because for the opportunity to participate under certain conditions, the three conferences are technically involved. Third, the campaign to endow the scholarship program is always on going. We're asking for scholarship support almost on a daily basis from those in the Cougar community. The Houston Athletics Foundation is formalizing our thrust at this time and I would expect that in the short term you'll see some pretty straightforward literature regarding this effort.
Please send information on our basketball signees for 2001-2002. I'm getting nothing but good reports from other D-USA coaches about how UH should be the most improved team in the league next year. (Dan Garza)
Very shortly you'll be reading about a comprehensive list of those Ray signed for the upcoming year. We had some early signees but he expects also to land some prospects within the next couple of weeks. He's been recruiting actively and has had some exciting prospects on campus. I agree, there's a lot of excitement about the UH program nationally. The real pros in our field know it's only a matter of time before Ray will get it done.
I noticed recently that Iowa State dropped baseball and men's swimming & diving, essentially as a result of Title IX. In years past UH has cut men's swimming and tennis and added women's sports. As an alternative, it seems that D-1 football could withstand some downsizing with regards to total number of scholarships and that this would actually benefit the UH. Here are the perceived benefits: reducing football scholarships would not effect the profitability of the sport on a national level. Make D-1 football more competitive across the board ("have" schools wouldn't be able to hoard talent). Enable Title IX compliance. Improve the academic performance of the athletic department (presumably this would reduce the number of unqualified student-athletes given scholarship). Please comment on these thoughts and tell us if this option has been proposed in recent years. If yes, what has the reaction been? (Jerry Walters)
Title IX has clearly prompted institutions across the land to deal with more equitable opportunities for our women. In order to balance the numbers, sometimes it calls for the reduction of men's sports. Reducing football scholarships would make a difference because we could shift those dollars to women. The question you pose has been debated for years. The reason no action has been taken is because most institutions find alternate ways to fund their plan to meet Title IX compliance. Schools show progress annually in all areas of gender equity and this has been found to be acceptable by both the NCAA and the office of civil rights. Very few schools have actually achieved complete compliance but everyone is moving in the right direction. Again, regarding football, if you study very carefully the millions of dollars that are generated as a result of football at our level, coaches and administrators alike find it risky to cut back in any way. To diminish the product or the quality of the program by further limiting football participation is perceived to be harmful. Remember, football has already been reduced fairly recently from 95 scholarships to 85. Although I understand your point and would in fact agree with a modest further reduction, I don't think we'll see that happening in the short term.
Why is the music so loud during the commercials on the Big Screen? The screen is excellent if it showed more game time replays. The loud music is very annoying and it takes away from the game, especially while the game is going on. The new stadium proposal looks great...good work. Also, are there any plans for building some dormitories for the students? The university would benefit if more students were allowed to live on campus rather than commute in the Houston traffic. We now have space on the East Side...what do you think? (Danny C. Brown)
We'll turn down the music if it seems too loud. I've noticed it myself. Secondly, the University is currently building new dormitories for the students at the corner of Wheeler and Cullen Boulevard. They're called Cullen Oaks and are absolutely beautiful. This is an effort by the Administration to subscribe to that which you suggest. Like everything, it takes time and the university is aggressively taking additional steps.
I have read in the past that we will be looking to endow the head coaching position for our men's basketball team by raising $1.5 million and naming it after Guy V. Lewis. What is the current status of this effort? (Ben Youssef)
Currently we have around $50,000 in the account to endow the Guy V. Lewis Head Coaching position. It will take $175,000 to do that. I am hopeful, with your help, we'll accomplish that goal in the not too distant future.
Just wondering how much trouble it would be to provide the ushers/event staff at the football games with shirts/uniforms that make it certain to those in attendance that they are at a Cougar football game and not a rock concert. It would seem easy enough to ask them to wear attire that is emblematic of the event they are working. (Patrick Robbins)
We tried having the ushers wear red and they blend into the crowd. People complained because they couldn't find them. Changing their jackets to an abrasive florescent pea green makes them stand out and therefore easily accessible. We haven't had a complaint about usher's visual availability since doing so.
I think we could increase baseball season ticket sales by improving the backstop to have fewer poles causing obstructed views. I would have preferred a postless backstop like the one at Reckling but think we could get by with minor modifications and just removing some of the current poles. The obstruction is considerably more noticeable to those sitting in the first few rows than it is in the upper level. Any thoughts on this? (Bud Turner)
I've noticed at Rice they did construct their backstop a little differently. Your question poses an interesting project. I'll look into it and see if it makes sense and what the cost implications might be. I sit close to the backstop as well and noticed the same.
For those of us who live out of state, with the new C-USA TB contract, can you tell us how often we can expect to see the football Cougars this fall on ESPN, ESPN 2, or ESPN Game plan? (Jim Mahaney)
Football television is dictated by the conference office and ESPN. With the exception of a few games they pre-select, the majority of our conference games are chosen 12 days before kickoff. This allows television to manipulate its schedule, featuring the hottest teams. It's very possible we could be on 4 times this year or not at all, depending on how successful the season goes for the Cougars.
Why has there not been an organized effort by UH to put Guy V. Lewis in the Basketball Hall of Fame? (Scott Smith)
There have been extensive efforts in years past to put Guy V. Lewis in the Hall of Fame. At one point it involved the entire Cougar community in a letter writing campaign led by Mickey Herskowitz of the Houston Chronicle. For whatever the reasons the efforts have fallen short. I've talked to Mickey recently and we'll give it another shot. I agree with everyone that Guy V. belongs in the Hall of Fame. I'm putting a game plan together now to try again on behalf of the University and Guy.
What has happened, this football season, to cause a yellow parking pass donated to rise from $100 to $250? In trying to raise money you are going to cause many alumni who are regular fans to quit coming. Many of the older alumni cannot walk from the blue lots. Any suggestions? Or should we just not renew our football tickets? (Frances Randall)
If you are an HAF member at any level, you are entitled to a parking pass. Those with donations to the foundation of $250 or more will have a reserved space closest to the stadium. Other foundation members have the right to upgrade on game day by simply showing your blue pass to an attendant and paying an additional game day fee which is ? the price normally charged to the public. Therefore I'd suggest that if you cannot afford to support the athletic program to a greater extent, simply come to the games a little earlier (a couple of hours before kickoff) pay the half price game day fee to park next to the stadium. The big difference in the equation is $250 donors or higher have a guaranteed reserved space adjacent to the stadium while those that contributed a lesser level, have to either park away from the stadium or take their chances on game day by being accommodated on a space available basis only.
Whether you feel this is fair or not is obviously your call, but if we don't start to address reasonable ways to generate some supplemental income to meet the rising costs of a Division 1-A Intercollegiate football team, we will all have a bigger problem than that which you express.
When is national signing day for college basketball? How many scholarships do we have to give for the upcoming season? What particular facelifts are you planning for Hofheinz (exterior & interior)? (Brian D. Carey)
National signing day was last Wednesday and it runs through the middle of May. As it stands right now Ray had 5 scholarships to give this year and will have them all filled for the next season. The next major facelift to Hofheinz Pavilion will have to do with some exterior landscaping and secondly I'd like to upgrade the chairs. After 20 years they're faded and a little beat. We need a brighter look along with some brighter lighting. This summer we're also trying to redo both the men and women's locker rooms.
Why is it necessary for season ticket holders to donate $250 to be able to park near the stadium? I would think a season ticket purchase would place you slightly ahead of single ticket holders. I have never seen the lot full around the stadium. (Ronald K. Smith)
As a member of the Houston Athletics Foundation at any level, you'll receive a parking pass at no cost for home football games. At the $250 level, you'll have a reserved space adjacent to the stadium. Anything less than $250 will entitle you to free parking in the blue lot which is near the Athletics/Alumni Center. On game day if you hold a blue pass, on a space available basis, you'll be able to pay game day fee which is 50% of the regular cost and park in the yellow lot next to the stadium. You must be a member of the Houston Athletics Foundation to receive the free pass. Secondly, if you arrive at the stadium early enough, you can simply play the regular daily rate for an individual game and park in the yellow the lot. The reason for the parking fees correlates directly with the cost of running an intercollegiate program. We do not charge for preferred seating, which is unlike 95% of other Division I universities. We do however need to find ways to generate some reasonable amount of revenues to offset the high cost of fielding Division I football. Whereas we allow season ticket holders to sit along the sidelines for simply the cost of the ticket, this is a benefit that greatly out ways the minimal support we ask through parking.
Why don't we have the capability to download Uh wallpaper and screen savers off the www.uhcougars.com website for our computer monitors? I would like to show my U of H pride just as much as my UT and A&M colleagues here at the office. (Jose Ortiz) The Cougar website is actually the property of an entity called Total Sports. We subscribe to this service and they administer the business of the department as displayed on the screens. Clearly there are a myriad of ways to either scan or email information back and forth between users. I'm sure that with a little technological coaching you should be able to find a way to download a picture of the stadium or some of our photos to use for wallpaper. If you have any questions on how to do that, please feel free to call Donnie Weidner, who is our Information Technology Specialist in the Department of Athletics. He'd be glad to help you. His number is (713) 743-9362.
Does the athletic department have an especially designated "travel game" for the football season? I'm asking because I'm not aware of one. The department could promote the idea, take the band, and begin pushing early enough in the season for fans to make advance plans, possibly provide buses (at a cost to the riders). In other words, make a big deal out of it? What do you think? (C. B. Forbess)
The Army game this year in October will be the game in which we all trek up to West Point. It's being administered by the Alumni Organization and you can gather information directly from that office at (713) 743-9550. The last time we visited West Point we had a terrific turnout...many alumni and fans and it was a lot of fun. I'd encourage you to go. In addition, your idea to promote a following to away games is a good one. You may not be aware but there are dozens of alums that travel to away games, both drive and fly, through the course of the season. I know for a fact that the H-Association, Alumni Organization, Cougar Club and various groups of alumni have put together trips on a fairly regular basis. For the most up to date information on who's traveling and what your options might be, call the Alumni Organization office at (713) 743-9550. As a department we have done what you've suggested on numerous occasions over the last three or four years. For example last year we had a tremendous trip going to Austin for the Texas game.
Would you please provide details about your long-range vision for our athletic facilities? Will we see new facilities for the lower profile sports? Is it possible to post the rendering for the new scoreboard for Cougar Field on the athletic department web page? (D. Boehmer)
I'm not sure if you've been following the progress on campus but we've put almost $20M into new facilities over the last 2 ? years. I'd expect that within the next three to four months we'll have completed all of our facility, construction and renovations for the short term. With the exception of Robertson Stadium, which obviously is a renovation, we'll have the finest athletic facilities in the nation. When you have a chance, take a walk through the athletic complex and become aware of what's happened here recently. As far as the scoreboard is concerned, we were prepared to finalize the deal with the Ad Art Corporation regarding a new baseball scoreboard. Ad Art has recently approached us asking if we would have interest in buying out the entire package which includes Hofheinz and Robertson Stadium. That opened another level of negotiations and consequently affected the immediate purchase of the baseball scoreboard. What I thought was a short-term issue has become a little more lengthy wrapping into the equation the new baseball board for Cougar Field. It's a project I'm working on and will be resolved at some point in the hopefully not too distant future.
The way I see things UH is on the bubble. At some point the ACC, Big East, and C-USA will merge to form two respectable 12 team conferences. The exception is that Syracuse will probably go to the Big Ten since Notre Dame will never give up it's TV deals. UConn, plus the three schools that the ACC doesn't invite will leave eight spots for the best CUSA teams, assuming that Navy doesn't take one of those spots. With that in mind, Louisville, Cinncy, East Carolina, Southern Miss, and Memphis are probably in based on their basketball programs. That would leave three spots to be doled out for Tulane, UAB, South Florida, Houston, TCU and the team that eventually becomes CUSA's 12 member. It seems as if TCU and Houston might get strong consideration based upon the fact that they could anchor part of the conference in Texas. However, for Houston to get serious consideration I feel as if it is imperative that over the next two to three years that they really come on strong in both basketball and football. In other words, since they are on the bubble, so to speak, their stock needs to really go up via a couple of 8-3 or 9-2 seasons in football and a couple of 20 win seasons in basketball. I also believe that the CUSA teams that do not make the cut for the above merger will combine for a 12 team conference with the remnants from the WAC plus a couple of other teams. Since I would rather see the more prestigious merger for Houston with the Big East-CUSA, my question is what are the possibilities of Houston making the necessary improvements in the win/loss column over the next two-three years? (Pat Fancher)
Your rather lengthy question can be answered with a very simple response. At this point conference realignment is moot. The television contracts have tied conference affiliations in their current state through at least 2006. During this period of time I feel we're positioning to be more successful with our competitive endeavors. I'd like us to be the top program in Conference USA over the next four or five years allowing us to be positioned for a best case scenario if and when there is realignment within the major BCS conferences. Today everything is purely speculative and impossible to predict.
Has Phase I been completed and if it has been completed, has Phase II begun construction? I would love to see the stadium after Phase II construction! I'm happy to hear that Cougar football is back on campus where it belongs! (Michael Urban)
Phase I will be completed in September. All the concession and restroom areas are the last component of that which we designed as Phase I. Phase II will begin when demand dictates further expansion. As much as we'd all love to see a 50,000+ stadium on our campus, there is no rationale to do so or justification to even approach the University or prospective donors until more Cougar fans decide to buy into the program. I do however agree with you that football is where it belongs, on campus, and Phase I is exactly that...the first step. (1) The Big 12 made 5.4 million dollars for appearances by its basketball teams in the NCAA tournament. How much did the CUSA teams earn? (2) Do you feel the RPI ratings are fair or are they being manipulated by the TV networks? (3) Cincinnati, Charlotte, and Patino and Louisville. Tell me Ray is out recruiting some seven footers? (4) What is the story on Ray interviewing with University of Washington? (Ron Hilburn) (1) The formula for the distribution of revenues as it relates to appearances in the NCAA is the same for all conferences. What you earn is a direct reflection of how many teams are in and how many rounds the team advances. At this point the pay out per round is approximately $160,000 per appearance and each conference receives that amount over a six-year period of time. (2) The RPI ratings are fair and they take into consideration a wide array of variables. They have brought parity to the selection process and the basketball tournament committee relies very heavily on these statistics. RPI rates even include who your opponents played and what their strength of schedule is. It's broken down in a very detailed fashion but seems to have brought a clear understanding across the board with regard to the importance of playing good teams in non-conference. (3) Finally, Ray's doing a great job recruiting a raft of different players. I believe he'll have some impressive signees in the spring. (4) I don't know anything about the University of Washington and neither does Ray.
If we dismissed Tom Osborne's recommendation to eliminate the big money making football games from our schedule for more competitive games and possible confidence-building wins, why do we insist on playing Texas on campus? Wouldn't a bigger venue result in more revenue for both schools and why would they or anyone else of that caliber want to play us here again? Wanting not to lose home-field advantage prevent us from being able to schedule home-and-home series with the big boys when coach Dimel gets us to where we will compete? (Bill Ellis)
Football belongs on a college campus. That's been the thrust of our enthusiasm to refurbish Robertson. We will expand Robertson by 10,000 seats for the Texas game, which should accommodate a significant portion of the interest in the city. We have corporate sponsors, season ticket and luxury box holders, students and fans who have made a great investment in on campus football. Our loyalty is to our constituency and I'll do everything I possibly can to prioritize what's at their best interests and not is what's perceived by our opponents. Philosophically we will always play at least two top 20 teams on our schedule. Texas happens to fit that category at this time, as does Georgia. Future schedules will reflect the same type of competition...eight conference games, two top 20 teams...at this stage...Rice. Finally, we haven't had any problem attracting some quality teams to Houston in the future in Robertson Stadium. In the short term we have both Miami and Mississippi State coming to Robertson.
I think we need to expand Robertson to 53K and put the new outer fa?ade. We also need to keep our coaches. Good programs keep their coaches. (Brian Perschall)
We'll expand Robertston when the demand dictates that. Our fans need to make a commitment to come to the games to fill that which we currently have and then consideration will be given to further expansion. If you look at the web page you can see our vision for the future which will seat approximately 55,000 on campus. Secondly, I agree, good programs keep good coaches. If you'll simply recall, our traditions at U of H...the best years we've ever enjoyed...was when we kept good people together. The ups and downs of our business are weathered and the foundation remains firmly in place with continuity. I think we're on the right track, I believe in our coaching staff and let's see how things unfold.
On other web sites I look at on a regular basis, you can purchase their merchandise. Why can't I purchase UH stuff on line? I live in Dallas and as you know, you cannot find any UH merchandise outside of the Houston city limits. (Scott Mayes)
Very shortly you'll be able to purchase apparel and merchandise on line. Our ticket office and gift shop operation is very close to formalizing the web page for that which you suggest. Stay tuned and keep checking at UH Cougars.com.
Will the end zone facility be built no matter what and when will it be completed? Also, will it have a restaurant on the 2nd floor open to the public? (Brian Perschall)
My next professional ambition at U of H is to construct the facility you refer to. Ideally it will be a revenue generating center for athletics and a building that will accommodate both food service and possibly health care. I can't say it'll be built no matter what but I can say it'll be built if I can raise the money. I'm working on it now.
Two part question: First as a student I take it upon myself to question and sometimes verbally abuse students who wear other school shirts, hats and logos on campus. There is nothing more offensive in my opinion. Why not make it a crime with a small fine $5 or so...something similar to a parking ticket. Next, can we get a giant inflatable cougar costume similar to the one Tulane has been sporting for a few years and if we do get one, can I wear it? (Joel P. Smith)
It's offensive to everyone when students or fans alike become rowdy, abusive and obnoxious. That however becomes part of the game and happens virtually everywhere. The only way to control that which is out of order is through more aggressive security which at times can be intimidating and offensive in it's own way. Unfortunately it's simply part of the game and personal choice regarding behavior and how one represents themselves. Regarding the mascot...we currently have Shasta who handles the chores very effectively.
I think it would be beneficial to concession revenue if there were ATM's in the baseball and football stadiums. I regularly have to go out of my way to get cash before getting to the ballparks. (Bud Turner)
We're working on an ATM at both Robertson Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion now. Hopefully we'll have it in place by next season.
We'd like to see more coverage of the U of H Women's Soccer team in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area during the entire season. Is there anything U of H can do in that regard? Is there anything we as parents/fans can do in that regard? When we play SMU we might see coverage in the Dallas Morning News and when we play TCU we can usually find something in the Ft. Worth or Arlington Star Telegram. (Anne C. Koeugh)
The local paper as well as out of town papers are very stingy with their space for Olympic sports. We fight the battle constantly trying to secure exposure for any of our programs. In all honesty, any coverage of a UH team in the Dallas/Ft. Worth paper is simply a bonus. You might however see more coverage once TCU becomes a full member of the conference. TCU will bring conference interests which will include U of H to the out lying areas. Hopefully the newspapers will pick up and do a better job.
Recently the NCAA passed legislation that will effectively eliminate neutral-site preseason tournaments in 2002, such as the Maui Invitational. C-USA was mentioned as one of the conferences supporting the legislation. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would be in favor of eliminating such events as the Preseason NIT and Great Alaska Shootout (in which UH has also participated in recent years). Under the new rule, many C-USA schools would be hampered in their ability to schedule quality non-conference opponents. It's unlikely that schools like Duke, Kansas or UCLA would agree to a home-and-home series with somebody like USM or East Carolina. So what exactly is the rationale here? (Greg Propes)
The rationale simply has to do with limiting the number of games through the course of the year that Division IA basketball programs can play. Those that begin the season with exhibition contests and run through the Final Four can play close to 40 basketball games. The demands on the student-athletes can be excessive and class time missed a problem. For your information, we did not support the legislation at the University of Houston. It was however supported by the Conference due to a majority rules process. I have long been an advocate of the pre and post season NIT and obviously going to Maui this year the same for other exempt contests. Chalk this one up to simply many of the have not's, that being those that can't get invited to the exempt contests, demanding more parity in the scheduling and therefore killing the opportunities for others.
What is the timeline for C-USA expansion to 12 teams and have a conference championship? Are there any expansion meetings scheduled soon? And, what teams are being considered, if any? Will SMU be considered once again? (Roland Payne)
Conference expansion will be discussed at length during our spring meetings in the latter part of May. The Conference did actively discuss expansion, which would have included Navy, had they not chosen to remain independent. We will discuss all the possibilities in a month or so and I would imagine anyone with interest could be considered if we should decide to go to 12 teams eventually leading to a championship game in football.
What % of students living on campus do you expect to see at the football games this year? Are there any initiatives to go to the dorms and give away the tickets that are free for the student? Has there been any consideration giving the other UH campus staff opportunities to attend the games at the same discount offered to the Central Campus employees? (Joe Rennard)
I would hope that we'd have a great turnout for our home football games by the student body this fall. We should have an outstanding team and there have been extensive marketing and promotional efforts planned for the season. Students are admitted free of charge for all intercollegiate athletic events, so therefore the cost of the ticket has never been a detriment. We do offer faculty and staff season tickets prices to those on our branch campuses. Therefore a faculty member at the Clear Lake branch can purchase the same season ticket package as someone either Downtown, in Victoria, Fort Bend or here on the main campus. I don't believe anyone has worked any harder than our marketing and promotions staff to make people aware of the games and develop initiatives to increase attendance. When Coach Dimel starts to put the package together and it becomes even more exciting, hopefully you'll see a significant turnaround in our attendance figures. With Texas, Rice and TCU are one the slate at home this fall I have to believe there will be greater interest.
Is there a chance to bring band day back? When we used to have this event, I think it was a great recruiting tool. As you know, Bill Moffitt's program had "100 yards of band". After he left for Purdue, our band shrunk significantly. Hopefully, our new band director would be interested in renewing this game day event. (Charlie Lisbony)
I've talked to David Bertman, our Band Director, and we will have in fact a band day this fall. We had one last fall as well and it was reasonably successful. David has some very ambitious goals for the band. If you have a chance to meet him, he's about as dynamic a guy as I've ever been around. If anyone can bring back the great days that we enjoyed under Bill Moffitt's direction, it would be David Bertman. Stay "tuned", enjoy his enthusiasm and I believe you'll be pleased to see how the band emerges in the near future.
When is the end zone facility expected to be finished? (Chris Povak)
Currently we're working on the plans and trying to establish a timetable to secure the funding which all must be generated from external sources. There is actually no timetable that's been established at this point. We're clearly in the developmental stages of the facility.
Where can I view the drawings for the Student Recreation Center and when is the expected completion date? (M. Medeles)
The Recreation Center is being coordinated by the Dean of Student's office. Kathy Anzivino is the lead staff member for the project. April 20th is the date for the Groundbreaking and I believe it will be completed 18 months from that time. You might email Kathy and ask her for information on how to view the drawings. Her email address is: KAnzivino@UH.Edu.
Why have the UH Cheerleaders not received any recognition for bringing home a national title to our school and placing 8th in the nation on the other squad? The athletic department should have at least taken out a page to congratulate these athletes. They do so much for the other athletes, but don't even get a thank you. I strongly feel they should at least get that since nothing else will be done. All I'm saying is give credit where credit is due. (Todd Hundley)
We've always been proud of the cheerleaders and what they've contributed to the athletic department. They do however report to the Dean of Student's office, not the athletic department. I am very proud of the fact that they were National Champions but even more excited when they do a terrific job leading our fans and students at home contests in support of our Cougar teams. We will recognize the Cheerleaders for their national accomplishments at the Rice game, our home opener in football this fall. On another note, over the last three years as Director of Athletics, I've provided more support for the cheerleading squad than they've received under any previous administration at this university. I'm proud of my relationship with this important group and if you were to speak to any of them personally, you would find that they are always treated in a respectful and supportive manner by all members of our staff. We give credit where credit is due regularly.