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{{Short description|Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Houston}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox college athletics
| name = Houston Cougars
| logo = Houston Cougars primary logo.svg
| logo_width = 150
| university = [[University of Houston]]
| association = NCAA
| conference = [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]]
| division = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] ([[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|FBS]])
| director = Eddie Nuñez
| location = [[Houston, Texas]]
| teams = 17
| stadium = [[TDECU Stadium]]
| basketballarena = [[Fertitta Center]]
| baseballfield = [[Schroeder Park|Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park]]
| softballstadium = [[Cougar Softball Stadium]]
| mascot = [[Shasta (mascot)|Shasta]]
| nickname = Cougars
| fightsong = ''[[Cougar Fight Song (University of Houston)|Cougar Fight Song]]''
| pageurl = uhcougars.com
| altlogo = [[File:Houston Cougars wordmark.svg|200px]]
}}
[[File:Big 12 logo in Houston colors.svg|thumb|200px|Big 12 logo in Houston's colors]]

The '''Houston Cougars''' are the athletic teams representing the [[University of Houston]]. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the '''Coogs''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uhcougars.com/trads/hou-traditions.html |title=University of Houston Official Athletic Site |publisher=Uhcougars.Com |date=October 17, 1947 |access-date=September 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916080719/http://www.uhcougars.com/trads/hou-traditions.html |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> '''UH''', or simply '''Houston'''. Houston's nickname was suggested by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach, [[John R. Bender]] after one of his former teams, Washington State later adopted the mascot and nickname.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hudson|first=Gary|title= The History of College Nicknames, Mascots and School Colors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ibrADwAAQBAJ&q=The+History+of+College+Nicknames,+Mascots+and+School+Colors+houston+cougars&pg=PT86|date=2019|publisher= Author Solutions Inc.|isbn=9781796072556}}</ref> The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the [[Big 12 Conference]].

The official school colors of the University of Houston are scarlet red and albino white, and the mascot is a cougar named [[Shasta (mascot)|Shasta]]. Houston's traditional rival has been [[Rice Owls|Rice]] with whom the Cougars shared a conference for thirty-three non-consecutive years (see also [[Houston–Rice rivalry]]).

Houston has had notable sports teams in its history, including [[Phi Slama Jama]] and the sixteen-time national champion [[Houston Cougars golf|men's golf team]]. The university's campus is home to many on-campus athletic facilities including [[TDECU Stadium]] (on the site of the former [[Robertson Stadium]]), [[Fertitta Center]], and [[Schroeder Park]].

Prior to 1960, Houston was a member of several athletic conferences including the [[Lone Star Conference]], [[Gulf Coast Conference]], and [[Missouri Valley Conference]]. From 1960 until 1971, Houston competed as an independent. From 1971 until 1996, Houston's sports teams were a part of the [[Southwest Conference]]. After the dissolution of that conference in 1996, the Cougars became charter members of [[Conference USA]]. Houston remained a member of Conference USA until 2013 when they joined the [[American Athletic Conference]]. In September 2021, Houston received and accepted a membership offer to the [[Big 12 Conference]]. They became members of the Big 12 on July 1, 2023.

== Sports sponsored ==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Houston Cougars|Men's sports|Women's sports}}
|-
| [[Houston Cougars baseball|Baseball]] || [[Houston Cougars women's basketball|Basketball]]
|-
| [[Houston Cougars men's basketball|Basketball]] || Cross country
|-
| Cross country || [[Houston Cougars golf|Golf]]
|-
| [[Houston Cougars football|Football]] || Soccer
|-
| [[Houston Cougars golf|Golf]] || [[Houston Cougars softball|Softball]]
|-
| Track and field<sup>†</sup> || Swimming and diving
|-
| || Tennis
|-
| || Track and field<sup>†</sup>
|-
| || [[Houston Cougars women's volleyball|Volleyball]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="{{NCAA secondary color cell|Houston Cougars}}" | {{small|† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor}}
|}
The most recently added sport was women's golf. Two players represented UH as individuals in the 2014 season (played during the 2013–14 school year), and a complete team was formed starting in the 2014–15 season.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/101512aaa.html |title=Houston Athletics to Add Women's Golf in 2013–14 |publisher=University of Houston Sports Information |date=October 15, 2012 |access-date=April 29, 2013 |archive-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119104438/http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/101512aaa.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Basketball===
{{Main|Houston Cougars men's basketball|Houston Cougars women'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 the Big 12 Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2024. The Cougars are currently coached by [[Kelvin Sampson]]. The Cougars play their home games in the [[Fertitta Center]], which opened during the 2018–19 season after renovation of the former Hofheinz Pavilion. During the renovation, home games were played at [[Health and Physical Education Arena|H&PE Arena]] at [[Texas Southern University]].

Notable players for the UH men's basketball team include [[List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Basketball Hall of Famers]] [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] and [[Clyde Drexler]] (who would win two and one NBA Championships respectively, both for the hometown [[Houston Rockets]] in 1994–95, with Olajuwon being the Finals MVP for both titles) and also were part of the legendary Cougars fraternity [[Phi Slama Jama]], as well as [[Otis Birdsong]] and Hall of Famer [[Elvin Hayes]] (who would win one NBA Championship with the [[Washington Bullets]] in 1978). Each of these players has had his number retired. Notable coaches for the Cougars are [[Guy Lewis]], Clyde Drexler and Kelvin Sampson. Notable games for the Cougars include the first nationally syndicated NCAA basketball game, known as the "[[Game of the Century (college basketball)|Game of the Century]]," and the NCAA National Championship Games in [[1983 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|1983]] and [[1984 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|1984]].


In the modern era, the Cougars have re-established themselves as a national powerhouse under head coach [[Kelvin Sampson]]. Houston reached the ''Final Four'' in 2021 and again in 2025, where they would finish the season as national semi-finalist.  After moving to the [[Big 12 Conference]] in 2023, the Cougars quickly proved competitive, capturing both regular season and conference tournament titles in 2024 and 2025. Known for their defensive intensity and physical style of play, the Cougars have consistently finished near the top of national defensive rankings. This resurgence has made Houston one of the most respected programs in college basketball today.

The women's team has made the NCAA Tournament in 1988, 1992, 2004, 2005, and 2011.

===Football===
{{Main|Houston Cougars football}}
[[File:2008 UH Cougars vs Air Force Falcons.jpg|thumb|left|Houston Cougars football versus [[Air Force Falcons football|Air Force]] in 2008]]
UH fielded its first varsity intercollegiate football team in 1946. The Houston Cougars football team currently competes in the [[NCAA Division I]] [[NCAA Division I FBS|Football Bowl Subdivision]]. After completing 18 seasons in C-USA in [[2012 Houston Cougars football team|2012]], the Cougars joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013. 

The team played its home games at [[Robertson Stadium]] before it was closed and demolished after the 2012 season. The Cougars divided their home schedule in their first AAC season between [[NRG Stadium|Reliant Stadium]] and [[BBVA Compass Stadium]]; the new [[TDECU Stadium]] opened on the Robertson Stadium site in 2014.

The [[2015 Houston Cougars football team]], led by then first-year head coach [[Tom Herman]], enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Cougars finished the season with a 13–1 record, winning the [[American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game|American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship]] by defeating [[Temple Owls football|Temple]] 24–13. Their performance earned them a spot in the [[2015 Peach Bowl]], one of the prestigious New Year's Six bowl games. In the Peach Bowl, Houston defeated ninth-ranked [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]] 38–24, securing the program's first major bowl victory since the [[1980 Cotton Bowl Classic|''1980 Cotton Bowl'']] and finishing the season ranked No. 8 in the final AP Poll.

The Cougars are coached by [[Willie Fritz]], who was named head coach in December 2023. The Cougars joined the [[Big 12 Conference]] on July 1, 2023.

=== Golf ===
The [[Houston Cougars golf|Houston Cougars men's golf program]], founded in 1946, is one of the most successful in NCAA history. Under legendary coach [[Dave Williams (golf coach)|Dave Williams]], the Cougars won 16 NCAA team national championships between 1956 and 1985, the second most all-time. The program also produced eight individual national champions and numerous [[PGA Tour]] professionals, including [[Fred Couples]] and [[Fuzzy Zoeller]]. Now competing in the ''Big 12 Conference'', Houston continues its tradition of excellence under head coach [[Jonathan Dismuke]].

===Baseball===
{{Main|Houston Cougars baseball}}
{{multiple image
| align  =
| direction  = 
| total_width = 
| image1 = Astros College Classic (16759621811) (cropped).jpg
| image2 = Astros College Classic (16760775535) (cropped).jpg
| footer = [[Corey Julks]] (left) and [[Connor Wong]] (right) with the Cougars during a game at [[Minute Maid Park]] in 2015.
}}
Along with the university's other athletic teams, the baseball team is a member of the Big 12 Conference as a Division I team. They play their home games at [[Schroeder Park]] and are currently coached by [[Todd Whitting]]. The Houston Cougars baseball program has appeared in 22 NCAA Regionals, four Super Regionals, and two [[College World Series]].

===Softball===
{{Main|Houston Cougars softball}}
[[File:Houston celebrates a Home Run (cropped).jpg|thumb|Cougars softball players celebrate a home run during the [[2011 NCAA Division I softball tournament]]]]
The Houston Cougars softball team is the college softball team of the University of Houston. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference as a Division I team. Their home games are played at [[Cougar Softball Stadium]] on-campus. The team was established in 2001, and has appeared in nine NCAA Regionals and two Super Regionals.

=== Cross Country ===
The Houston Cougars men's cross country team represents the [[University of Houston]] in NCAA Division I competition. The program’s highlight came in 1960 when the Cougars won the [[NCAA Division I men's cross country championships|NCAA Division I men's cross country championship]], the only team title in program history. Houston now competes in the ''Big 12 Conference''.

==Championships==
===NCAA team championships===

Houston has won 17 NCAA team national championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |title=Championships summary through Jan. 1, 2022 |date= |website=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) |access-date=2015-02-25 |archive-date=2014-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320185655/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/champs_records_book/Overall.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

*'''Men's (17)'''
**[[NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship#Team titles|Cross Country]] (1): 1960
**[[NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships#Team titles|Golf]] (16): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1977, 1982, 1984, 1985
*see also:
**[[Big 12 Conference#National team titles by institution|Big 12 Conference national team titles]]
**[[List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships]]
**[[List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships]]

==Notable Non Varsity Sports==

===Ice Hockey===
The University of Houston Ice Hockey Club competes in the [[American Collegiate Hockey Association]] (ACHA). The team was originally formed in 1935 but was disbanded during the mid-20th century. In the fall of 2023, the club was resurrected and played its first game post-revival against [[East Texas Baptist University]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simek |first=Peter |title=UH Revives Hockey Legacy After Decades on Ice |url=https://stories.uh.edu/magazine/magazine/online-stories/uh-revives-hockey-legacy-after-decades-on-ice/index.html |access-date=January 21, 2025 |website=stories.uh.edu}}</ref>

Since its return, the University of Houston Ice Hockey Club has actively participated in games against other traditional rivals, including the [[University of Texas at Austin]], [[Southern Methodist University]], [[Texas Christian University]], [[University of Texas at San Antonio]], and [[Texas State University]]. The team's re-establishment has been met with enthusiasm from students and alumni, contributing to the growing popularity of ice hockey within the city of [[Houston]].

The club's home games are played at the Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, where they have begun to establish a dedicated fan base. The team's roster includes a diverse group of players, many of whom bring previous competitive hockey experience from high school and various junior hockey leagues.

===Rugby===
The University of Houston Rugby Club plays [[college rugby]] in the Southwest Collegiate Rugby Conference<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Houston (Rugby Club) |url=https://www.urugby.com/team/university-houston |access-date=January 21, 2025 |website=urugby.com}}</ref> of [[Division 1-A Rugby]] which also includes Rice, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M, Texas State, and Texas Tech.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southwest Collegiate Rugby Conference |url=https://www.urugby.com/conference/southwest-collegiate-rugby-conference |access-date=January 21, 2025 |website=urugby.com}}</ref> The UH Rugby Club previously played Division III college rugby.<ref>Examiner.com, University Houston Cougars begin a new rugby era, September 20, 2010</ref>

===Cricket===
The University of Houston Cricket Club won the 2019 National College Cricket Association championship.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1107469571487870976|user=farazziraz|title=Another one for the books!!!...|date=March 18, 2019}}</ref>

==Rivalries==
{{See also|Houston–Rice rivalry}}

Houston's most meaningful current rivalry is with cross-town Rice University, which is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Cougars and [[Rice Owls]] have competed in football, annually with a few exceptions, for a trophy known as the "[[Bayou Bucket]]", referencing one of the city of Houston's nicknames as the "Bayou City."

=== Other rivals ===
Another notable rivalry for Houston was with [[Texas Tech University]], also a former member of the [[Southwest Conference]]. The Cougars and Red Raiders met frequently in football and other sports during their shared conference years, with many competitive and high-scoring games fueling the rivalry. Though conference realignments limited regular matchups for several years, the rivalry has seen renewed interest with both schools now competing in the [[Big 12 Conference]] against one another since 2023.

Historically, the [[University of Texas]] was one of Houston's principal rivals, when Houston was part of the now-defunct ''Southwest Conference''. This rivalry gave rise to the [[University of Houston#The Cougar Paw|Houston Cougar Paw]] tradition.<ref name="Traditions">[http://uhcougars.cstv.com/trads/hou-trads.html Houston Cougars Traditions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027111828/http://uhcougars.cstv.com/trads/hou-trads.html |date=October 27, 2007 }}. UH Athletics. Retrieved July 4, 2022.</ref>

==Athletic facilities==
Most of the university's major sports facilities are located along Cullen Boulevard, 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 (Rice University)|Rice Stadium]]. The [[Houston Cougars golf|golf programs]] compete off campus because they do not have a dedicated golf course on campus. University of Houston's current sports facilities include the following:<ref name="Facilities">[http://uhcougars.cstv.com/facilities/hou-facilities.html Facilities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070731164545/http://uhcougars.cstv.com/facilities/hou-facilities.html |date=July 31, 2007 }}, UH Athletics, Retrieved August 19, 2007.</ref>

*[[TDECU Stadium]] – Football
*[[Fertitta Center]] – Men's and Women's Basketball, and Volleyball
*[[Schroeder Park]] – Baseball
*[[Cougar Softball Stadium]] – Softball
*[[Tom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International Complex]] – Outdoor Track & Field and Soccer
*John E. Hoff Courts – Tennis
*CRWC Natatorium – Swimming & Diving
*Athletics/Alumni Center – Indoor Tennis and Indoor Track & Field (Training: All Sports)
*Yeoman Fieldhouse – Indoor Track & Field
*[[Golf Club of Houston]] – Men's and Women's Golf
*Dave Williams Golf Academy – Men's and Women's Golf

The [[Houston Dynamo]] of [[Major League Soccer]] was a tenant at Robertson Stadium until 2011. The Dynamo achieved a home record of 50–16–26 at Robertson.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Jonathan |date=December 21, 2012 |title=Scoreboard Comes Down at Robertson Stadium |url=https://www.houstondynamofc.com/news/scoreboard-comes-down-robertson-stadium |access-date=January 21, 2025 |website=houstondynamofc.com}}</ref>

<gallery align="center">
File:UH Athletics-Alumni Center 2.jpg|The Athletics/Alumni Center on Cullen Boulevard
File:Fertitta Center Interior - December 2018.jpg|Fertitta Center
File:Cougar Field 3.jpg|Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park
</gallery>

==Athletic Directors==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Tenure
|-
|[[Harry Fouke]]
|1945–1979
|-
|[[Cedric Dempsey]]
|1979–1982
|-
|John Kasser
|1982–1984
|-
|Tom Ford
|1984–1986
|-
|Michael Johnson (interim)
|1986–1987
|-
|[[Rudy Davalos]]
|1987–1992
|-
|[[Bill Carr (American football)|Bill Carr]]
|1993–1997
|-
|[[Chet Gladchuk Jr.]]
|1997–2001
|-
|[[Dave Maggard]]
|2002–2009
|-
|[[Mack Rhoades]]
|2009–2015
|-
|[[Hunter Yurachek]]
|2015–2017
|-
|Chris Pezman
|2017–2024
|-
|Raymond Bartlett (interim)
|2024
|-
|Eddie Nuñez
|2024–present
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Texas}}
{{Commons|University of Houston#Athletics|Houston Cougars}}
* {{Official website}}

{{University of Houston}}
{{Big 12 Conference navbox}}
{{Texas sports}}

[[Category:Houston Cougars| ]]