It was painful but I just liked a Greg Abbott tweet. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big 12 expansion is a non-starter unless it includes University of Houston. <a href="https://twitter.com/UHouston">@UHouston</a> <a href="https://t.co/AnHB4dIGnc">https://t.co/AnHB4dIGnc</a></p>— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/756151963947892736">July 21, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I remember the UT campus in the late 90s wasn't popping every night. I had to walk across campus because I lived off of Dean Keeton and San Jac. Unless you walked into PCL, Gregory, or Jester it was generally quiet at night. Also why does it even matter if its a commuter school? People who drive to school still have televisions, internet, and money. I agree with you that when people go home, they are home but it doesn't mean they can't still have pride in their school.
I actually live in 3rd Ward. The bottoms (from the Cuney Homes on back towards downtown) have yet to gentrify. Where do you live and how often are you in 3rd Ward?
UH has the second most beds on campus of any university behind only A&M. The problem is there aren't a lot of 'campus neighborhood' places to live, like with UT, TCU, etc. I went to UH in the early 2000s, and the campus is virtually unrecognizable to me now. It is not a commuter school anymore. Not even close, really.
And that still puts roughly 80% of the students away from campus. Which is exactly why the school isn't there yet. Most of the 80% are also not in the residential areas right around the school, and there isn't much stuff nearby to get them back after class (both due to the neighborhood). Maybe this will change when the area completely flips or if UH is somehow able to strongarm more land. It's about social life at or around the school, not just beds.
They have all that but if they aren't around the school as much there is less of a connection, which leads to less support IMO.
Why are we even talking about UH being a commuter school or not? In what way is that even relevant to the conversation one way or the other?
I don't understand how one could be paying attention and not see the change in culture at UH. I see so much more pride all across the city (even before last year). My wife has worked there in some capacity for nearly 8 years now and the difference is really eye-opening to me. Commuter school doesn't just mean that people have to commute to go to school. The connotation around that term is the student body is comprised of those who are working/parenting/going to school full time. Kids may live off-campus due to lack of options around the school, but the support from those kids (and the city as a whole) is absolutely growing.
If the question of being a commuter school isn't relevant then tell Khator to stop touting the schools "vibrant residential population" when expansion talks come up.
The numbers last year proved that when UH is on TV, people watch. If they were on over the air TV more often, those numbers would just go up even higher. Now have them playing in over the air TV games against in state schools regularly and see what happens.
Look...i've been a UH fan since I was a young kid watching Bill Yeoman's teams in late 70s, early 80s and of course Phi Slamma Jamma. I didn't graduate from UH (Went to SFA....Axe'em Jacks!), but I support Houston because it is great to have a local college team win on the big stage. Short of SFA going big time :grin:.....this will be my team to root for because of fan history.
Why exactly do you hate the University of Houston. Don't tell me that you don't, every single post you have on this issue has been negative for a long period of time.
I don't. I just don't agree with some of the narratives/arguments I've seen for adding them whenever this topic comes up. And I think the post right above yours would make your last statement untrue.
Your statement is, logically, false. Because you believe UH's inclusion would be good for the CITY of Houston does not rule out your animosity to the UNIVERSITY of Houston.
True, I stand corrected. Point remains. Me saying I don't think UH has surpassed commuter status as of now doesn't translate to having animosity for them. Neither does saying it makes sense for a conference to not want a 5th state school in it, or that the conference doesn't need UH for local eyeballs. Etc.
One of the more interesting articles on expansion. Not sure why he is acting like this is a new tactic since both the Big 10 and Big 12 used this temporarily in the last round of realignment. Question for you UH fans, would y'all be okay with this and if so, how much would you be willing to bid?
